Anyone here have experience with adding an

S

Steve Sutton

Well-known member
full width offshore bracket on a "larger", (from a duck hunter standpoint), boat?.....changes in the hulls performance?....pluses and minuses?
Thanks for responses in advance....


Steve
 
IF the motor height is set right. IF the prop pitch is correct. IF the motor's HP is not near or at the minimum for the boat hull. They add to the boat's performance, particulalry in choppy/ sloppy sea conditions. When added without consideration and/or correction for these three factors, the boats porpoise, or end up running very wet.
 
As stated above the motor must be set at the correct height for optimal boat performance.
Usually the bracket manufacturer will have the motor set dimensions based on experience, slight tweaking is done by the owner to dial in the best running performance.
 
they certainly do not add to the boats performance in all applications. Especially with people hanging four strokes and added weight these days. A boats center of gravity is a complex issue, and to lay a blanket statement like they "add" to performance does not seem to do the issue justice. Steve are you going from an open to transom to a closed transom with a bracket. If you through up a blanket statement along the lines of a closed transom with a bracket has more sea keeping ability than an open transom, I could almost get behind that. Now, boxing in a transom, along the lines of hunt deck application, generally adds sea keeping ability while preserving center of gravity.
Steve what hull?
 
Steve, we have installed two Armstrong brackets on boats and are about to do our third. This is not something you buy from the internet and slam on to the transom of your boat, and sail away. Armstrong gives us a detailed application questionair with lots of blanks for measurements, and information on your boat. Even with all of this information and their years of experience, one of the boats, a jupiter 31 knock off, wouldnt get up on plane unless we ran around in circles, or surfed down someones wake. Armstrong fixed it, but still those were some tense moments for all of us. If one of your buddies has the same boat as you do, and has put a bracket on and it works good, or there are a lot of boats just like yours running around with brackets, by all means copy his rig. or the other boats, If you are a first timer, be prepared for some pucker time when it hits the water. Rich
 
thanks for the comments.....


The hull is an all welded plate aluminum JetCraft....Transom is full ht....motor is a 150 HP Johnson with a jet pump which makes the effective JET HP 105.....I had the boat built with a 9 degree V because I used it in deep salt water as much as I ran shallow fresh with it....a compromise but a very good one...


I've decided to bring it to Florida since it will make a great tender/blind boat for divers in the Gulf and will also be a good jetty/near shore boat for fishing....a way better hunting boat than my Redfisher and other than poling the flats, (which I don't do all that much anymore), a better fishing boat since my primary fishing is now done in deeper water...


Originally I was planning on swapping out the lower unit on the motor once I got here but then thought "no resale value to the pump on East Coast" and decided to sell the lower unit there....then thought...hmm....why not sell the whole motor there and re-power with a 4 cycle for the better fuel economy and the quieter running, (etc), once I get here.....I know a 4 stroke 150 is going to be heavier than the current 2 stroke so that got me thinking about an offshore bracket, jack plates, platforms and all that other stuff.....


The boat performs wonderfully set up as is and I'm happy with it in its current configuration but figured if I'm going to change anything why not do it all at once.....


Rich once I get it here perhaps the best thing would be to bring it to you for your thoughts?.....


Many thanks for the responses.....


Steve
 
Have you considered going with an E-tec as your repower choice for this hull? This would address the added weight issue and confer most of your stated advantages to go over to a 4 stroke in that HP range. They are louder than a 4-stroke when underway, but their track record is pretty strong.

One other point I should have added: Your Johnson's stated hp may not actually be its prop horsepower value, dependant on its age. I don't recal when the requirement was put in place to measure stated hp at the prop. A Suzuki 150hp tops the scale at 475lb.-very good motors at a reasonable price point. You may be better served by hauling the boat light to Florida and purchasing your powerhead in that very competitive market geography.
 
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a v6 loop charged Johnson weighs 400#, although I'm unsure of the weight of a jet foot. the remote oil tank which is likely located near the transom is probably 1.5 gal and another 10-20# when full. A 115 yama weighs about the same and a 150 is only 80# more. I would just plunk the new motor down on the current transom and spend the extra dough on a power pole. I have a f150 on mine, no speed demon but night and day as far as ease of starting compared to an older Johnson and I get nearly 5 mpg if I keep the rpm around 4000. this is on a 22 pathfinder.
 
The decision to sell existing there and re-power here is pretty much decided....makes sense to sell a Jet where a Jet is most often used.....




All I've ever heard, granted not that much, about E-Tech's is to stay away from them.....plus I'm looking for QUIET and the lack of "stink" that two strokes produce and are most obvious while trolling......


Seems my information on wt's is old as well since a good friend advised me this morning that the 150 Mercury is the lightest in the 150 hp class at 455.... Suzuki was 481 and Yamaha 490.......I'm aassuming when Kris says "loop charged" is my motor, (can you tell I just turn the key and drive em), and adding the oil the wt differential is negligible....(my battery is in the rear and moved under the console would help as well)......


Boat ran at 41 on the GPS with the Jet which is listed at 105.....should be an excellent performer with a 150 if I get it set up correctly.....and while I like the idea of the hunt platform or full width offshore bracket or whatever that thing is properly called if I just hang it on the transom I won't need a new trailer and can spend that on beer......liking it better all the time.......




Steve
 
Steve, I checked BoatTest's review on the Yamaha 150hp. They list it at 466lb.

Mercury's new 4 stroke 150hp was designed to allow them to expand their market share in the repower market due to the limitations imposed by the Verado 150hp-Smartcraft DTS system purchase and power steering pump install and purchase, along with a 510lb (engine weight only, not the adjunct "stuff" necessary to allow it to function).
 
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