Weight Distribution

[(='_'=)]

i recently got a Javelin 379. its a bit under 18' long, and has a single front storage compartment, a rod locker on the port side, and 2 storage compartments behind the livewell under the rear deck. 

 

now, the front compartment is big enough i can fit 15 Plano 3700 trays and have still some room left... with 9 or 10 of them being soft plastics, its a bit heavy... 

 

on the first trip i did on the boat, i stored all my gear in the front locker, and the rear compartments were basically empty. on one i transported the life vests but of course they came out when the boat was in the water, so it was empty the whole day. the one behind the drivers seat had a spotlight, a Pelican dry box with the cell phones, fishing licenses and wallets, and some other small things. a friend brought a big tacklebox, since it didnt fit on the rear compartment we put it next to the console, we also had a small ice chest with a 12 pack next to the tackle box.... so, the majority of the weight was on the front...

 

the question is, how should i distribute the weight to get the best performance?? we were 4 on the boat, so one person sat on the rear deck and the other one on the front deck leaning to the right a bit to balance the boat.... but assuming 2 persons, or 3 with one on the rear deck, where should i put all the tackle?? maybe i could distribute the gear on the rear and use the front for life vests and such, so it would be empty while on the water... or distribute it on the 3 compartments.... i dont care if the gear is on the front or rear, as i fish from both decks, and i take out the terminal tackle trays and a couple worm bags and move them with me if i change decks with my partner...

 

also regarding safety, with one person on the rear deck we run only as fast as needed to stay on plane, we are only fun fishing so we have no hurry to get there....

 

thanx!

[Way2slow]

First, I have never and never would try to bass fish with four people in a boat.  I have done three, me my dad and granddaughter, in a 20' Javelin, but that's crowded. 

 

As for weight distribution, you want the bulk of the weight behind the steering wheel and balanced somewhat evenly on each side.  I don't put anything heavy in my front storage boxes. Snacks, Life jackets, rain gear, extra clothing, (windbreakers, sweat shirts etc, go in the front center box, rods and reels in the left rod locker and paddle, lights, umbrellas and utility type stuff goes in the right rod locker.   I keep most of my hard tackle sorted out in stacks of those plano storage trays and just take the ones I'm going to be using (the boat wouldn't hold all of them) and they go in the right rear storage box, the plastics stay in their original package and go in the left rear, probably 50 pounds at least.   Water and drinks go in the cooler storage compartment between the seats.  In the summer, I sometimes take a small cooler with ice and drinks in it and it goes under the passenger console.  Spare prop, oil etc go in the battery compartment. 

My boat is plenty wide enough where three people can sit side by side and I have a center seat that goes between the two main seats I can put in and take out when needed.  I don't leave it in because it gets stepped in every time someone get on the rear deck.

The trolling motor on the bow, is the only heavy thing forward of the consoles.  All that other junk I described does add weight when you look at it as a whole, but nothing like what all the tackle and other stuff behind the consoles add. 

[(='_'=)]

First, I have never and never would try to bass fish with four people in a boat.  I have done three, me my dad and granddaughter, in a 20' Javelin, but that's crowded. 

 

As for weight distribution, you want the bulk of the weight behind the steering wheel and balanced somewhat evenly on each side.  I don't put anything heavy in my front storage boxes. Snacks, Life jackets, rain gear, extra clothing, (windbreakers, sweat shirts etc, go in the front center box, rods and reels in the left rod locker and paddle, lights, umbrellas and utility type stuff goes in the right rod locker.   I keep most of my hard tackle sorted out in stacks of those plano storage trays and just take the ones I'm going to be using (the boat wouldn't hold all of them) and they go in the right rear storage box, the plastics stay in their original package and go in the left rear, probably 50 pounds at least.   Water and drinks go in the cooler storage compartment between the seats.  In the summer, I sometimes take a small cooler with ice and drinks in it and it goes under the passenger console.  Spare prop, oil etc go in the battery compartment. 

My boat is plenty wide enough where three people can sit side by side and I have a center seat that goes between the two main seats I can put in and take out when needed.  I don't leave it in because it gets stepped in every time someone get on the rear deck.

The trolling motor on the bow, is the only heavy thing forward of the consoles.  All that other junk I described does add weight when you look at it as a whole, but nothing like what all the tackle and other stuff behind the consoles add. 

 

 

 

thanx! ill try to store the gear in the rear then, as you mention, and use the center compartment for the lighter things... since the only long box is the rod locker, i plan on adding a drop in tray to the battery area, lots of wasted space there, to keep the paddle, light poles, and other small things in there, and leave the rod locker just for rods.. its not that big, so i dont want to have to remove all the rods just to reach the paddle or lights on the bottom... 

 

and yes, 4 is a little crowded, but not impossible to do... we fished yesterday, 2 in the rear deck and 2 in the front... not the best thing to do, but they were close friends and the other option for them is to stay on the bank, so they dont complain... with a little extra caution and communication, we didnt have a problem... 

[Fishing Rhino]

Which is more important to you, the "hole shot", or top end speed?

 

As a rule, the more weight distributed to the stern, the faster the top end.  The downside?  It will take longer to get up on plane, and, it will settle in the rear, getting off plane, at a higher speed.

 

The less wetted area, the faster the speed.  This means "carrying" the bow higher, and out of the water.  Weight toward the front is counterproductive for achieving maximum speed.

 

You've got to experiment, to find out what works best for you.

[(='_'=)]

Which is more important to you, the "hole shot", or top end speed?

 

As a rule, the more weight distributed to the stern, the faster the top end.  The downside?  It will take longer to get up on plane, and, it will settle in the rear, getting off plane, at a higher speed.

 

The less wetted area, the faster the speed.  This means "carrying" the bow higher, and out of the water.  Weight toward the front is counterproductive for achieving maximum speed.

 

You've got to experiment, to find out what works best for you.

 

well, im not trying to achieve max speed, i rather prefer to cruise at a moderate speed, but im thinking that the most efficient way would be with the weight in the back... i did notice that i would get on plane faster on sunday that last weekend when i test drove the boat with no gear and everybody on the rear... i still have a lot of experimenting to do, in order to get the most out of the boat....

[MidwestF1sh]

With everybody on the rear it should take longer to plane out... The more weight up front(bow) you have the easier it is for the bow to settle down(plane out). With more weight in the back it will take longer to plane out because youll be pushing more water but the front will be so light it will stay up longer.

[(='_'=)]

With everybody on the rear it should take longer to plane out... The more weight up front(bow) you have the easier it is for the bow to settle down(plane out). With more weight in the back it will take longer to plane out because youll be pushing more water but the front will be so light it will stay up longer.

 

yes, i noticed that.... with weight and people on the front i would get on plane faster... however, the water splash was more or less at the side of the steering wheel, no matter how much i trimmed, i couldnt get the splash to go back, while with 3 people in the back, the splash would be behind the seats, and as they said, if the boat contacts less water, it will go faster....

[MidwestF1sh]

Oh sorry I must of read your post before mine wrong. Just keep experimenting and youll learn your boat pretty soon.

[(='_'=)]

Oh sorry I must of read your post before mine wrong. Just keep experimenting and youll learn your boat pretty soon.

 

haha no problem. yes, i have only driven it 2 days, so i still have a lot to learn... this forum speeds the process a lot though...

[A-Jay]

How is your boat powered ~ Size / HP ?

 

I think max HP for the 379 was a 150.  

 

Under powered vessels can be really slow getting on plane especially an 18 footer with 4 POB & Gear.

 

You can also utilize the vessel's trim (if equipped) to adjust or fine tune if you will, the ride.  

 

But if you're underpowered and / or overloaded, this is of little help.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

[(='_'=)]

How is your boat powered ~ Size / HP ?

 

I think max HP for the 379 was a 150.  

 

Under powered vessels can be really slow getting on plane especially an 18 footer with 4 POB & Gear.

 

You can also utilize the vessel's trim (if equipped) to adjust or fine tune if you will, the ride.  

 

But if you're underpowered and / or overloaded, this is of little help.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

 

yes, i have a 150HP johnson and SS prop...

 

and i do adjust the trim, but im still learning how to use it as my previous boat didnt have one...

 

with 4 people im overloaded a bit, but the question is for when we are only 2 or 3, where should i store the gear?? heavier things in the rear? in the port or starboard compartments?? 

[A-Jay]

yes, i have a 150HP johnson and SS prop...

 

and i do adjust the trim, but im still learning how to use it as my previous boat didnt have one...

 

with 4 people im overloaded a bit, but the question is for when we are only 2 or 3, where should i store the gear?? heavier things in the rear? in the port or starboard compartments?? 

 

OK Thanks for the info

 

I'll say that side to side stability is always important and the need for it increases proportionally with your speed.  So "leveling the load" is always a priority to keep your boat from listing dramatically to port or starboard.  How you accomplish this changes with the load. You can use the human's position in the boat to counter balance the weight of gear (side to side) as the situation dictates. Meaning it may be easier to move seat positions than all the gear.

 

Also, if you think about (and watch) what your hull is trying to do & when, perhaps it will help you determine when, where & how to adjust whatever your load may be for that day.

 

While "coming out of the hole" or coming up on plane, initially the bow wants to plane up and then as the speed increases, it wants to drop as the rest of the hull comes up and "Out".  If your load is disproportionately heavy on one side or the other, you'll list that way - not desirable & could be unsafe.  If your load is mostly in the front during take off, the vessel may have trouble getting "Up" on plane.   Conversely, a very heavy stren may prolong the coming up on place process or even completely retard it.   

 

In some situations, when coming up on plane, once you're started the process, a slight burst in throttle may help bump the hull up on plane, after which the juice can be backed off and if the speed is sufficient, the boat will continue to plane safely.

 

I have some experience in running quite a few different types of vessels, as do many members here and everyone has "Their Own Way".   Common sense & safely should be the common bond along with the knowledge that MAX POWER is rarely the best and never the only answer.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

[(='_'=)]

OK Thanks for the info

 

I'll say that side to side stability is always important and the need for it increases proportionally with your speed.  So "leveling the load" is always a priority to keep your boat from listing dramatically to port or starboard.  How you accomplish this changes with the load. You can use the human's position in the boat to counter balance the weight of gear (side to side) as the situation dictates. Meaning it may be easier to move seat positions than all the gear.

 

Also, if you think about (and watch) what your hull is trying to do & when, perhaps it will help you determine when, where & how to adjust whatever your load may be for that day.

 

While "coming out of the hole" or coming up on plane, initially the bow wants to plane up and then as the speed increases, it wants to drop as the rest of the hull comes up and "Out".  If your load is disproportionately heavy on one side or the other, you'll list that way - not desirable & could be unsafe.  If your load is mostly in the front during take off, the vessel may have trouble getting "Up" on plane.   Conversely, a very heavy stren may prolong the coming up on place process or even completely retard it.   

 

In some situations, when coming up on plane, once you're started the process, a slight burst in throttle may help bump the hull up on plane, after which the juice can be backed off and if the speed is sufficient, the boat will continue to plane safely.

 

I have some experience in running quite a few different types of vessels, as do many members here and everyone has "Their Own Way".   Common sense & safely should be the common bond along with the knowledge that MAX POWER is rarely the best and never the only answer.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

 

thanx!! i have been experimenting (still a lot more to do) and as you say, i shifted the passengers weight for the side to side balance.... one thing i noticed is that, without any gear and the storage compartments basically empty, with 3 of us, the third person would sit in the rear deck, but had to lean a bit to the right, behind my seat, and not completely centered....

 

next time i go out ill try what you say about giving it a small burst in the hotfoot to speed the process of getting on plane and see how it reacts...