Went out on the lake this morning to test drive a 719. I was totally excited. Set up with a Merc 225 Pro XS, 25p Fury. 8" adjustable jack plate set to ???
Both the dealer and I could not get the boat over 68mph without the bird chine walking. I expected more control in the bird. What's the deal?
I was already to pull the trigger but now am second guessing it. What have been your experience?
Thanks in advance.
Yes they will chine, the key is less trim than most boats. WOT and bump up trim slowly to the sweet spot. These boats run flat and handle better because the geometry of the hull is designed to perform and the key is its still in the water instead of out from excessive bow lift. My 618 150 will chine to the point of lose of control, buts its because I trimmed it like my my other glass boats (Nitro/Ranger). Even if you can drive the walk out of it during high lift you will gain speed by lowering bow/decreasing trim in these boats. And, the engine to deep on the JP also will lend itself to walk. This is the best ALL AROUND performing hull I have been in, bar none. Planes quickly, stays at low speeds, turns sharp and flat at all speeds. Good luck and don't pull the trigger until you are satisfied with your purchase!
Modified by Cowoty at 11:57 PM 4/4/2011
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sportdman,
Its all in the set up. Ask Delta Marine to raise the motor to 3-1/8 below the pad instead of factory settings of 3-1/2 and you will get 72-74 out of her without the chine walk. The key is not to over trim this boat.
Russ
Ain't set up right....
Can drive mine 77 with 1 hand on the wheel. No joke.
Motor's too high or something. These boats have strakes on the bottom which prevents that. You're getting too much lift thus the squirrelly back end.
Get in the right set up and the problem will be solved.
Chuck D
2300 Pathfinder HPS / 250 SHO
As these guys are saying with correct set up they are very easy to drive!! I can actually take my hands off the wheel on a 721 running 77+ and it will chine some but never makes me feel unconfortable
"Luminous beings are we not this crude matter." Yoda
I will be totally honest wit you on this. My boat does not walk very much at all when I let go of the steering wheel. My previous boat (Tr-20x) walked a ton when you let go of the steering wheel. That is about all I can say about the phoenix walking.
You really need to learn how to drive a boat that chinewalks because most boats that go over 70 mph will walk to some degree, so if you are basing your decision on the phoenix walking some then you are in a world of trouble. Seat time my friend seat time.
I have owned boats previously and had to learn how to deal with chine walking. I think the setup was wrong if what has been said previously is accurate because even the dealer was unable to get the Phoenix at full throttle.
Regarding trimming the boat down, I ran it with the trim nearly all the way down and never got the trim up to a quarter of level on the trim indicator. Still walked even with the bow down.
The handling and turning on a dime was all there.
My 618 with a 175 Merc will chine walk if I let it. When I first got it, I had no idea what I was doing because my last boat (17' Astro with a 125 Merc) wouldn't even think about walking. I raised the motor, which did get rid of the walking but seem to cost me a little top end. The biggest issue was that I'd lose water pressure in turns, so I lowered the motor back to where it was.
Jeff Hartung at Phoenix was kind enough to take me out on the lake one day and give me a little coaching. Shortly thereafter, controlling it became second nature. Later I discovered that if you get to full trim them bump it down a little, it basically eliminates the walking and slightly increases speed.
This is going to sound crazy, but my opinion is that it isn't just the setup. That can be a part of it, but the other thing is I believe you are "over driving" it trying to correct something that isn't there. I have had people that have come out of Triton's, as well as a model of Skeeter, that when I let drive my boats literally scared the crap out of me. They made the comment about how bad the boat drove. I got behind the wheel and they were amazed. I gave hardly any input. I watched them the next time and they were sawing back and forth on the wheel. In less than 5 minutes of very simple instruction they were running within 1-2 mph of where I was running.
These boats require VERY little input. And what input they do need should come in very quick, short, chops.
Hopefully I will get to run a 719 w/ 225 ProXS this Sunday after Church. I'll play with the setup a little and see what we can get out of it. It has a 25 Fury on it as well.
Jason Phillips
I'm with Jason. I think your jerking the wheel back too much. If you look at the nose of the boat, and it starts to break over to the right. Then turn your wheel a LITTLE back left. We are talking 1 or 2 inches. These boats react to that steering wheel. Make small adjustments and I think you will be on your way to 70+ after a few practice runs. You do have to learn how to FEEL IT in the seat.
One other thing to remember.....
The torque of the prop naturally wants to turn the boat to the right. This is/was a lot more noticeable on boats without hydraulic steering. Now, the driver doesn't feel it as much, but the prop is still spinning the same way and the torque against the hull is still there. If you start by trying to correct to the right you are actually making things worse. If the top of your steering wheel is the 12 o'clock position, try to picture this. The corrections you make should be no more than quick inputs taking the top of the wheel to the 11 o'clock position and back to 12 (not from 10 to 2 or 11 to 2, etc). If you ever take the wheel to the right you have to go farther to the left to try and get it back under control, usually resulting in a wild ride where you back out of it.
Which brings up another point. When you do start to feel it get uncomfortable, you don't have to jump out of the gas. Use your trim and tuck the motor back down some. Putting more boat in the water will help to calm things down. Jumping out of the gas can sometimes cause bad things to happen.
If I get to go out with Brandon Sunday afternoon I will try to get some video demonstrating what I am talking about.
Jason Phillips
My 719xp was the first off the line in 2009, Gary took it to the classic, I was luckily enough to get it !!!! Mercury 225, Fury 25, Atlas hydraulic jack plate.
I've run high performance bassboats for 30 years, my 719 is by far the best of them all.....with just me, half a tank of gas and a 5mph chop on the water, my Lowrance GPS says 78 mph !!! Chine walk is non-existant, it is BY FAR the easiest boat I have ever run...and it feels safe wide open too....
I'm confident the set up on the boat you ran was really wrong, my advice to you is do not give up on this boat, do what you need to do to run another one, somewhere....
I promise you it will be worth the wait...
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