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Bilopete
10-11-2007, 05:16 PM
As you are aware I recently purchased a Seajay 4.3 with a Evinrude 35hp engine. We 've been out in it for a few trips and I am very happy with it but being a 1st time boatie I don't really know what whats good and what could be better.

However, I am seeking information on how to adjust / trim the motor to get the best out of it.

Can the engine be to high? What's the appropriate trip level? Is the prop right for my boat/motor combo? what spares should I carry? etc etc etc

Cheers

Bilopete

gar26lw
10-11-2007, 06:25 PM
you want the engine anti cav plate about level with the bottom of the boat. trim it so the boat sits level underway. perhaps slightly trimmed out/up to get bit more speed or to stop the bow digging into the backs of the chop, trim in/down to get a better ride when the chop is smaller and you want to slice through it. this all depends on position of weight in the boat too.
i tend to even everything out weight wise and keep heavy objects in the center line of the boat [fuel etc..]
if your revs are at about 5500-5600 id say the prop is good. lower, need a lower pitch, above a higher pitch.

i carry a tool box with various bits n bobs, extra power cable/wire is good for fixing trailer lights, bypassing stuff if blown etc when out. electrical tape, wire joiners. extra fuses, extra fuel filter, tourch, extra batterys, spare bulb etc.. just think of anything that could pop and prepare for it within reason

you build it up as you go along and have little experiences :) i always carry extra fuel & oil since the time i ran out. also fitted a navman fuel flow meter and hooked it into my gps chart plotter.
i would say those two things are the best investment ive made. the chartplotter gps makes a HUGE difference to getting round. it tells me where i am, markers etc, fuel left, fuel remaining, speed, range left on current tank etc.. awesome.

a spare props good if you are going far.
my props rubber thrust hub went one day, that was interesting. lost all power and oars are useless in a heavy boat.
also make sure you charge your phone. i got stuck once and found the phone had hardly any battery left and my credit decided to run out when i was trying to call vmr.
i got a radio after that one.

ah, make sure everything is well maintained. it has a habit of letting you know the hard way when its not. :D

oh, keep a beacon to beacon handy

Bilopete
10-11-2007, 07:06 PM
you want the engine anti cav plate about level with the bottom of the boat. trim it so the boat sits level underway. perhaps slightly trimmed out/up to get bit more speed or to stop the bow digging into the backs of the chop, trim in/down to get a better ride when the chop is smaller and you want to slice through it. this all depends on position of weight in the boat too.
i tend to even everything out weight wise and keep heavy objects in the center line of the boat [fuel etc..]
if your revs are at about 5500-5600 id say the prop is good. lower, need a lower pitch, above a higher pitch.

Unfortunately my outboard doesn't have a RPM meter so I can't measure it. Is there any other way of telling?

i carry a tool box with various bits n bobs, extra power cable/wire is good for fixing trailer lights, bypassing stuff if blown etc when out. electrical tape, wire joiners. extra fuses, extra fuel filter, tourch, extra batterys, spare bulb etc.. just think of anything that could pop and prepare for it within reason

Being a basic bpat there's probably not much that can go wrong. I going to get a set of sparks, extra fuel can(and oil) but what do you need with the spare prop? Spacers, washers, splitpins or the like or does it come in a kit?
you build it up as you go along and have little experiences :)

i always carry extra fuel & oil since the time i ran out. also fitted a navman fuel flow meter and hooked it into my gps chart plotter.

i would say those two things are the best investment ive made. the chartplotter gps makes a HUGE difference to getting round. it tells me where i am, markers etc, fuel left, fuel remaining, speed, range left on current tank etc.. awesome.

Being a 4.3m boat I can't really go far. Basic equipment wise would a hand held marine radio do? and whats a beacon to beacon?

a spare props good if you are going far.
my props rubber thrust hub went one day, that was interesting. lost all power and oars are useless in a heavy boat.
also make sure you charge your phone. i got stuck once and found the phone had hardly any battery left and my credit decided to run out when i was trying to call vmr.
i got a radio after that one.

ah, make sure everything is well maintained. it has a habit of letting you know the hard way when its not. :D

oh, keep a beacon to beacon handy


Cheers and thanks for your advice! :)

finga
10-11-2007, 07:49 PM
The easy way to see if the height of the motor is dunky dory or not is to have a gander out the back when your planing.
The cav. plate should be fractionally above the water.
Trimming is hard to say as each boat is different and can vary in the same boat with different loads or water conditions etc.
The best way is to try a few postitions and note which is good and which is bad under each variable.

gar26lw
10-11-2007, 08:07 PM
whether to get a spare prop depends on how much you are going to use it and how old the original prop is. id only do it if you are going far or if you repitched, keep orig as spare.

for raidio, yeah id assume handheld is fine. im no expert on all this though. if you want to go cheaper just get a $50 pay as you go phone as a backup. it just depends how crazy you want to go in the local chandelry shop :D
I stopped adding up my receipts ages ago, sort of kills the fun a bit

beacon to beacon is avail everywhere, its a book of charts of your area. its pretty much essential imo. shows markings, depth, sandbanks, channels etc.. also has all the vmr and emergency numbers in there and a section on boating safety. i think stuff like flares, vsheet etc i never leave without it.

i dont know where you are based but i potter round the broadwater and the one thing above all that makes things so much easier is the charplotter. especially until you learn the channels and if you go out at night.

i got a little 5380i and it great.
http://www.navman.com/Navman/Templates/productinformation____28809.aspx
esp when hooked up to the fuel sender. id always have this setup on any boat i had now.
http://www.outbackmarine.com.au/masterpages/TypeDetail/TypeDetail.asp?TypeID=347


i just got sick of trying to hold the beacon to beacon open to see where im going and drive at the same time. then trying to judge how much fuels left in the tank and how far i am likely to get before i run out. I have a 2 stroke and it chews it at different rates depending on speed and load. the great thing is it tells me my kms/litre so i can set my speed and trim just right to maximize my efficency. by doing this the best ive had is 110km from 60litres. this is on a yam 90 2st. going about an average of 38-40kmph. i think i could beat that now as that works out at 1.83 km per litre.

anyway, I've never ran out of fuel or hit a sand bank or got lost in pitch black nights with these two. great for dumping a gps mark with crab pots too :)

i think you can get em for about 600-700 all up.
i ummed and arred for ages before doing it but whished i dont it sooner afterwards. if you are gonna go for it, shop around and ask for a discount. you should save a few bucks if you play it right :D

Bilopete
10-11-2007, 09:11 PM
Many thanks for your comments and advice.

Cheers

Bilopete