Lifting strakes- are they worth it?

[busatom]

So I recently bought a crest pontoon that doesn't have these but with my 140hp outboard I hit 29.1mph on gps. Are they worth it how much$$ what siE, I think they are diff sizes 2 4 & 6inch what siE for a 25' toon with a 140hp? If they are a dealer add on you have to be able to get em later.???? How much??? Thanks,

Tom

[Cobra427cable]

I have 6" strakes on my pontoon boat and wouldn't buy one without one. Once I hit around 18-20 MPH and it's like a different boat and the top speed is over 40MPH.

[WaltF]

I wish i had em, but they werent offered until the following year on my toon. But then again, my toon was $7000+ less then the following years identical model too.
Expect to drop around $2500.

[dockholiday]

Believe I paid 500 from the factory. Think if you ask anyone running them now they would say strakes are a must have on the next boat. If properly installed they will give you higher top end an fuel economy. My dealer recently sold a boat comparable to mine, without the third toon an strakes, but the hp was the same an he got 35mph, so now I am wondering if I only got 5mph gain by going to the tritoon with strakes. Plan to ride in the next one he rigs like that just to get an idea of the lift an speed diff between the two. Wow another 40mph tracker with NV logs, I sure can't understand why tracker quit offering them. Anyone have an ideas? Don't think I have heard of any NV log boats running less than 35, even with a 90.

[brumbyvet]

When I went by our Tracker dealer back in May he had plenty of 09 year pontoons left but all with the NV package were gone. The dealer couldn't believe that they quit offering them in 2010. They were his best selling pontoons even with the additional cost. He did say that once boat sales pick back up they expect the NV logs will be back. On my boat the complete package ( NV logs, aluminum deck, hydraulic steering ) had a list price of about $6500.00 but it was well worth it.

[dockholiday]

Any one got a photo of them? Know they have lifting strakes on the outside, not sure of the inside. Are they on two log boats, or is that what make them NV logs. I couldn't locate a good photo on the net.
doc

[wed]

I think they are well worth having as long as you have the HP to make them work. I bought my boat with a 60 HP and would consider it the minimum HP for that boat as it could not get up on the strakes with more than four people on board. I traded up to a 90 and it really makes good use of the strakes. I can cruise on plane with four people at a very reasonalbe 25 MPH to save fuel and run in the upper 30s if I want to. I could not believe Tracker stopped manufacturing such an efficient package.

There is both an inside and outside strake. The inside strake is longer than the outside one.

[dockholiday]

Bet the guys with the 150's freak when you go by with that 90 wound out.

[wed]

Yeah Doc, it is interesting down here. Because of the timber in this lake everyone ends up running in the boat lanes at some point so you get to rub shoulders with everything from the 20 HP Pontoons to PWCs to the 70 MPH bass boats. Sometimes it is crazy with traffic backed up behind a slow boat. Most people have a lot of patience so there are no big problems. Even so, some of the slower fishing boats seem a little upset when a toon passes them. I am just glad I am not the slowest boat on the lake.

[BassFrequency]

the center can i had added to my toon has strakes on it, it now has a really noticable bow rise when goosed and does the whole rise and settle thing getting on plane. and i guess im on the minimum for hp but they do make a diference

[OlJim]

When I was looking at new Sun Trackers last year the salesman said they would increase your top end by 40%. The salesman at Voyager said he didn't think they would do that good. It was a $1500 option from Tracker.

Jim

[Drago]

I'm not convinced that they are. If you look at most of the real performance toons, you see a larger center tube and possibly very small highly angled "strakes?" on the inside of the big tube only. I agree that strakes (our boat has six large ones) will help you jump on plane faster. On ours, the rear of the strakes have round openings that I think capture the water inside the strake. This forces the extra weight of the water to require acceleration at hole shot. Also, having them on the outside tends to force the boat to turn flat instead of banking. The JC Tritoon and the Premier PTX we test drove did not have strakes and both banked into turns. I think the newer Benningtons and Manitou also do that.

[dockholiday]

When I was looking at new Sun Trackers last year the salesman said they would increase your top end by 40%. The salesman at Voyager said he didn't think they would do that good. It was a $1500 option from Tracker.

Jim

40 percent...don't think so. A two log boat like mine with no strakes got 35mph.........I am at 40.5 with strakes and a center tube. Actually, I was surprised and would have bet, it wouldn't get the 35mph. Still I am sold on the tritoon with strakes, and don't regret the additional money I spent.
doc

[Cobra427cable]

40 percent...don't think so. A two log boat like mine with no strakes got 35mph.........I am at 40.5 with strakes and a center tube. Actually, I was surprised and would have bet, it wouldn't get the 35mph. Still I am sold on the tritoon with strakes, and don't regret the additional money I spent.
doc

35 MPH on 2 logs w/o strakes?? Must have had a 200 HP motor or higher cause I can't believe the difference the boat speeds up once up out of the water and riding on the bottom of the toons. Ours would be lucky to hit 25 MPH w/o them...I'd say 40% increase in top end is probably about right.