1986 Hull W/Hook Remove or Not?
 

Seems like alot of us with early to mid 80's Birds have a hook in the hull....Whats Formula's thought on this? Is this hook needed. And if so does it matter on what the size and weight of hull is that the hook will effect performance? In Family performance boating this month they picked up like 5mph by removing the hook in their 22' Scarab hull.....My F3LS sure dosen't seem like it wants to loosen up.....If anyone has talked to Formula and gotten any tolerences on how much is needed if at all I would be interested to know. Thoughts anyone?

BH

You mean to tell me NO one has any info on working with the hook in most of our mid 80's T-Birds? Hard to belive:rolleyes: Im probally just the only one with 6" of snow on the ground and an inch of ice on top! Everyone on the board here's gotta live in warm weather and be out boating instead of responding to boring posts like this:D :D Oh well if anybody that has any info gets bored like me and wants to post some info on hook you know where I'll be at:D :D

BH

I can tell you that it is a big job to do. I do not know what you will gain in speed. I am fixing mine in my 302 as I put back in my stringers. There was a slight hook on one side that I am able to get rid of before glassing in the stringer and I hope it stays that way.

Jon

A friend of mine took his hook out and wound up with a real neat amusement ride:rolleyes:. Porpoised terribly. It wasn't a Formula but very similar. I believe if it wasn't needed and they could save $.50 a boat by eliminating something ( like the hook), they would scrap it. Let someone else do the R & D , it's a whole lot easier and cheaper that way;)

Oh yes BTW...he put the hook back only after trying a few of 50 lb bags of sand in his bow locker which worked but added weight and lost speed anyway:rolleyes:

I am still wondering though has anyone talked to Formula on this? Seems like if some degree of hook was planned that Formula would know of it. If so we could check that against any hook we have on our birds. Guess I will have to give Formula a call when I have the time.

BH

BH,
My '89 272 has a REAL hook in the last foot before the stern , between the outer strake and the chine. It amounts to the height of the strake. By the back end of the hook the strake is gone. Hope that was an understandable description:( . At 3000 rpm cruise I can still use some tab or it will porpoise a little. WOT , I can trim it up and retract the tabs alll the way. I'd do a whole lot of reseach before removing it.;)

That's a great description of it and my 89 272 with 330's was the same way. It liked a little tab at cruise or it would porpoise some.

Re: 1986 Hull W/Hook Remove or Not?
 

Is this Family & Performance Boating magazine available in any bookstores? I could subscribe but would probably not get the Feburary issue with this Scarab hook article.

Roby

I have read a bunch about removing the hook in the smaller Donzi classics. Most of them didn't like the results. On some of them though, the hook was more pronounced on one side to offset drive torque. I think the designers at Formula know more about how to build a hull than I do. You might just try shapening the edges and the strakes.