Ray Macke's Cabin Skiff
Text I decided to slow it down and see what happened. Before the lowest speed I could hold and still be on plane was 19 mph. Now at 16 mph it is still hanging in there.
So how about top end? Well there is good and bad news. The good news is I have picked up a solid 2 miles per hour (maybe a slight bit more) at wide open throttle. The top speed is now 32 mph+. The bad news is I have also picked up about 400 rpm. This isn't really bad as, obviously, it is performing much better than before. The down side is I was already a little under pitched and could over rev the engine by about 200 rpm before the fix. Now it will easily turn 600 rpm more than the maximum suggested by Honda. This is enough that I will need to have both of my props re-pitched. This is not a complaint though - I am thrilled with the result.
This goes to show that even though the
trim tabs and /or planing plate can lift the transom, the drag created by the
defective hull shape was still there and diminishing performance. This
underscores the importance of keeping the bottom flat, particularly in the aft
planing sections of the hull.Another factor is weight. I took the time while it was in the shop to properly weigh it. The finished hull with no engine, fuel or battery weighs right at 900 lb. This does include everything else like seats, wiring, instruments, steering and engine controls, carpet, etc.
I now have over 100 hours and more than 1500 miles on my Cabin Skiff. I am looking forward to my first full season and now with my CS performing as per design, it will be even more satisfying . I tentatively have a Tennessee River trip planned for early May. It will take me from Kentucky Lake Dam to Chattanooga, TN and back. The total trip should be a little under 1000 miles. I can't wait!
P.S. I have a fairly extensive website about building my Cabin Skiff
at
http://egyptian.net/~raymacke/