Getting up on plane...

You know the drill..

Moderators: Redneck_Randy, badmoonrising, lakerunner

Post Reply
Message
Author
billyman
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2009 8:36 pm
Location: Nashville, TN

Getting up on plane...

#1 Post by billyman » Thu Jul 15, 2010 1:38 pm

I love reading these forums, they're so informative and entertaining. Thanks to all the contributors...

Anyway, on to my question: I keep seeing over and over about people getting their 'toons up on plane. I have a 20' w/ a 70 hp Suzuki (DF70) w/ a 13p prop. My toon does about 22mph, but I don't think it ever planes out. Based on everyone's experience, should my rig be planing out? Or do I not have enough power to do so?

Oh, one more bit of info... I replaced an old 70hp Force 2-stroke w/ this Suzuki & the Suz weighs a lot more than the force which puts the back-end deeper in the water. When I'm cruising @ WOT, is it better to have most people in the back? Or should they be equally placed between the front & rear?
1995 Fisher 200DLX w/ 2001 70hp Suzuki 4-stroke

margaritaman
Posts: 6078
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:37 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Getting up on plane...

#2 Post by margaritaman » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:09 pm

You will not plane out unless you have lifting strakes attached to the pontoons.
Cruising the salt waters of East Florida.

User avatar
lakerunner
Site Moderator
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:31 pm
Location: Live in McAlester, Ok Boat on Tenkiller
Contact:

Re: Getting up on plane...

#3 Post by lakerunner » Thu Jul 15, 2010 2:38 pm

Or BMR fins
Loyd & Betty Meeks
Livin the lake life
2004 Tracker 22 Regency/2010 90 E-Tec. Pulled by Ford 2020 F 250,
McAlester, Oklahoma
Home lake is Tenkiller

hotairgypsy
Posts: 209
Joined: Fri Sep 04, 2009 8:44 am
Location: albuquerque, nm

Re: Getting up on plane...

#4 Post by hotairgypsy » Thu Jul 15, 2010 3:57 pm

i found these on CL. Are they the same thing as lifting strakes

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/boa/1841782924.html

OlJim
Posts: 92
Joined: Sat May 01, 2010 10:11 am
Location: NE Okla

Re: Getting up on plane...

#5 Post by OlJim » Thu Jul 15, 2010 4:53 pm

I would say yes.
2007 Suntracker PB 22
Regency Edition
MororGuide TM 55lb. Thrust
With Wireless Remote
Humminbird 737 Locator With GPS
90 HP Mercury

User avatar
tkrein
Posts: 384
Joined: Sun May 17, 2009 6:07 pm

Re: Getting up on plane...

#6 Post by tkrein » Thu Jul 15, 2010 8:01 pm

didnt i read some wear that to benifit from strakes you need at least a 90 or above. o and if you have warrenty on your toons welding anything to them with out the manufacture you will void warrenty
2017 Bennington 22ssrx
115 Yamaha
karavan Trailer
2014 Chev tahoe
_________________________
Port Of Bismarck ND

margaritaman
Posts: 6078
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:37 pm
Location: Florida

Re: Getting up on plane...

#7 Post by margaritaman » Thu Jul 15, 2010 10:54 pm

The 90 rule was sort of stated because to make the boat plane on strakes you must be hitting 20mph and over and a lot of toons with less horse power cannot go over 20 mph.
Cruising the salt waters of East Florida.

User avatar
BassFrequency
Posts: 706
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:09 pm
Location: LOTO

Re: Getting up on plane...

#8 Post by BassFrequency » Fri Jul 16, 2010 3:39 am

margaritaman wrote:The 90 rule was sort of stated because to make the boat plane on strakes you must be hitting 20mph and over and a lot of toons with less horse power cannot go over 20 mph.
my 60hp must be rare then :biggrin2
hotairgypsy wrote:i found these on CL. Are they the same thing as lifting strakes

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/boa/1841782924.html
wow that sounds a bit steep :shock:
24' 1989 Starcraft 23.1mph gps
60HP Evinrude
'96 GMC Jimmy "The Demon" custom 8 ball lever 4x4
no muffler or cat. just strait to the back


Image

User avatar
Bamby
Posts: 1409
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 7:30 am
Location: Near Wheeling W.V.

Re: Getting up on plane...

#9 Post by Bamby » Fri Jul 16, 2010 4:54 am

By on plain the prevalent thought or measurement is the boat having enough oomph, to get somewhat up on top of the water like the boat pictured below.
Jim's Pontoon Boat.jpg
Jim's Pontoon Boat.jpg (179.1 KiB) Viewed 7112 times
This boat is equipped with strakes, and powered by a 225 HP Honda. A person has to remember that a pontoon hull is a displacement hull by design. But given technology such as strakes, and enough horsepower, results very similar to plaining are achievable so much so that folks call it as such. Technology is still advancing in pontoon design, it's going to be interesting to see how much more performance can be squeezed out of them.
Respect Our Recreational Resources
Leaving Only "The Footprints of Your Passing"

Boating the Muskingum River
1972 35' Crest Pontoon Houseboat
2007 90 hp. Yamaha

billyman
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2009 8:36 pm
Location: Nashville, TN

Re: Getting up on plane...

#10 Post by billyman » Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:00 am

Thank you all for your input. I have a small "V" that is mounted to the bottom of each log & runs it's length. Are these strakes? Or are they only there to provide rigidity?
1995 Fisher 200DLX w/ 2001 70hp Suzuki 4-stroke

User avatar
lakerunner
Site Moderator
Posts: 4820
Joined: Fri Mar 17, 2006 2:31 pm
Location: Live in McAlester, Ok Boat on Tenkiller
Contact:

Re: Getting up on plane...

#11 Post by lakerunner » Fri Jul 16, 2010 10:46 am

That is a keel strip. Helps with steering control and gives some support
Loyd & Betty Meeks
Livin the lake life
2004 Tracker 22 Regency/2010 90 E-Tec. Pulled by Ford 2020 F 250,
McAlester, Oklahoma
Home lake is Tenkiller

User avatar
mike
Site Owner
Posts: 1727
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 5:04 pm
Location: Boise Idaho

Re: Getting up on plane...

#12 Post by mike » Fri Jul 16, 2010 12:28 pm

I dont have lifting strakes but I do feel my boat getting to a certain speed and then flattening out, which to me seems like its getting up on plane or step. It really takes off when this happens! :nana
1999 Voyager 21' Express Fish triple toon 115hp Mercury (SOLD)
2004 Ford F150 SuperCrew
Boise Idaho

billyman
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Aug 23, 2009 8:36 pm
Location: Nashville, TN

Re: Getting up on plane...

#13 Post by billyman » Sat Jul 17, 2010 10:56 am

Lakerunner, that's what I figured, thanks for confirming.

Mike, you got that big 115 (well, big compared to my 70-haha).
I'd love to be able to drop a 115 on the back of mine.
1995 Fisher 200DLX w/ 2001 70hp Suzuki 4-stroke

User avatar
rancherlee
Posts: 580
Joined: Tue Jul 13, 2010 5:59 am
Location: Eveleth MN

Re: Getting up on plane...

#14 Post by rancherlee » Sat Jul 17, 2010 5:16 pm

Having the same engine as you and a older 20' pontoon, also I can tell you 22mph is all i could hit with a light load. Around 20mph it started to level out/plane and the motor pod would really struggle to plow through the wake between the toons. I've now added center log with a built in transom and it now levels out/ planes at 14mph with a light load and picks up speed rapidly after that point and runs out at 26-27mph carring the front 1/3 of toons out of the water. About 6-7 people seem to be the breaking point for my 70hp, at that point it doesn't have enough power to level out with my current setup. I plan on building some strakes this winter and weld them onto the center tube only and hope it adds enough lift to level out with 6-7 person load. If not, I think a new Suzuki df90a would give me enough to do it.
1988' Kennedy 20' "Haley's Comet"
Rebuilt 2016 with 25" single strake outer tubes and a 25x23" straked U-tube
2003 Suzuki DF140 - Yamaha 9.9HT kicker - 39.1@6300rpm

Post Reply