Whale tails for boats. Do they work and are they worth the cost?

Question

Whale tails for boats. Do they work and are they worth the cost?

Answer 1

Small HP it works fine for planing quicker>

Answer 2

I added one to my 23' Wellcraft and it did wonders.  Previously the boat would lay on one side of the deep V in a cross wind, and also would run bow high at mid speeds due to a auxiallry engine on swim platform and the cuddy configuration places all of the passenger weight at the stern.  The whale tail helped with both problems and also allowed planing off quicker and at lower speeds.

Answer 3

You've got to ask - ff they are so great wouldn't manufactures fit them as standard?

Answer 4

They do work, most boats that have a jumping or planing problem will benefit from their installation.- they work great on the boats that have a motor too heavy for their boat, such as a large motor on an aluminum boat- but as one answerer put it, on a perfectly setup rig, they are unnecessary.

Answer 5

I have used them and it seems like the boat will get up on plane faster or at lower RPMs.  

Of course I am not the expert but at plane at lower RPMS looks like it would save fuel for cruising......

Answer 6

They started out as "Hydro foil" and soon everybody was making them. They are popular with poorly designed hulls and boats with mal-formed planing surfaces. They are usually a last resort for planning problems after you have tried tilt pin locations, cupped props, and putting the motor deeper in the water. They performed 2 "fixes" First they really reduce cavitation on take off by blocking the vortex of air that like to speed down the transom and into the propeller wash. second. They are a true foil, so-If it is moving fast enough and level enough, it will dramatically lift the back of the boat.  The down side is -can't drag that much plastic thru the water with out paying or it.  Sometimes the improved performance will compensate for the drag.

Answer 7

Nearly as I have been able to determine, they do help underpowered boats get on plane, but are more of a hindrance to a boat that's been powered, propped, set up and loaded properly.

Answer 8

yeah, had a bass boat that would ride bow up until planed. I installed  a stingray, made all the difference in the world. I now run a XE300 on my current boat. Does not "drag" as much as a stingray, but does not have the "lift" the stingray had.