Stingray hydrofoil stabilizer questions

[dtg]

I have a 14' Mirrocraft w/ a 15hp long shaft outboard. Since I've owned it, I had to shim the motor about 1" to keep water from being sprayed back into the boat at WOT, however the one thing that's annoyed me is the porpoising I get at WOT with no weight in the front. I've since cured that by sticking about 75#'s of weight in a cooler in the front. I'm tired of lugging around 75#'s of weight and I found this on the Cabelas site. Has anyone had any experience with it? Does it do what it claims? Is it durable?

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=catrtfish&id=0000916010804a&navCount=8&podId=0000916&parentId=cat602657&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=OG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat602657&hasJS=true

[STEINFISHSKI]

Yes it does work well. It will not replace the effect of the 75# in front, but it will pop you up on plane faster and help hold the bow down depending on the angle of your trim setting.

[SabikiRig]

DTG,

Unless your looking at a boat with a poor design a properly loaded and trimmed boat should not require those Hydrofoils.

If you looking to improve the ride/trim Lockeman's Marine has some aluminum trim tabs which you can fasten to the transom of your boat. It should accomplish what your looking for.

I have a buddy that installed a pair on his 2001 16 Crestliner Sportsman to get a better ride with the heavy 4 stroke 40 Merc he bought when he repowered. (Porposing and high bow..)

Crestliner installs small tabs on their newer 16 and 18's, 2005 and up. At least mine did from the factory. Here is a picture of them as welded and installed from the factory by Crestliner:

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/8801trimtab.jpg

The tabs that Lockeman's carries requires, drilling and caulking for installation. You may not need a large tab to achieve a better ride, the ones my my crestliner are not that large. You maybe able to get rid of that 75 pounds of weight too.

[dtg]

As for poor design, it's a 14', 1986 Mirrocraft Deep V type, it's about 64" wide. I've got me @ 230#'s, 15hp(80#'s), 6gal gas can(48#'s), so in all I'm looking at 358#'s+/- a couple, and currently need roughly 20% of that in the bow to keep it from propoising. With a couple of anchors up front, it will go fine then start slapping up and down, it's a little unsettling.

Poor design?, I don't know, I've never owned an open V before, just a 16' Starcraft Walley boat with a platform up fron with livewell and battery and storage. The boats in Ontario are 14' but only have 9.9hp. Mine is rated for 25hp

[SabikiRig]

I am not implying that your boat is poorly designed. Face it not all boats ride the same. Maybe poorly is not a good word...

I just bought my 3rd boat, a 1979 14 Mirro Deep Fisherman with a 1999 25 Johnson Tiller. (Boat is rated for a 35.)

It is pretty much the same boat you have, with the expcetion of a slightly bigger motor and no center bench seat. :D (It has been removed)

I am 6 foot, 210 pounds, have the gas tank at the back of the boat and nothing in the bow. Considering the 25 I have weighs more than the 9.9 you have I would say we are about even in weight.

I have no problems with porposing or other ride issues after I tweaked the trim. There is no way I would consider running a Hydrofoil on it.

The previous owner had the trim pin adjusted too far out. When I took delivery of the boat and ran it for the first time the first thing I did is move the trim pin in closer to the boat.

The boat rode much better. However, I will have to re-adjust it (out)should I place duck decoys and my dog in it this fall.

[dtg]

I've moved that pin in as far as it would go. I also thought it odd that the motor would fling so much water back into the boat at WOT, before I shimmed the motor up.

This V, has 3 bench seats, doesn't taking the middle out have any effect on the rigidity? When I'm solo , I really hate having that middle seat in the way.

[glockman55]

I've got one if you want to save some money on new. It came off my 90 hp. Mariner. It's about 4" across the mounting bolts, and 21" total width

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/500/medium/Sting_Ray_002_Small_.jpg
http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/photopost/data/533/medium/Sting_Ray_001_Small_.jpg

[dtg]

Thanks for the offer Glockman, but 1). It doesn't sound like that is going to cure my porpoising and 2). I don't really loke the idea of drilling holes in a perfectly good motor without knowing for sure it's going to do what I need it to and 3) they make one for motors 1.5-40hp that's a bit smaller.

Put it on E-bay, you shouldn't have a problem getting rid of it.