iclypso
11-26-2006, 01:02 PM
As we've only taken the boat out about half a dozen times or so, we're still getting used to who she is and what she does. Our previous boat was a Wellcraft Airslot, which is an incredibly stable boat for its 24 ft length. Because of that, the first time my dad walked from one side of our 23' Billfisher cockpit to the other at speed, it was a little alarming. The combination of the deep-V and the height of the driver's seat above the water made the boat heel a little more than I was expecting. Though it's still a little unsettling when the COG changes, I'm starting to trust the hull and am getting used to fine tuning to level with the trim tabs.
I think the boat is a little over-propped and I plan on going an inch smaller (to 16") to get the revs up a bit and slow down the idle speed. As it is today, I have to bump the boat in and out of gear when slow-trolling sardines. By choice, I've been running around 2850-2900RPM with the AQAD40b/280 combo which gives me a speed of around 15 kts and the engine tops out at about 3200RPM. I think a 3150RPM cruise with WOT ~3600RPM is where the engine should be but I'm not convinced that everything's completely healthy and am hesitant to push it. I hate not being completely confident in my equipment but there's a little more vibration and *clacking* than I would like to hear from the engine compartment and, since the engine box isn't insulated, you can hear EVERYTHING. Sound-proofing the hatch is definitely a high-priority item this winter. We've also noticed an occasional drip from the fuel pump which we were quoted a price close to a thousand bucks to remove, rebuild, replace. The leak is slow enough (~1-2 drop/min) not to affect engine performance and we've put absorbent pads under it but, still, who wants diesel in the bilge? So I'll be rolling my quarters to get that taken care of.
We ran from O'side to La Jolla and trolled for about two hours and burned 37.5 gals. I haven't checked the GPS for the total trip distance but it seems like that should average about 1.75-1.80 miles/gal. Anyone with a similar setup have numbers to compare?
What do you guys do for storage? Has anyone come up with creative solutions? We've been putting our tackle up in the berth and putting the bumpers behind flybridge ladder but I'd love to hear some suggestions.
I think the boat is a little over-propped and I plan on going an inch smaller (to 16") to get the revs up a bit and slow down the idle speed. As it is today, I have to bump the boat in and out of gear when slow-trolling sardines. By choice, I've been running around 2850-2900RPM with the AQAD40b/280 combo which gives me a speed of around 15 kts and the engine tops out at about 3200RPM. I think a 3150RPM cruise with WOT ~3600RPM is where the engine should be but I'm not convinced that everything's completely healthy and am hesitant to push it. I hate not being completely confident in my equipment but there's a little more vibration and *clacking* than I would like to hear from the engine compartment and, since the engine box isn't insulated, you can hear EVERYTHING. Sound-proofing the hatch is definitely a high-priority item this winter. We've also noticed an occasional drip from the fuel pump which we were quoted a price close to a thousand bucks to remove, rebuild, replace. The leak is slow enough (~1-2 drop/min) not to affect engine performance and we've put absorbent pads under it but, still, who wants diesel in the bilge? So I'll be rolling my quarters to get that taken care of.
We ran from O'side to La Jolla and trolled for about two hours and burned 37.5 gals. I haven't checked the GPS for the total trip distance but it seems like that should average about 1.75-1.80 miles/gal. Anyone with a similar setup have numbers to compare?
What do you guys do for storage? Has anyone come up with creative solutions? We've been putting our tackle up in the berth and putting the bumpers behind flybridge ladder but I'd love to hear some suggestions.