Reply With Quote
My first thought would be process of elimination starting with what is always the best option..something that doesnt cost anything. Too easy to get on a merrygoroud searching for what you;re after...which is what we'd all like really coz u get far better fuel figures, less work with the throttle and that feeling you;re at the perfect speed u can just go all day.
My first port of call would be experimenting with weight but make it simple...100kg sticking its head out the front hatch when he normally wouldnt will tell u a lot. Lets face it..the bottom line will be how it performs in a following sea wont it...if u do anything at all weight wise this will be the bottom line and even if she planes easier in flat water you probably still cant do it anyway if it screws with performance/safety offshore. Even with the nose trimmed right up thou might find she'll still have a tendency to dig in and drift off line downhill making u feel a bit less secure/safe. Who knows tho..if she still feels secure that will likely go a long way to planing at lower speed inshore. No point experimenting in flat water. If you have dual batteries on the transom there's 45kg for starters that u may be able to move...the weight transferrence of those alone is far more than their static weight coz you;re actually adding it onto fwd weight whilst taking it off the back. Wouldnt put them firther fwd than just in front of the helm tho and not a small job...but can be as simple as moving what u already have plus some new cables and extra solid mounts.
After trialling weights a cpl of times i'd be thinking hydrofoil next before going to pricey stuff. Some arnt big fans of them coz thy believe they adversely effect their hull in a following sea but they usually do seem to add poke out of the hole and do seem to help plenty of 5mish rigs hold plane at lower revs. Wouldnt bother with any that have a small surface areas tho....plus you'll need to wade thru a minefield of brands/ types. Certainly worth trying before trim tabs i reckon.
Third thing i;d try is propping, but if you;re anything like me when you ring mr propellor i guarantee you;ll end up with a shiney new prop regardlless. Tell them exactly what you;re looking to achieve..i.e one thing only. To be honest tho i really dont think you'll achieve more than a marginal gain doing this...helpful but probably not what you;re really after.
Who knows...the answer might be a combo. Wouldnt rush out investing in trim tabs on a 5-5.5m rig. Weight is free to test..do that first...modern rigs carry far far more weight down back and even tho designed for it, it must at least effect some aspect of performance when planing.
Lastly but definitely worth trying is those bloody pedestal seats most have. Rip em out or at least get shock absorbing ones. Its just not natural to have your arse pounded i reckon. I've been thru one back operation and wont stick my bum on any seat whilst underway anymore. Grab some cheapo eva foam gym mat about 20mm thick and put it between the seats...steer with the right hand whilst standing up for a bit and just let your knees be rubbery with the ups and downs....bewwwwdiful
