How can I get my boat to ride smoother on the Water?

Question

I am a first time boat owner. My wife and I purchased a 1995 Four Winns Bowrider (17' 6", w/ I/O). We took it out and traveled the bays around Pensacola FL. The ride out was mostly smooth, and we cruised at 25-35 mph. On our return trip I was unable to fully plane the boat out due to the rough ride. It felt as if we were hitting logs in the water when we encountered small waves and wake. I attempted to adjust the engine tilt and varied speeds with no luck. I could not duplicate the smoother ride we had earlier. It was so bumpy at times that we thought that the hull might actually be damaged. It was a frustrating to see others cruising by without constantly bumping and bobbing in the water like we did as they sped by. I am needing a little help on what I might do to try and correct this in the future. Thanks!

Answer 1

you need to keep the engine trim at a minimum level in rough water and use you trim tabs to hold the nose of the boat in to let the boat go through the waves safely   max trim in rough seas is a no no

Answer 2

Next time your out, ride near another Boat and watch what their boat is doing, you will see the two boats are riding pretty much the same, Probable when you were going out you were going with the waves and coming back you were going against them thus the Rougher ride, Caution always stay at least 10 boat lenghts from another boat when traveling in the same direction, or be prepared to holler out NO BRAKES.

Just another Variable in the equation

Answer 3

I am no mechanic but have spent my entire life around boats.  Given the short length of your boat, going at higher speeds on choppy water will lead to a rough ride.  My advice is to just take it easy and slow down in rough water to get a more comfortable ride.

Answer 4

Have a pro install bariators, ask about them.

Answer 5

Yeah I agree, there is not much you can do when the water gets choppy but slow down.

Youve got a rather small boat 2.

But I'm not dissing it.

Good luck. I agree mostly with the lazy guy.

Answer 6

I don't know how clean the bottom of your boat i on the bottom but you may have barnicles and kelp stuck to the bottom. Might be time for a haul out!!

Happy Boating!:)

Answer 7

Go slower LOL

not...

Answer 8

1. u can ride your boat in a not windy day.

2.u can ride your boat on smoother water and where it is not windy.

3.u can build a boat that rides smooth.

4. u can ride your boat on water that has less waves.

Answer 9

I am a life long boater.   I learned (the hard way) was that when it comes to boats... you do get exactly what you pay for.  Read any review and they will tell you that Bayliners and Four Winns are "good boats for the money" - that really means, their target market is the first time boat owner... which translates into "no experienced boater would own one".  With these boats, if you are boating on smaller land locked lakes in smooth waters on perfect boating days - great!  That is exactly what they are designed for.

The bottom line basic fact is that these boats are very light... (check it out for yourself -  your 17.6 footer probably weighs little more than 2,000 lbs, where as (for example) a Boston Whaler of the same size - designed for coastal waters and a little off shore fishing... will weigh 5,000 lbs.  Sail boats are the same... your better blue water and ocean passage vessels will out weigh their inland lake counterparts by two or three tons.  In both these cases, the most apparent difference is in the ride... It is the difference between sea sickness - and comfort.  It is the difference between a smooth quite ride across the water at full speed - verses a "slow way down - it sounds as if the sea is about to come crashing through your hull.  

Now... some people may suggest you install such things as trim tabs, different props, etc.  and though I agree, these will improve, help, ease, a lot of things under the right conditions... they will never change the strength and weight of your hull, nor the smoothness of your ride under the same conditions as you described.  And thus, my opinion is that unless you are willing to let your boat command you... ie: where you can go and when... don't spend your money for these things for that boat; because you still will not be happy with its performance under the same conditions.  My best advice is that if you really want to enjoy your boat, and you are wanting to use in the bay, and possibly take trips along the ICW... sell that boat asap, and look for the biggest heavier vessel you can pay cash for... get a boat with an above deck cabin, a sink, head, refrigeration... your wife will love you all that much more for it!

Answer 10

small boats are very sensitive to weight dist., as stated earlier most of what you are experiencing is the boat itself and cannot be fixed. a couple of things you can try is make sure the boat is riding on its lines, you may have to make sure weight is dist. evenly across the boat. unfortunatly the length, weight and hull determine the ride. i have just upgraded from a 18' 2300lb to a 24' 6000lb the ride is not even comparable.

Answer 11

You could try getting a whale tail, I believe that is what it is called. It's available at Wal-Mart in the boating section. We have a bass boat that was doing the same and it helped it out tremendously.

Hope it helps.

Answer 12

go slower