Moving the engine

[larryhyco]

I have a 22 Harris Cruiser. It rides flat in the water and no matter how much I trim I can't get the noise out of the water. I am thinking about installing a 4 or 6 inch spacer in front of the motor to move the center of gravity back a little ( like a jack plate on a bass boat ). Has anybody ever tried anything like this?

[Stinger 88]

I run a six inch Jack Plate on my Bently 223 and it definaetly moves your CG to the rear. Water breaks at cruise behnd the drivers station.

[Hickory Legend]

What size motor do you have?

Hickory Legend

[larryhyco]

Mercury 50 hp 2 stroke

[Hickory Legend]

Dont believe that a 50 is going to lift the front no matter how far you move it back.

Might want to go with a bigger motor if you are wanting better performance out of it.

Hickory Legend

[Cyncwby]

I agree, a 50 just won,t cut it, this is my rig, Merc 175 pro xs on a CMC hyd. jack plate.100_1223.jpg100_1155.jpg

[jc1992]

I have a four stroke 50 on my 18ft and it performs but not near what I think it should. Definitely need a bigger motor on that 22ft most I've seen have a 115hp.

[Bamaman]

A pontoon boat is a displacement hull--pushing through the water. A planing hull like a V hull boat rides on top of the water. Modern tritoon boats with lifting strakes and big engines fool the boat into acting like a planing hull.

But it takes at a minimum of 90 hp (and better with 115 hp) AND lifting strakes on any two toon boat to get it to act like a planing hull.

And those with small engines and twin toons just have to accept their limitations in performance. There's nothing they can do to improve speeds, etc.

My Bennington tritoon with lifting strakes and a 150 hp Yamaha runs 40 mph and performs great. And it took a bunch of money go allow me to get up and run with the inboard outboards on our lake.