Hydrofoil stabilizers???

[Bob_Gordon]

Anybody used or know anything about the  hydrofoil stabilizers like the String Ray and  Sport Marine types? What I'm after is the use of one on a small 10 hp 4 stroke to help a jon boat get on plane a little faster and hold it at a lower speed. Do these things really work as advertised of just another gimmick for the boating world.?..Bob

[BassinFever]

I would only recommend those things for your application, they will work for what you want them to do.

However, i wouldn't have one on a Bass Boat.

This is what you need on a Bass boat. Awesome holeshot, (In fact there is no hole), No chinewalk, no reduction in speed, may actually improve, and no back wash when you chop the throttle too fast.

They are called Nauticus Smart Tabs and are self adjusting once you get them set.

[flechero]

Bob,

I've not seen one on a jon boat but have a friend who runs small fiberglass boats in the 14-16 foot range.  He has put them on each of those boats and they made a huge difference!  

He gets on plane very quickly and can hold it a surprisingly low speeds.

In certain applications they can be great, and I woud guess yours might be of them.

[Bob_Gordon]

Thanks Fletchero...That's been my thoughts too. I wouldn't want one on a 200 hp hot rod bass boat but I think on a small, light weight boat with a small motor it should do what I want, also looks like a great weed catcher in the swampy stuff I like to go into but that's where the serious bass live where I like to fish and the big boats can't go...Bob

[Ben]

Gosh, I didn't know they were so bad on a bass boat. I've been running a SE Sport 300 on mine for about three years and love it. Hole shot is unreal and it doesn't seem to slow mine down, but I guess mine's not really a "hot rod bass boat" since in only run 82 mph gps with 300 hp. A friend has a 20 Shadow that runs about 95 with the same type foil and loves his also. Can't count the guys I know running 100+ mph Allison's and Bullet's with hydrofoils. None would ever run that whale tale thing, a flat one or slight turn down on the ends is very common though.

I guess none of these would be considered "hot rod" bass boats since it was suggested a true high performance bass boat would never run one. The foil doesn't touch the water on fast boats when air out.

I would like to know what would be considered a high performance bass boat though, since none of these seem to fit the mold.

Oh, and no chine walk, get real. In a true "high performance" bass boat, that part of the hull never touches the water when aired out. They run on the pad, not the strakes.

Guess I should have mentioned, don't think I've ever noticed one for a small motor like a 9.9 but they do make a big difference on these non-hot rod bass boats I refered to.

[BassinFever]

Oh, and no chine walk, get real. In a true "high performance" bass boat, that part of the hull never touches the water when aired out. They run on the pad, not the strakes.

OK smarty pants, we know they run on the pad,  ::)but you can't tell me that the boat is just on the last 24"'s of the pad, very close, but not just the pad.  Beleive me those tabs are twice as good as a foil, and they will eliminate chinewalk on any Bass boat right where they are because they adjust down by themselves when they get more and more out of the water thus keeping in touch just enough to stablize the boat.

[justtrying]

Ahem!  it appears we have a "p" contest at hand.

fwiw, you can talk about a man's clothes, you can talk about his looks, but, you better not talk about his BOAT!  Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

[Ben]

Naaa, no contest.

Just when someone starts posting about something they don't have a clue about, I like to have a little fun and start pulling their chain.  I make it sound like I'm upset but in reality, I'm laughing my butt off the whole time.  What's the old saying, Don't talk the talk until you've walked the walk.

I know those things work great at getting an underpowered rig up and worth their weight in gold on back bay boats, but to say no "hot rod" bass boat would run a foil, come on,  I would say more do than don't.  I know a guy running those on his 80 mph Triton and loves them for getting on plane, but they do nothing for stopping his chine because they don't touch the water then and wouldn't have them on his boat if they did because common sense would tell you they would slow the boat down if they did.  Be like an aircraft running with it's flaps down.

As for running on the pad, when your running 80+ mph, that's all your running on.  Where those things are mounted, they would have to stick straight down to touch the water on the back of my boat (and probably wouldn't touch then).  AS for running on the last 24" of pad, I doubt if I'm running on that much most of the time and if there's a chop on the water, you can see daylight under the whole boat more often than not.

[paparock]

I have used them on boats from a 16 ft. Boston Whaler to my old 21ft center console and they really help get on plane. If you use one and a manatee prop guard (mine is like a small wing) you can get even faster lift

[Big T]

I use to have one on my 16 ft. jon boat, which runs a 25hp motor.  I liked the way it helped my boat plane off also I colud turn the boat a higher speed and theboat felt like it was skating across the water. I recently took it off but I think I might reinstall it.  On a bigger boat you might wan to use the trim tabs that are attached to the bottom of the hull.

[BassinFever]

What's the old saying, Don't talk the talk until you've walked the walk.

Be like an aircraft running with it's flaps down.

Speaking of not knowing what you are talking about.

Well, I don't want to be in a ticking match, been around lots of HP boats in my time and I know what your are saying about the pad. Say, how did you see under your boat while going down the lake? ??? I still say there is more boat in the water than you think. Probably less than the 24 ''s I said earlier though. The spray fans out from the pad and that's all that needs to touch the tabs. They do not slow the boat down.

Neither of use will back down on this so I'll bail.