People with I/O boats

determination · Posted: May 06, 2004 8:02 am Post subject: People with I/O boats

Hey I got a heavy 19' Cuddy i/o boat with trim tabs... what have you found to be best weight distribution in your boats?

I have put 200 in sandbags in the front middle, and 100 on each side in the back.. with a full tank of gas.

Anybody have some other suggestions...

riverfreak · Posted: May 06, 2004 8:08 am Post subject:

the weight of the motor is usually enough.....mine is best with about 450 to 500 lbs in the bow.......

DCdave56 · Posted: May 06, 2004 8:54 am Post subject:

Don't load the back. The engine is enough and the people that sit towards the rear of the boat is enough. Load her up front. It will plain faster and the wake will have a better shape.

bmartin · Addict Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 794

I put weight in the back middle and the front, but as you are seeing weight up front is the most important. This has been posted before but 60%/40% front/back will work for a lot of boats. Also depends on how much weight you are adding, if it is <500lbs you can probably put it all up front.

wesgardner · Posted: May 06, 2004 9:30 am Post subject:

Hey determination,

I have a 21' cuddy, same thing...weight up front. In fact, I was out early spring with my sacs - one between the seats and one across the boat just ahead of the engine....wake was still washy so next time it's out with the porta-potti and up front with the sacs...my sacs are the 600-700 lbs variety....

Wes

twitch88 · Posted: May 06, 2004 10:02 am Post subject:

i have two 600# sacs. both run the length of the boat one behind the other and i put them up as far as possible.

Pumpkin Head · Outlaw Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Posts: 127 City: Oregon

I run a waterbed matress in the ski locker (about 300#) and a 600# sack in the bow. I have a couple of 250# sacks but i normally only use one in the rear and move it side to side to balance out my load because the driver side is always a little light.

determination · Posted: May 06, 2004 5:25 pm Post subject:

hmmm... thanks for all the help.... so about 500 lbs or so in the front shoudl make a pretty decent wake

DiyGuy · Soul Rider Joined: 26 Dec 2003 Posts: 460

Does everyone DRAIN them before trailering with the added weight?

Pros --- Cons???

boarditup · Addict Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 731 City: Allendale, MI

Check the GVWR of the trailer and the vehicle. Don't overload - your insurance probably will not cover overloaded conditions.

Bruky · Guest

uh, you kinda should because your hitch is only rated for a certain weight...

cinder1995 · Criminal Joined: 08 Jul 2003 Posts: 61 City: Tampa

I leave my sacs in for a couple of weeks at a time. Trailering constantly with no problems at all.

twitch88 · Posted: May 07, 2004 7:12 am Post subject:

the only problem i have with leaving them in is that the teak for my locker never dries and gets all nasty, oh and moving the boat by hand is a pain in the ass with them the tongue is too heavy to pick up so there is no more just getting close with the truck.

ATROPINE · Outlaw Joined: 14 Aug 2003 Posts: 197 City: Logandale, NV

I have a 20.5' Bayliner with a V8 in the back. I bought 2 550# sacs and we played around for a few weeks with them in all different configurations. With the weight in the back, the wake would be large but soft. We ended up finding the optimal positions to be one in the ski locker (the sac sits basically with the rear edge right beside the driver's seat), and the other sac in front on the floor of the bow. The boat is a little nose heavy, but planes very quick and easy. I just have to be very careful when going slow through the rollers. I can trim the stern drive up and adjust the speed to get a very nice wake. The wake ramps much better and is very solid now. As for emptying the sacs, I have trailered the boat the 20 miles to the lake a few times with just the locker sac full, and it seemed to do just fine. I usually empty them all just to put less stress on the hull and the trailer since the final 2 miles of the road to Medina lake are kind of rough.

determination · Posted: May 07, 2004 7:59 am Post subject:

yeah i need to get me some sacs. im using lead lifting weights now.. and sandbags..

any suggestions on some cheap weight? i heard waterbed mattresses??

DCdave56 · Posted: May 07, 2004 9:55 am Post subject:

That's what I use in the ski locker. Go to Walmart or Kmart. They can hold about 100lbs. each.