Getting on Plane in the Ocean?

[xlr8by]

Guys,
I have a 38' Top Gun (step bottom) and I have trouble getting on plane in the ocean when it is rough. I have no problems in the bay or when the ocean is calm. I usually like to lower my tabs and hold the motors steady around 3k to come on plane, but in rough water when I try the same thing one prop or both with start blowing/cavitation. What can I do to improve this?

[Big Time]

What kind of power, drives and props are you running? I am assuming you have the drives tucked in too when getting on plane?

[xlr8by]

Drives tucked all the way in, bravo props, 575sci motors. Would I be better off using less tab then all the way down in the rough stuff? I am wondering if by having the tabs all the way down it could actually cause the stern to lift and blowout to occurr?

[Ratickle]

Could be an interesting discussion. I've had some boats you damn near couldn't get on plane when the water was uncooperative.

On the higher X's, with fewer prop blades, I have always had leave the tabs at nuetral, or barely down, and feather the throttles as the blades blow out to catch them again and again and again ..................

[J-Bonz]

Drives tucked all the way in, bravo props, 575sci motors. Would I be better off using less tab then all the way down in the rough stuff? I am wondering if by having the tabs all the way down it could actually cause the stern to lift and blowout to occurr?

My buddy has the same set up and the same problem... He's running some high end Herrings.. I often wondered if some non thinned props would work for him..

Jr.

[old377guy]

Could be an interesting discussion. I've had some boats you damn near couldn't get on plane when the water was uncooperative.

On the higher X's, with fewer prop blades, I have always had leave the tabs at nuetral, or barely down, and feather the throttles as the blades blow out to catch them again and again and again ..................

exactly true

[BillR]

Are the props 34's?
Same setup in my TG - 34's were terrible, 32's were great. There were times when it would blow out, and tabs at about 1/2 way or more down would help.

Do you have sportmaster lowers? If so, that is the problem.

[Bobby Sheer]

Which way are you heading?

Are you running into the seas, with the seas?

Run in the trough, until you are up.

[T2x]

Which way are you heading?

Are you running into the seas, with the seas?

Run in the trough, until you are up.

Good advice as long as the guy knows what a "trough" is......... the low point between waves....... or "running in the slot".

With today's set ups a lot of these "Offshore" boats, don't belong in big water.

[xlr8by]

Thanks for everything guys. It is a very interesting discussion. No sportmaster lowers, not sure on the exact size and pitch off the top of my head. I'll double check when I am back at the boat. The problem on the east coast we often get washing machine type water just a big mess/slop. I'll try out the tips/ideas posted and see if it gets any better

[Baja Fresh]

With today's set ups a lot of these "Offshore" boats, don't belong in big water.

Could you elaborate on this a little bit for me? Wrong props, X, hull design, etc.?

[Top Banana]

Back in the day .....when we had a heavy boat, with tons of gasoline on board, at the start of a 200 to 500 mile race, we rocked the boat from side to side....and kept advancing the throttles......we "tricked" the boat into believing it was a flat bottom.

It would start to rise up on one of the flat sides of the Vee....... and then when we had enough speed, we would flip it right side up and just keep going.

I'm talking about the days before the real safe race starts were incorporated. We could each go in any direction we wanted and it was up to us to get the boats on plane and then back to the lineup for the start....still on plane.

[T2x]

Could you elaborate on this a little bit for me? Wrong props, X, hull design, etc.?

The x dimension is a big part of it. If the drives are too high you will have excessive prop slip and struggle to plane off in big seas. There are also some balance problems I have seen where weight is centered too far aft. Add to that the lack of fuel capacity caused by the desire to save weight and what you have is a 32 to 50 foot boat that is more suited to bays, lakes and rivers then the ocean....or one of the Great Lakes.

T2x

[H20 Toie]

Looks to me like lowering your tabs might be the problem
My Cig was a 35 and i left the tabs up until on plane and everyone i have talked to with top guns does the same.

[Dreamer]

playboy no notch... gun notch.... my playboy had zero problems too

[GodspeedCig]

I usually leave the tabs up getting on plane - Top Gun TS with 525 EFIs