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Thread: Need help with questions/advice about a 1996 16

  1. #46
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    When it comes to gauges and what they're supposed to represent there aren't too many I trust.
    The best thing for you to do is put the boat on a trailer (or blocks ) and energize the trim gauge and see what it's showing when the drive is level with the keel . Maybe even mark the gauge with a dot with it showing that position . That way you'll know where true level is.

    But to be perfectly blunt any serious boat driver rarely looks at the trim gauge anyway as they drive by feel and I can assure you that any of them will know the difference between negative trim , neutral trim and positive trim .

    If you've been operating all this time with the drive trimmed all the way in you've got a bit of catching up to do . Didn't anyone ask you why your boat was always running bow down ?
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

  2. #47
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    you can turn hard at cruise speed no problem 24 degree rounded keel
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    When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
    When the waves are high and the light is dying,
    well raise a glass and think of me...
    When I'm home again,
    boys, I'll be buying!

    My Ride

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  3. #48
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    once you figure the trim out the ride angle should look something like this
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    When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
    When the waves are high and the light is dying,
    well raise a glass and think of me...
    When I'm home again,
    boys, I'll be buying!

    My Ride

    Come Join Us on The Queen Of American Lakes



    Contact Us

    www.lgdonziclassic.com

  4. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by Morgan's Cloud View Post
    When it comes to gauges and what they're supposed to represent there aren't too many I trust.
    The best thing for you to do is put the boat on a trailer (or blocks ) and energize the trim gauge and see what it's showing when the drive is level with the keel . Maybe even mark the gauge with a dot with it showing that position . That way you'll know where true level is.

    But to be perfectly blunt any serious boat driver rarely looks at the trim gauge anyway as they drive by feel and I can assure you that any of them will know the difference between negative trim , neutral trim and positive trim .

    If you've been operating all this time with the drive trimmed all the way in you've got a bit of catching up to do . Didn't anyone ask you why your boat was always running bow down ?

    Nope no one has ever mentioned riding with the bow down to me, but I haven't driven the 16 but a few times on the lake where I live and that mostly been fooling with the tabs, turning and hitting waves to see how it reacts.

    It's my deck boat that I've driven for years with the trim all the way in. But our lake is pretty small and there probably aren't a whole lot of boaters that are experienced in these subjects as you guys. It's mostly fishing, wake & ski boats and pontoons where I live.

    Another reason why this forum and being able to ask guys like you all questions is a huge asset for people like me

  5. #50
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    Your best bet is to just leave the tabs alone (all the way up) unless you need to drag one a 1/2" or so to correct a beam list due to uneven weight distribution.

    Concentrate on having fun exploring the drive trim for the time being .. only takes about 15 minutes to figure out what it does anyway . Then you'll know when and if you need tab . BTW , it's a good idea not to have tabs deployed in turns .
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

  6. #51
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    Pourposing like a SOB

    Went out after work tonight so check out what I've learned about trim. Average wind speed was 7 MPH and the lake was just a little choppy. Before I put in I checked to see where the trim gauge was pointing with the out drive raised till it was even with the keel on the boat. I was surprised to see that the gauge was pointing to the far right almost pegged to the point where it cant go any further right. This had me thinking that I was already learning more than I knew about the trim.

    Started out going about 20 MPH with the trim all the way in, down, what ever means that it is at it's lowest point below the hull and no tabs engaged. It began pourposing when the speed was steady so I began to raise the out drive one short bump of the button at a time. This made the pourposing worse, and continued to do so with every bump up of the out drive.

    After I had it raised maybe a quarter of the way on the trim gauge it sounded like the prop was splashing on top of the water or something. I started over and tried driving further between each bump of the trim button but it never did stop pourposing traveling at a steady speed of about 20.

    Does this sound like a potential prop issue? I know the conditions probably weren't the most ideal but with the out drive all the way down and a little bit of trim tabs it was smooth and steady at all speeds.

    PS - I got caught on the ramp for the first time by some people who just couldn't get over that little boat, they had lots of interest and enthusiasm. It was almost like we were all kids again and the only thing that mattered at that point in time was we just discovered something brand new and really cool to us all.

  7. #52
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    Generally, proposing can be minimized or eliminated by use to the trim and/or tabs. Severe proposing (that you can't eliminate) could be water conditions (maybe), hull design (nope), too much weight toward the stern (maybe), or running a bow lifting prop.

    John C
    '
    92 Sweet 16 302 Ford
    Windshields are for Sissies!!!

  8. #53
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    The prop has a lot to do with the porpoising cycle ( bow lift gets the nose high and can't hold it there nose falls prop builds bow lift cycle repeats) all props will do it at certain speed ranges

    The first prop that came with my boat would do it from on plane speeds to about 30 mph with no trim or tabs. When i found the right prop that range dropped to about 20 to 25 mph you need to find a merc style prop that carries the boat not to much bow lift or to much stern lift. But regardless at certain speeds its going to do it
    Years ago I took the 16 to ACBS show with all the woodies at the close of the show they had a parade around the shoreline of my lake. They took off and as a woody will do at like 10 mph just plow along with a bit of nose up i push the tabs all the way down and plowed along with them until the nose started to have lake wash breaking down the deck. I then introduced them to the fly by.  just remember with the trim and tabs down at speed turning can be an issue or slop can get ya a bit wet


    Think of it this way its a race horse it doesnt like being hitched to a wagon , Plowing the back 40 , walking, a slow trot NO

    it wants to run


    Try your tests at 30 or 35 mph and see how she reacts
    When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
    When the waves are high and the light is dying,
    well raise a glass and think of me...
    When I'm home again,
    boys, I'll be buying!

    My Ride

    Come Join Us on The Queen Of American Lakes



    Contact Us

    www.lgdonziclassic.com

  9. #54
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    We're having a boat poker run here today but I will try more again tomorrow and at different speeds. I can also switch props if I feel confident that I've done all I can with the current prop.

    I think there's a chance that I may need to go to a bigger body of water to get the space I need to get it all ironed out completely. We only have a no wake zone about 1 mile long here so there's a lot of turning and getting back on plane going on for me.

    Enjoy your Saturday!

  10. #55
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    BTW, what brand, model, and pitch do you have?

    FYI, my '92 Sweet 16 came with a 23" Viper. Best was ~53 mph @ I think around 4400 rpm. However, the chine walk was awful. I replaced it with a stock OMC SST 21" prop which gave me 57 mph @ 4600 RPM and no chine walk. I had this one tuned by John at DAH Props (who designed the SST) and improved to 59 mph @ 4850 rpm. After the Repowering this prop gave me 61.3 mph @ 5250 rpm.

    Today I have a stock 23" SST which (roughly) gives me 63 mph @ 4850 rpm. Over the winter I'll have DAH tweak it.

    John C
    '
    92 Sweet 16 302 Ford
    Windshields are for Sissies!!!

  11. #56
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    I haven't read this entire thread, so I may be repeating what has already been said or done.

    These boats can be a handful when first starting out. I went through the same pain you are when I first got mine. You're far from the only one that has struggled with the learning curve. I boated for 18yrs with a Donzi Classic 16 (copy), but it was a jet drive and an absolutely perfect riding boat from day one. Couldn't have been an easier boat to drive. Then I bought a 22C and my first outdrive boat. Holy bouncing boats, batman! After 18yrs of boating, I was a novice again.

    Morgan had some good advice, but I guess I'm still not a "serious boater" because I still look at my gauges. Maybe someday......but for now I still use the drive trim gauge every time I go out. I do have to disagree with MC in that, I believe a serious boater will drive by feel and look at their gauges. The best advice I got when I first got my boat was to mark "level" on the trim gauge. If you just eyeballed "level", you could easily be off. Adjust the trailer tongue height until the very bottom of the boat (at the transom end) is level, checking with a level. Then put the level of the cavitation plate of the drive and adjust the drive until it is level. Now mark your gauge. I have a piece of foil tape on mine. It's been there for years and I still use it every single time I go out. To get on plane, I put my tabs all the way down and pull my drive in (down). As I start to get on plane, I'll raise the drive and simultaneously pull the tabs up a bit at a time to help it get on plane. Having the tabs all the way down can actually cause the boat to take longer to get on plane. You definitely have to experiment as to what works best for your boat. Once fully on plane, I'll continue to bring the drive and tabs up a bit at a time as the boat stabilizes. Once I get the drive to "level", I'll leave it there and play with the tabs to control the porposing. Generally for cruising around, I leave the drive at a known amount above the level mark and adjust the tabs. I generally only pull the drive up past that known amount when going for max speed. I pull my tabs up as high as I can and still maintain a "stable" feel.

    That's just a general outline of what I do. The drive of course, does get lowered and raised, depending on conditions. This isn't a recommendation of what to do, but it is what works for me and my boat. Others will disagree, because they have a style that works for them and their boat.

    Oh, btw, the "lean" in a turn is the where you can have the most fun with these boats. It won't roll completely over, but sure feels like it might. It's great for freaking out your friends.
    Last edited by yeller; 08-06-2017 at 11:56 AM. Reason: Changed the drive height explanation
    Why is faster never fast enough.

  12. #57
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    As I said, you're not the first....

    http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthre...22C&highlight=
    Why is faster never fast enough.

  13. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by yeller View Post
    Oh, btw, the "lean" in a turn is the where you can have the most fun with these boats. It won't roll completely over, but sure feels like it might. It's great for freaking out your friends.
    Its also the way for the wife to announce that she will never, ever go out in your Donzi again ☹️☹️.

    John C
    '
    92 Sweet 16 302 Ford
    Windshields are for Sissies!!!

  14. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by yeller View Post
    I do have to disagree with MC in that, I believe a serious boater will drive by feel and look at their gauges.
    Just to clarify what I do .
    Evaluate conditions , set course , watch the horizon and the bow of the boat , gas it !
    Adjust throttle , trim and if needed , tabs to suit the conditions and speed . You can tell when you're right without even referring to the gauges. The boat tells me .

    Wherever the gauges happen to be is what it is but I never say 'things are great but I don't like where that needle is on the trim gauge , or the indicators for the tabs.'
    Besides , a slight change of course and you're re-adjusting things anyway to compensate for waves and a beam wind .
    Hey , I just remembered .. When I re-rigged the St T I told the engine installer to leave the trim gauge out . Only something else to go wrong and break down anyway .
    The Mag does have one though and it's now on the fritz .
    Just because something's old doesn't mean you throw it away !

  15. #60
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    ya the guy in the back seat said never again too
    Attached Images Attached Images
    When the sky is grey,look out to sea.
    When the waves are high and the light is dying,
    well raise a glass and think of me...
    When I'm home again,
    boys, I'll be buying!

    My Ride

    Come Join Us on The Queen Of American Lakes



    Contact Us

    www.lgdonziclassic.com

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