Baja Hooks/Wedges

[jeffswav]

I am thinking about cleaning up the running surface over the winter. I have a 236 Baja with 22 deg hull, inner strakes are cut back from the factory at about 6'. At 74MPH not much of the boat is still in the water, the factory wedges are on the outer strakes and are about 24" from the V. Anyone think there is any speed to gain by removing them?

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeff , those are called shingles and were built into the mold to help drive the bow down kinda like a mini trin tab built right into the bottom of the hull and in fact the first 29 PQ had a similiar setup because there was way to much bow lift . Jeff , shingles have been used on boats for years just ask Noah . Jeff i have seen Speed gains put those same people have had to move up to a much bigger tab and i think you have Bennets which really isnt much of a tab to begin with. Jeff i have seen other Baja's with the same setup and could you show some pics just to make sure i am on the same page with you .

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

I agree with Artie. They help the boat plane off and give it a nice cruise attitude. Also agree with likely having to add tab to compensate for removing them.

Its a personal opinion and/or compromise thing. Is it worth the minor potential speed gain? Maybe maybe not. Knowing the lengths you have gone with your project I suspect you will try removing them.. Just add tabs to your want list when you do it. I would suggest you drill a small hole { like a 1/16 or so} where you plan to remove glass to ensure you have material enough to remove.

[jeffswav]

Thanks guys, I do not have any tabs on it now. The boat pops out of the water very quick with about 1/2 throttle. I will take a couple of pics of them, if I can gain 2 MPH it would be worth it. The boat has a slight porpoise in the 54-62 MPH range, not really a problem because I typically run 40MPH or WOT.

[Knot 4 Me]

Jeff. the porpoise will most likely get worse with the removal of the shingles. Then you have to add a set of 280's or similar tabs and drag them a bit to settle the porpoise. Most likely that will negate any increase in speed you may have realized.

[jeffswav]

There is no porpoise at speed the boat runs 74 MPH with no tabs and trimed up pretty high. It only has a porpoise from about 55-60 MPH, I think the shingles have somthing to do with the porpoise. But the only way to find out is to try it. There is a guy on speedwake that removed his on a Baja260, he saw some big speed gains. He also raised his x dim and cut back his inner strakes so it is hard to know what gained him the most speed.

[Offshore Ginger]

Jeff when you say big gains as far as speed goes with removing the shingles and raising the X dim just what are we talking about because when you were replacing the transom it just might have been the right time to raise the X dim and then decide on weather or not to do the bottom.

[jeffswav]

Jeff when you say big gains as far as speed goes with removing the shingles and raising the X dim just what are we talking about because when you were replacing the transom it just might have been the right time to raise the X dim and then decide on weather or not to do the bottom.

The guy I am talking about is "manofwar", he says he gained about 8mph total. I gained about 3 to 4MPH raising the x up 3". Then about 1 to 2 with the Ram Air. Don't get me wrong I am real happy with the gains. I have only been outrun by two boats this year. I have suprised a lot of people. Just looking for a little more like everyone else. Artie, I remember you asking me about the bottom last year, that may have been a little more than I could handle. I missed a few good weekends of boating as it was. If I could work on it more often no big deal but I have to work to pay for this stuff.

[rchevelle71]

. It only has a porpoise from about 55-60 MPH, I think the shingles have somthing to do with the porpoise.

That is called "Baja Bounce"

[Offshore Ginger]

The guy I am talking about is "manofwar", he says he gained about 8mph total. I gained about 3 to 4MPH raising the x up 3". Then about 1 to 2 with the Ram Air. Don't get me wrong I am real happy with the gains. I have only been outrun by two boats this year. I have suprised a lot of people. Just looking for a little more like everyone else. Artie, I remember you asking me about the bottom last year, that may have been a little more than I could handle. I missed a few good weekends of boating as it was. If I could work on it more often no big deal but I have to work to pay for this stuff.

Jeff i apologize i forgot that you raised the X-dim last winter when you replaced the transom . Jeff a few summers back i removed the shingles on a much bigger Baja then yours and if memory serves me right i think we got a 3 mile gain out of the boat with a lot of x- tra work to the bottom and jeff i agree with Jim seeing that you have no tabs i would consider them in the future . Jeff can you post some pics and just curious have you taken a straght edge to the bottom yet because Baja often pulled parts from the Mold when they were still green .

[jeffswav]

Here are some pics.

[Trim'd Up]

Are they even in the water at wot? On my old 24 they were way out of the water over 70mph. The factory bennett tabs that were placed between the lifting strake and hard chine wouldn't even touch the water fully deployed over 70. I think you need some video of your boat running wot and take a look at where the water is breaking.

[jeffswav]

Are they even in the water at wot? On my old 24 they were way out of the water over 70mph. The factory bennett tabs that were placed between the lifting strake and hard chine wouldn't even touch the water fully deployed over 70. I think you need some video of your boat running wot and take a look at where the water is breaking.

Hey Chad good to hear from you. Good question and I have been woundering that myself. You can feel the boat free up at about 65. The guys that used to work at Baja thought I should get some video also.

[bajabob 718]

hay jeff when igo over 75i am on the pad and ther is about 5foot of my boat in the water . my buddy races boats made me sand 8ft of the back of the boat and you will gain 1 to 2 mph .if you go to offshore race look at the bottoms of the races boats you will see the bottoms are sanded . for the hp you have and the speed you are doing is very good

[Offshore Ginger]

hay jeff when igo over 75i am on the pad and ther is about 5foot of my boat in the water . my buddy races boats made me sand 8ft of the back of the boat and you will gain 1 to 2 mph .if you go to offshore race look at the bottoms of the races boats you will see the bottoms are sanded . for the hp you have and the speed you are doing is very good

Hey guy not to be rude but that is a practice that has been done for many years even on sailboats .

[jeffswav]

Thanks for the replies, I am not sure if I will do any upgrades this winter. I am just looking for somthing with little out of pocket money to get a couple MPH. I can lift the boat off the trailor and lay it on on foam, then flip it and do the other side. It would be easier to sand that way. I really think the shingles are causing the Baja Bounce. I was racing a couple of boats this weekend. One boat was a 252 Boss, I pulled up next to him and slowed down and mine and his boat were both bouncing at 60 MPH. All I have to do is give it a little juice and it goes away.

[rchevelle71]

Hey guy not to be rude but that is a practice that has been done for many years even on sailboats .

Yup

[Ratickle]

Hey guy not to be rude but that is a practice that has been done for many years even on sailboats .

What grit do you typically use? And do you go straight front to back? Or do you go slightly from the middle towards the outside the way the water breaks off the hull.

We've used 400 and straight.

We also very carefully sharpen the strakes edges and transom edges as much as possible. I'm assuming the same thing on step edges, I've never done one.

[jeffswav]

Alright I just got tagged on Facebook when I was running down some friends. I was Running 72 when they took the picture. Not perfect but it is the only one I have at WOT. Not much in the water, maybe the shingles have no effect.

[Offshore Ginger]

Alright I just got tagged on Facebook when I was running down some friends. I was Running 72 when they took the picture. Not perfect but it is the only one I have at WOT. Not much in the water, maybe the shingles have no effect.

Jeff , its to bad that they could not get a better side view pic of the boat when you were even with them to actually see how much running surface was in the water .