Hi ! I have owned my 1997 Grady Voyager since Nov 2009 and put it in the water about 3 weeks ago. I am new to this size motor boat-I hve mostly been a sailboat racing guy. I would like to get some opinions about how this boat should run in a chop. To me, it bounces around too much in a 2.5 ft and up chop(head on to waves) when I get it up on a plane (about 23 mph at 3500rpms) I have a 250 yamaha ox66. In 2.5 ft chop(head on to waves) I slow down to 9 or 10 mph and the ride is better. In flat water I am fine at 23 -25 mph. Can someone help me about whether it is nomal to pound planing in 2.5 chop at this speed ? Also I have attempted to adjust with some up motor trim and some trim tab bow down adjusting to see if I can get a better smooth ride. Some of my fishing buddies (I dont fish but would like to go to Stellwagon Bank to see whales -20mile out ) tell me this is ok just go very early in the morning when the seas are flat. Thanks for any advice. PS I like the boat very much and am still learning how it goes.
When is it normal to start pounding ?
- Thread starter Lew
- Start date
Hi ! I have owned my 1997 Grady Voyager since Nov 2009 and put it in the water about 3 weeks ago. I am new to this size motor boat-I hve mostly been a sailboat racing guy. I would like to get some opinions about how this boat should run in a chop. To me, it bounces around too much in a 2.5 ft and up chop(head on to waves) when I get it up on a plane (about 23 mph at 3500rpms) I have a 250 yamaha ox66. In 2.5 ft chop(head on to waves) I slow down to 9 or 10 mph and the ride is better. In flat water I am fine at 23 -25 mph. Can someone help me about whether it is nomal to pound planing in 2.5 chop at this speed ? Also I have attempted to adjust with some up motor trim and some trim tab bow down adjusting to see if I can get a better smooth ride. Some of my fishing buddies (I dont fish but would like to go to Stellwagon Bank to see whales -20mile out ) tell me this is ok just go very early in the morning when the seas are flat. Thanks for any advice. PS I like the boat very much and am still learning how it goes.
SwiftCloud
GreatGrady Captain
Lew:
I have a 2003 258 Voyager (Journey) in Marblehead with a F225, I am also a former sailor (in Southern California), and I don't fish. I am not sure if we have the same hull - is yours the V2?
I find the water pretty flat in our area and can often run at 4500 - 5500 for 30-37 mph. When I go out past Gloucester in the afternoon, I do find it a bit bumpy...so I put the tabs down a bit are run in the low 20 mph range. You may find it is actually smoother to speed up sometimes.
I've taken the boat out to Stellwagon, over to Wellfleet, and down to Nantucket without incident.
Let me know if you want to chat.
- Robert
I have a 2003 258 Voyager (Journey) in Marblehead with a F225, I am also a former sailor (in Southern California), and I don't fish. I am not sure if we have the same hull - is yours the V2?
I find the water pretty flat in our area and can often run at 4500 - 5500 for 30-37 mph. When I go out past Gloucester in the afternoon, I do find it a bit bumpy...so I put the tabs down a bit are run in the low 20 mph range. You may find it is actually smoother to speed up sometimes.
I've taken the boat out to Stellwagon, over to Wellfleet, and down to Nantucket without incident.
Let me know if you want to chat.
- Robert
We purchased our Islander new with a single 250HP OX66, in march 2002. Had 465hrs on it when we repowered to twin F150s in Nov 2005, and now have 890hrs on the twins.
We have a lot of experience in snotty seas, both offshore and in the great Chesapeake Bay.
I have found the best approach to drop the engine trim just a little - not all the way down - then use the tabs to bring the bow down so that sharp, deep V up forward is cutting through the oncoming seas.
Yes, it can get a bit wet (we leave our curtains up all year), but it doesn't pound.
Brian
We have a lot of experience in snotty seas, both offshore and in the great Chesapeake Bay.
I have found the best approach to drop the engine trim just a little - not all the way down - then use the tabs to bring the bow down so that sharp, deep V up forward is cutting through the oncoming seas.
Yes, it can get a bit wet (we leave our curtains up all year), but it doesn't pound.
Brian
Parthery
GreatGrady Captain
The 248 hull became a SeaV-2 in the early 90s...
The change from the 248 to the 258 had to do with "pockets" that the tabs were in....the 248 had a tendency to run bow high......
The change from the 248 to the 258 had to do with "pockets" that the tabs were in....the 248 had a tendency to run bow high......
Exactly what Ocnslr said is what I do. When running offshore in SC we're nearly always faced with 2-3 foot head seas. I leave the front curtains down on the way out on even the hottest of mornings. There's not much I hate worse than a face full of saltwater in the dark. Many times I'll leave the front curtains down on the way back in just to keep the helm a little quieter and I don't have to scream to talke to the person in the passenger seat.
I'll usually run about 21-25 mph if I can cut through the chop. It's a tiring ride out but you sure get there quicker. Of course there's always that occasional rogue that slams you pretty hard.
I'll usually run about 21-25 mph if I can cut through the chop. It's a tiring ride out but you sure get there quicker. Of course there's always that occasional rogue that slams you pretty hard.
The first step I do when going into headsea if pounding begins is to trim the engines ALL the way down. This forces the bow down.
The next step is to put the tabs until the landings soften enough or the tabs are fully down.
The third step is adjust speed until hard landings are very infrequent. Due to the shape and size variance of seas there will always be some sets will will be more "bumpy" than the average.
I try to get the maximum comfortable speed for the given conditions. All of my boats have had a certain "feel" when the speed was right for the conditions. Note that beam and following seas require different strategies.
The next step is to put the tabs until the landings soften enough or the tabs are fully down.
The third step is adjust speed until hard landings are very infrequent. Due to the shape and size variance of seas there will always be some sets will will be more "bumpy" than the average.
I try to get the maximum comfortable speed for the given conditions. All of my boats have had a certain "feel" when the speed was right for the conditions. Note that beam and following seas require different strategies.
Be sure to put a piece of duct tape over your fuel mileage gauge BEFORE you start dropping the tabs in a head sea. That way you can't see the result.
Out of sight out of mind....
Out of sight out of mind....
The key is to adjust the motor and tabs to your "comfort level" and if you have a fuel management system to manage both the ride and fuel economy. Dropping the bow down first with the motor and then adjusting the tabs is the way I do it as well. I have fished offshore with Strikezone and in SC 2-3s going 50 off. The 228 in my opinion handled well. Your boat would handle it better. Enjoy the whale watching and please post pics.
Fishtales said:
Sorry - could not resist.....
I was gonna say after the kids get to sleep!
I'm probably stating the obvious here........but bearing off the wind or sea will give you more space in between the chop and usually an easier condition to find some comfort.
We run about 50 nm. out to our reefs and I adjust my bearing a little (if necessary) to abuse us and the boat less, then as we get closer to the lee of the reef I'll make a correction to get us back on course. Just because you can go straight to a position doesn't necessarily mean you should.
Like Megabytes I trim my motors in first and rarely use my tabs for for and aft trim. I would probably slow down if i was starting to launch off the tops of waves. However as Swiftcloud says sometimes it is indeed smoother to go faster especially on very short chop.
Our whale season is just about to begin......
We run about 50 nm. out to our reefs and I adjust my bearing a little (if necessary) to abuse us and the boat less, then as we get closer to the lee of the reef I'll make a correction to get us back on course. Just because you can go straight to a position doesn't necessarily mean you should.
Like Megabytes I trim my motors in first and rarely use my tabs for for and aft trim. I would probably slow down if i was starting to launch off the tops of waves. However as Swiftcloud says sometimes it is indeed smoother to go faster especially on very short chop.
Our whale season is just about to begin......
A small boat in 2-3 heads-up seas is going to get slapped around if you go too fast and the waves are close together -- Simple Physics!
Have you tested the trim tabs with the boat out of the water or where you can see them go all the way down??
Have you tested the trim tabs with the boat out of the water or where you can see them go all the way down??