4" powered jack plate and 18' Lund Alaskan

G

GregL

Active member
Hi Everyone,
I'm looking for input on installing a 4" hydraulic
jackplate for my 18' Alaskan and 75 Yamaha 4S Tiller.
I am not thinking of getting one to improve performance.
I just want it to make putting into my duck spots easier.

Anybody, run this set up? How long has it been
on your boat and do you normally run in waves etc..
Is your boat showing any kind of stress related damage?
 
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I have a 6" CMC Jackplate on my Bankes goliath. It is the most important accessory on the boat. It allows me to run shallow, and float shallow, and I never have to trim up my motor when trailering b/c of it.

A jackplate will set your motor back a little further which will change the center of gravity of your boat, but it shouldn't make more trouble than it's worth.

I have a switch mounted on my console.

In 7.5 yrs I've had to replace one dash switch b/c the rubber boot on it tore and the switch rusted.

-D
 
Hey thank alot for the reply, I really
appreciate it. Those are nice duck boats man!

I'm really hoping somebody with an Alaskan (aluminum
boat will have some input)

I do appreciate your input tho! Thanks again!
 
I put a manual jack plate on a 16' aluminum and wished it was powered for all the reasons noted. It did not appear to stress the hull in any way after two seasons.
 
Watch out when your lowering the jack plate, and tilting the motor up.. Its easy to bend a 600 dollar hyrdaulic steering system on your transom cut out if your not careful. Don't ask me how I know this.
 
Greg,
I have a hydraulic jackplate on my 18 ft war eagle which is a tiller steered 40hp...I love it and have run through shallow, rough and just about any other water with no problems...No added stress as far as I'm concerned...I've run it as is for 4yrs now and would like to repower with a 60hp when I find the right engine...Theres plenty of advantages to a jackplate and so far I've only had one issue...Water in the reservoir that froze during winter..Mostly my fault for not being more attentive....
Bruce
 
greg, if you are looking to raise your motor up to get into shallow spots, you might want to look at a jackplate with 10" of setback. this will allow you to raise your motor higher and really go skinny with your rig. a 4" setback will not allow you to raise motor up much more than your fixed position and may not be worth the cost.
 
Thanks for input guys! Really appreciate it.

I would do a 10" set back but I don't think the transom on a 18' Alaskan could handle the extra torque from a yamaha 75hp 4s

it all ready idles in extremely shallow water I just a little more height so I plug the water intake less... 3-4" from one of the small jack plates would be mint!
 
Greg -- to follow up on the e-mail you sent me (thanks!) ... On the alaskans, prop selection makes all the difference. With the right prop (usually a cleaver or something with a heavy cup) I can put the boat up on pad even when it's jacked all the way up. With the wrong prop, she cavitates like a bastard even when jacked all the way down. Yamaha's black stainless 17P prop (their semi cleaver design) has been a good starting point for all of our Alaskans. I run one of those for summer fishing and for duck season I switch to a 14P that has been custom-cupped and repitched to about a 15. All our plates are 4" setback.
 
I used to run a boat with a hull patterned after the lund alaskan. I had a 6 inch CNC Hydraulic JP and it enabled me to scrape my skeg in much shallower water. The JP worked very well for crawling into spots that would have been otherwise totally no-go for us.

Keep in mind, that once you lift that prop up to the upper reaches it is going to cavitate like the devil, so you will only be able to push along at low speed (25%). I had a 60hp merc 4 stk on an 18 ft Duckwater. We managed to get her stuck in lots of places and had a fine time with that JP.
 
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Not all styles will lift more as the setback increases.

It's definitely worth the price for a hydraulic unit vs. mechanical.

-D
 
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