Glen-L.com

I finally took the video camera out on the lake again this week. It has been quite rough on the water this spring. I suppose the abnormal heat and the presence of a lot of big boats that just seemed to materialize on our lake have really made the water rougher than the past. I hope it is not a permanent thing because I've been jolted really hard. Going out early in the morning has been the best ride, but I like to sleep in on weekends and vacations

The first is just a short video of our boat being lifted on our floating boat lift.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPmpTAaX0pE

The second was taken today. As you can see, we were hitting some chop and a few wakes. Later in the day, I did manage to find some smooth water and briefly run her up beyond 40 MPH...but not in this video. The water was definitely rougher than it looks in the video. You can hear and see the boat hitting the rough stuff. On smooth water, she rides nice and flat. At speeds over 4500 RPM she slides a little in high speed turns:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdHE4ii3GhQ

_________________
2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

How long can you leave the boat on the lift? Are they carpeted bunks? Do you have to worry about blistering? It is so humid in Atlanta I wonder how long it takes it to dry out.
Steve

Hello Steve,
I will leave the boat on the lift all summer. It has been there since Memorial Day and I plan to take it out in September. The bunks are made of a resin-type material. You could carpet them...BUT...carpet collects and holds silt and other debris that will definitely scratch the bottom of the boat. Anything on my boat that is painted is done with automotive paint and then it is clear coated with 2-gallons of automotive clear coat. So, it is just like parking your car outside. I also cover the entire boat including the motor with a weatherproof, vented cover. My dock has a roof so there is protection from the elements. The only thing to worry about is spiders and all their webs and droppings...which fall onto the cover and not the boat. As far as humidity, the entire east coast is very humid. Our lake is in the mountains half in GA and half in NC. It still gets hot and humid, but once the sun sets, it cools off pretty fast. After we return from a ride, I raise the lift and wipe off the decks, seats, etc. Then I'll let it sit for a few hours and go out before dark and cover it.

Since our lake fluctuates in depth, it is really best to have a floating lift attached to the floating dock. It is hinged at the front and just sinks when the valve is opened. You do have to drive up onto the lift when you return and the bow will be up at an angle until the back of the lift comes up to lift the stern. The hydraulic type of lift just lowers at all four corners. The one nice thing about this Foatair lift is I can actually walk around on it and I can even crawl under the boat while it is on the lift in the water! It is just like being on the trailer.

_________________
2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

QWell, that is pretty slick!

My brother has a place down on Wedowe (border of Alabama and GA) I think he has a lift but he has a plastic boat so it doesn't matter much what he does.

That automotive paint idea is interesting. There was a guy years ago that was sold on regular latex house paint for his boats. He figured that if the house can sit out in the elements for five years at a time so could his boat!

Thanks
STeve

Time will tell how the paint holds up. There are some professional builders who use automotive clear coat on their woodies. I saw one at Gravenhurst done that way. I think it was a Blackbird (Canadian) boat. I keep a selection of Mothers car care products such as their clear coat safe wax and their spray on detailing products. The water just beads up and rolls right off! Someone with the proper compressor and spray guns and skill could do this. I had to pay an auto painter to do mine.

_________________
2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

Looks nice, Jeff. Does trimming the bow down a bit help any while cruising at higher speeds in the rough water? Just curious as I haven't added the trim tabs to my Zip yet and wondering if driving the nose down would help.

Roberta

_________________
Roberta
Built Zip "Oliver IV" and Super Spartan "Jimmy 70"

Hi Roberta,
I ordered the SE Sport 300 Hydrofoil a couple of months ago, but have not installed it yet. I also bought the SE Sport Clip. These are supposed to help in choppy water, get you up on plane at lower speeds, increase top speed, save fuel, blah, blah, blah (we'll see). I had already bought these when I saw your posts about the trim tabs. I'll be very interested in seeing your results when you get them.

I'm going to be back at the lake next weekend and I plan to install the hydrofoil. They have a really good video on the installation process on youtube. I've heard some people say that the sport clip does not stay on and the whole assembly went to the bottom of the lake. But I don't see how it could come off if you watch the video and install it properly. I'll get some more video of the ride.

_________________
2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

Can you force the bow down using the engine trim or have you gone the limit on that and need more? That was my problem with the manual trim, I have reached the limits. In retrospect, it would have helped to add a few more degrees of tilt to the transom on the Zip. But I suppose you can over do the engine trim and create other problems. Ideally the keel and cavitation plate should line up. Not always doable.

Roberta

_________________
Roberta
Built Zip "Oliver IV" and Super Spartan "Jimmy 70"

The engine is trimmed all the way in. It does not porpoise...just bounced around by chop, swells, wakes and actual breaking waves out on the middle of the lake. Our lake gets a lot of wind because it is in the mountains and combined with a lot of boat traffic this spring, it just gets rough in the afternoon. After 9am, it is just not smooth anywhere on the lake. It is not as bad as Lake Lanier, but this year in particular, there are a lot of big boats on the lake. Many seem to be vacationers from Florida...I won't post the derogatory names that the locals up in the mountains use to describe them Someone posted a launch of their Glen-L boat earlier this week on Lake Tahoe and I was amazed how glassy smooth that water was compared to ours. During the wooden boat show a couple of weeks ago, there were some smaller boats and a Lyman in particular that I was worried about. He took on a lot of water. We got knocked around a bit, but so did all the others that weekend. This past week, my neighbor showed up with a new Yamaha SX210 powered by two engines and a nice Vee hull. That thing goes through waves at 30-40 MPH like butta. I saw a bass boat come all the way out of the water with only the engine skeg still touching the same day I posted the video above.

On the other hand, my 80-yr old MIL rode in the center back with two 16-yr olds on each side of her and she said the ride was nice. She only got a little bit of spray a couple of times. My daughter and her friend, however, got a bit wetter Three people in the back along with a 320lb engine probably helped make the ride up front a little rougher.

_________________
2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

I think the nature of our flatter bottom boats just like to bounce a bit more on the chop and waves. Under 30 mph my Zip is happy as a clam on most water within reason. These boats were probably never meant to go much faster. I'm reluctant to put the trim tabs on as I don't want to destroy the classic look of the transom. I may just be over powered enough that I'm breaking the intended speed limit at about 34. Chris Atwood's Zip is powered by 40 hp and his stays under thirty and does not bounce. His is within the recommended HP range. I do know that when I turn at higher speeds, the boat smooths out. I think that is because the motor is pushing the bow down a bit more during turns. I rationalize that the trim tabs might do the same thing in straight line runs and smooth the ride out a bit.

Roberta

_________________
Roberta
Built Zip "Oliver IV" and Super Spartan "Jimmy 70"

I didn't think the ride looked too rough Jeff. Is that a 20" transom or 15? I wonder if going with a larger motor if a little more angle on the transom would be recommended? I was thinking of going with a 60HP motor on mine and I was figuring on going with a 20" transom/shaft length based on a recommendation by our local motor dealer. It sounds like the 20" would have better market value. I have yet to understand how the performance would change going from a 15 to 20" transom? If you did it over, would you do the larger motor a second time?

Ray

Nice video Jeff. Even though the water was choppy it still beats sanding and mixing epoxy!!
I'm jealous.

Jason

Yep, in this heat, anything beats sanding. Last year, I had some real issues with the heat as I was finishing my boat. As hot as it has been around here and the all time heat records set, it is still not as hot as the mid west or even the DC area. But 100+ hot air is not that unusual for DC. So how is your Dyno Jet build coming along?

_________________
2011 MALAHINI - KICKED IN THE HEAD

I wake up with a 16ft woody every morning
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=534DBtp1Cnc
Website: https://sites.google.com/site/2011malahini/

Here in the SW corner of the state the heat and humidity have been a bear. Last weekend the heat index was around 120 but that hasn't stopped the djet progress. I did take 100 bucks out of the boat budget to buy a big fan for the shop but that was mostly to keep the damn gnats out of my eyes and ears
I am anxious to get on the water so I can shoot my own videos!! I would like to be able to bring it to the gathering but I doubt it will be ready in time...I'm trying though!


Jason