articfriends

iTrader: (1)

I was testing my 272 baja a few weeks ago and was running fairly light,I previously have had the boat into the very high 80's (89.5-89.8) hundreds of times with a 30 pitch labbed and std length 1.50 ratio drive and have ran into the low 90's (92.5-92.8) a couple dozen times turning a 32 pitch labbed 4 blade under ideal conditions/light load. The boat now has another 100 hp (running 1057 hp with the pulleys on my blower) and I can easily go past 95 mph towards 97-98 mph top end.
Anyways,I was running pretty light and when the boat pulled past 93-94 mph it felt like it lifted up in the air another foot higher then it usually runs like the only thing in the water was the drive (like in the cartoons). You could feel a sensation like the crosswind was blowing the boat around in the air,is it really possible that a 5000 lb 27 ft v-hull could be totally aired out at that speed or was I just imagining that? I know other guys with similar boats that have ran even faster that weren't driving on just the drive,but they have all been running shorty lower units where I am running a std length drive.My understanding is that if the boat is actually aired out like I thought it was even a slight change in the wind is going to cause boat to spin out of control. I now have reservations about running that fast again and think I'm going to set boat up to run around 93-94 mph top out,everyones been telling me I have exceeded the hulls limitations but I have been hearing that since the boat broke into the 70's and honestly in the right water conditions it still feels pretty solid as high as 92-93 mph,Smitty

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

I was turning my labbed 32 pitch about 6200 if that has any relevance,Smitty

Griff

Heck, my 24 Outlaw would do that trimmed up at 65 mph. A 15mph cross wind gust would scare the chit outta ya.

kennyo

I told you that b*tch was fixin' to take off!

check300

Smitty,

I had my old 27' Checkmate at 104mph and it never felt like it was as aired out as your describing. Were you running a lot of trim? If you have K-Planes were you running them level or raised? At very high speeds I always ran mine level with the bottom of the hull. Seemed to add stability.

masher44

It will freak you out... probably not totally out of the water. I took out my 2.5 inch spacer on my 6 drive and threw a 17.5 x 28 4 blader on and it felt like it was totally out of the water... but wasnt

tomtbone1993

iTrader: (3)

glad to hear you where still in the water.............

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

I had the boat trimmed out all the way,if you don't trim it that far it holds it back 5-8 mph. I have extended stainless trim tabs I built that went in place of the bennets,they are about 22" long,I usually run them up to neutral once running flat out which gives me another 1-3 mph (If boat isn't getting squirrelly) but had them trimmed down 1 or 2 clicks past neutral to help stabilize the boat.I got the sensation the boat was literally running on the tip of the tabs and the drive. There was a 10-15 mph cross wind this particular day and when I would feel the boat catch the slightest breeze it would kite/float the direction of the wind.The boat wasn't porpoising or chinewalking,it was just sorta floating and the bow would move suddenly in the air sorta abruptly on its own as the wind hit it. I have had cross winds toss me around before,this was spookier. I think I have reached/passed the very maximum point which the boat can be ran with any degree of control whatsoever,Smitty

articfriends

iTrader: (1)

I have had gust of winds throw the boat around before,this was just alot more instant with alot less wind,Smitty

Griff

thats what 4 footers are for