Arkydave
Registered User
Posts: 13
(6/10/04 7:31 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del All Glass vs. Tin in terms of speed
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Just wondering what you all thought about the arguable point that glass cuts the water better and is smoother so therefore is a little faster? I think they do go through the water easier. I have thought about this and considering that most boats with large motors have very little boat in the water at top speed, I wonder if it is that big of a deal at all?? My last Champion was a 96 181 with a 150 merc and my new Xpress X18 also has a 150 merc and I believe the Xpress is faster. I know the tin boat is lighter so that's probably the reason but when Xpress first starting building big bass boats, everyone said they were slow compared to glass due to how they cut the water.......David

champit
Posts: 102
(6/10/04 8:36 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del speed vs. speed
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Since you are sitting at your computer try this. Pull your index finger down the screen real slow. See how it wants to grab? Now do the same thing across your mouse pad. Does it just slide across real easy? Thats kind of the same way it works with boat hulls. Race boaters sand the bottom of their hulls to cause turbulence so the boat does'nt "stick" to the water. As far as hull designs go, JR can probably explain the characteristics between glass and metal and how they change when heated etc. I think the bottom line for speed is what powerplant you have and what pushes it through the water (prop). WOT you are only running on a very small surface, If you're lucky ! champit

Groman
Posts: 135
(6/10/04 9:03 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: speed vs. speed
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Dave what kind of speeds are you seeing with that hull? Do you have a jackplate on there? Hopefully mine will be in any day now.

Arkydave
Registered User
Posts: 14
(6/10/04 9:57 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Speed
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I don't have a jackplate, and I'm running the four blade prop they put on it when it was rigged. They claim it is a good prop for my boat and I have no complaints. I don't know how fast it will run cause I haven't taken a GPS out with me yet. I'm guessing around 65 mph with just me in the boat. I don't know to tell you the truth. The speedo shows 68 with full fuel and livewells but we know that they usually are not accurate. I'll let you know when I get a chance to check it with a GPS.....

Groman
Posts: 137
(6/11/04 1:58 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: Speed
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Dave you wouldn't happen to know what kind of prop and what the pitch is on that 4 blade?

jr225ho
Posts: 552
(6/11/04 2:34 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: Glass vs. Tin in terms of speed
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Its not about material its about design. Yes glass has more design flexibility but its seldom utilized. Most bassboats are padded modified Vee's and so is Xpress. I wish I could say Aluminum was faster, but its not, neither is glass. When your Champion is up on pad and at WOT the actual running surface is very little different than what the Xpress's is. Xpress maybe a little faster because its lighter. As far as the Faster bassboats like Allison, Bullet, etc well they are doing something totally different. If you ever get a chance to see an Allison up close run your fingers down the pad and look it over real good. Allison is the Micheal Jordan of the boat design world. But see thats still just design, you could copy the hull using alluminum and it would just as fast. Of coarse if that allison got in a fight with a stump it would probably lose where if an Xpress did there wouldn't be much left of the stump. But anyway, water doesn't care about what a boat is made out of. In fact, probably the fastest hull design is a flat bottom. But it doesn't have good rough water charactoristics and its top end is drastically effected by load.



Arkydave
Registered User
Posts: 15
(6/11/04 8:15 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Speed
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I agree with what your saying but I'm sure material plays more of a role than realized. Glass is more easily formed and is much easier to design in terms of contours, areodynamics, and easing friction. The industry is just now figuring out how to make aluminum " look like" glass, like the new boat by Tracker Marine. An Allison is fast because of design, extremely light weight, and weight distribution. You couldn't give me one, but then again, I don't want speed, I would rather have a dry, smooth ride. Most of the time when I'm out with my boat I'm fishing. I fish the local tournaments and have for years and have yet to race anyone, other than taking off at a tournament or passing someone after takeoff. I was just a little curious about some of the rumors that surfaced when Xpress made it into the big leagues. Thanks for the info all. Groman, I'll check my prop and get back with you......

Arkydave
Registered User
Posts: 16
(6/11/04 8:27 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Groman
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Groman, I went out and looked at my prop and it is a "Power Tech" and I believe it has a 23 pitch since in the serial number the last three characters were 23P. I'll admit when I first saw it on there, I told the dealer that I didn't want it, I'm used to 3 blade Tempest props. The dealer said it was what XPress recommended and they were correct. It has a good holeshot with no blowing out and a good top end. As I've said before, I haven't checked the speed but I've been around boats long enough to tell it is running good for a 18 footer with a 150. Are you getting a 18 or 19' boat???

Groman
Posts: 139
(6/11/04 8:52 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: Groman
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I am getting th X18 with a Evinrude 150 HO.

Arkydave
Registered User
Posts: 17
(6/11/04 9:03 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: Groman
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Groman, you have mail......David

Groman
Posts: 140
(6/11/04 9:22 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: Groman
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Back at ya, David

jr225ho
Posts: 554
(6/11/04 11:16 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: Speed
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I agree on the Allison, I don't want one either it wouldn't last a year with what I do. I was giving an example of design. They're not extremely light anymore, the new XB21 or what ever it is weight is over 1500lbs and it still gets into the 90's with a 250 high 80's with a 225. Its all design. Yes glass is easier to shape but there is also a catch to that. They have to design in rounded corners and stuff like that to get them to release from a mold but with aluminum there is no mold so you are free in that respect. So there are pros and cons to both, but I don't think one is faster than the other. A X-17 (x-50 series) with a 115 gets into the 52-58 range, a x-18 w/150 in the 65 range a x-19 w/ 200 in the 68-72 range and the same with a x-21 w/ a 225. Sound like simular numbers to comperable glass maybe a little faster than typical.