Getting a better wake with my small I/O.

GuitsBoy

Hey guys, Im wondering how I should go about getting a better wake out of my boat. There are a number of constraints as far as hard ballast. The boat is on a small channel connected to the big lake. There are a few spots where we need to trim up all the way to keep the prop from hitting the ground, so I dont think we can keep much permanent ballest in there. Its also a pain in the ass because we have to go under a low bridge with only about 6" clearance from the windshield, so we have to take down the pylon every time.

Anyway, the boart is an 18 four winns horizon, with a 190 HP i/o. I was planning to get a locker sack, but recently I was thinking about other options. Maybe instead of a locker sack, how about a 600# sac up front like a bow fill in, stretching back through the walkthrough. That would center the extra ballast a little more forward so that I could trim up a little more than normal. Would I be better off with a locker sack and maybe a couple hundred pounds of sand up front? I could probably get away with a few hundred pounds of hard ballast, but nothing approaching a thousand. What do you guys suggest?

BTW, sorry for posting this here, I figured it was more of a noob question than anything else.

Colclough999 · Soul Rider Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 410 City: Boston

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GuitsBoy · Posted: Jul 18, 2005 10:14 am Post subject:

madtekniques · Outlaw Joined: 23 Jun 2005 Posts: 156 City: Toronto

I just got a 600lbs sac for our 20' Horizon and I put it right in front of the back seat this weekend, it helped carve a bigger wake but still nothing huge. I'm going to have to get at least another 600, however I do want to move this first one to the storage locker to see how that works. So based on this I would say that with your 18' Horizon you are still going to need 800+lbs which I guess will not work with your area.

GuitsBoy · Posted: Jul 18, 2005 11:36 am Post subject:

Well, I can probably fit the 600 or 750 pound sac in the walkthrough or in the ski locker. I can probably put some sandbags up front or in the engine compartment.

Does anyone know about how much lower the boat will sit with a thousand pounds of ballast? Are we talking an inch or two or more like 8 inches? I know this hinges on many variables, but I just want a ballpark, since I dont want to run aground going through the shallows.

bighitbiker3 · Soul Rider Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 386 City: Seattle

Colclough999, Im sorry but you just got owned.

Kampus-slide · Addict Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 527 City: Tucson

GuitsBoy, perfect set up on the fat chick joke

vette74 · Posted: Jul 18, 2005 12:59 pm Post subject:

GuitsBoy, 1000 lbs dunks my 19' boat about 4" or so

TomOgorman · Criminal Joined: 09 Jul 2005 Posts: 92 City: England

first of all i get loads of friends and shift them around the boat hopefully 60% in the front and 40% of weight int the front

GuitsBoy · Posted: Jul 18, 2005 2:56 pm Post subject:

bighitbiker3 · Soul Rider Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 386 City: Seattle

You want to add more weight to the front since its an i/o. Right now i have about 600 lbs in the bow and a 300 in the back. My wake is pretty nice. Good luck.

Colclough999 · Soul Rider Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 410 City: Boston

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

I've got a 17ft I/O and we drop a 600 pound sac right across the front seats in the bow and then put the trim 3/4 of the way down... then I've got a couple small jugs of lead just to keep the wake even. It works pretty well - but I wouldn't want to put much more weight in since it's only a 4 cyl.

Colclough999 · Soul Rider Joined: 21 Jun 2005 Posts: 410 City: Boston

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

No melting... old tire weights in jugs. A small jug weighs about 40lbs loose, so it works fine for me. I have no intentions of getting into melting lead. Smile