LOL. Good one.

When are you guys gonna make a 22'- 24'?

Ok, sorry if this is a really stupid question.....

On my Kencraft Challenger 215, all the through hulls/hoses are accessible, because the boat is not foam filled in the bilge. I know this because I am in the process of changing them all out for safety as the hull is 14 years old. So fish box drains, washdown, bilge pump, deck drains etc are all accessible via either the bilge hatch aft or pie plate hatches in the fish boxes.

On a boat like this, where the sponsons are foam filled, how do you access the hoses/thru hulls? And for that matter, how would you install a thru hull transducer?

Is there a bilge area that is accessible? I see no hatches at the stern? How do you operate the seacocks for the washdown and live well?

Probably a dumb question, but the foamed in bilge and no deck hatches has me stumped.

JDC

I've seen boats without pockets with tabs. If someone has that problem with the bow riding high, after gear has been added, you could add the tabs. Then if it improves the situation you could add the pockets for future boats. Refining the product is always painful, but like alot of other things, the only way to improve. Good luck with the gen2 27.

JDC,
There is a rear bulkhead app 27" from the transom, and from that point back to the transom is not foam filled and is where your thru hulls, seacocks, bilge pump, etc. for this area are located. There is a hatch on ea side in front of the motor. This is a gen I but this is the same in the 27, 31, and 33.

Excellent thanks. No knew it was there somewhere, but as my boat is not Eurotransom I didn't think to look there.

Perfectly understand

The back part of the sponson on most cats are rounded and narrow so its really impossible to place flat hinged tabs there unless there is a built in pocket pocket, a flat planning surface, and the motors placed off center so that the tab water does not cavitate the water going to the prop.

On my old 94 SL5 seacat with planning surfaces, I addded a 50 gallon livewell to the platform between the motors to get her bow light in a following sea, then moved the motors in and added tabs.

This made a huge ride improvement as I could also set pasengers in the dry rear portion of the hull to get a better ride, still balance her port to starboard, trim better in a beam sea, and improve my following and head sea without trying to make the motors try to do it.

On a Cape horn 19 with an overhanging motor box that jacked her nose up, I hade to add weight to her nose and there was always a problem trying to find room for tabs, tuna tubes, and a bording ladder in such a limited space.

So the more sophisticated hulls like Fountains and Freemans come standard with pockets for tabs as their designers also know that trim is crucial to dialing in the ride, especially on a cat, to meet all the varying sea and load conditions, and not having a $500 tool on a $100 k hulls beckons for some attention, especially on a short and narrow trailer cat.

And the molds are easy to adapt to add a pocket.

Ran her today on our lake with the new set of power tech 4 blade props. Almost the same #'s 4000 rpm = 30 mph @ 2.4 mpg. The handeling was great. This was with 100 gall of gas (more than before)& 2 people.
Our plan is to top off the gas & head out of Crystal River in the morning to 50' or so and try for some red grouper. Forcast is 2' to 3' out to 60 mile. Should be a good day to see how she handles the Gulf chop.
I should have time on New Years Day to post our results.

We got out in the Gulf yesterday. Ran 40 mile each way from the ramp. 2 people,full tank, Ice and loaded for fishing. Smartcraft gauge says 2.2 mpg average. when I get to the pump I'll check those numbers.
Quartering following sea on the way out. We ran @ 30 mph till the seas built to a little more than 2 to 3's. Back off to 26 mph and kept on going. Never got wet and ride was very impressive compaired to our mono hulls.

For our run back in we had a head sea slightly off of port about 2' and @ 30 mph it was a great ride.
All day it was a very close chop. I have a pic when we were on the hook but its hard to tell.

Looks like were going to get a lot more days to fish without getting beat up. Never once did the wife yell and tell me to slow down.

About the fishing, no red grouper on the swiss cheese bottom, just Gags. It was still a great first day out with the new boat and got to get it bloody.

Congratulations . I can't tell you how happy I am for you guys. Send me pictures and I will add them to our website.

Love my 27!

New props
 

Quick update

New props / Power tech 15.25 x 17
Ran her on our lake today for some #'s
2 people, 50 galls gas(1/3 tank)
These #'s are with a light load but with other props we tried there was not a big difference with a heavy load.
Next time out fishing I'll check to see how much they change with a full load

Still only have 33 Hrs on engines
GPS speed and Smartcraft gauges

RPM Speed MPG GPH
900 5.4 3.5 1.5
1000 5.8 3.2 1.7
3150 25.5 2.9
3350 26.6 2.8 9.5
3700 30.0 2.5 11.5
4000 33.5 2.3 14.5
4200 34.5 2.2 15.5
4500 37.0 2.0 18.0
5400 44.5 1.6 28.0

Which model prwer tech props are you runing?

Sorry, 3 blade and going out of memory OFS

Prop Slip
 

I was just playing with a prop slip calculator and @ 4000 & 4200 RPM from my above #'s it said 1% slip. Is that possible?

I doubt 1% is likely. Those numbers look pretty good though. 4k is usually where I cruise, and 34 mph w a soft dry ride is nice.

With Powertech props, its possible.
Your specific set is probably a little stronger on pitch then they are stamped.

Thanks for the input Ken

Riptide, the soft dry ride is nice

We ran out of Crystal River this past Sunday about 65 miles each way to 86'. (2 to 4' at times) Full tank of fuel and the numbers posted above were still the same. Smart Craft said 2.4 avg and cruised at 27 to 30 mph.
Never pounded stayed dry and caught some red grouper

Who owns this Ameracat in the pic? I'd like to get in touch to see who built the Leaning post/ tank rack.

His name is Gene Heidenreich I think, over around Tarpon Springs I think. I forget the last name. He posts here sometimes.
I think forum name capt gene