1448 Jon Boat Planing Problem

I just purchased a 2008 1448 SC W/25 hp El 4S EFI Mercury grizzly tracker. I did not get to try it out before I bought it due to weather conditions. I did get it on the water yesterday and ran it in a small pond, and I never got the boat to get up on plane. Every time I went full throttle the boat nose came up and we really did not have a lot of speed. It had an aluminum prop which was nicked pretty bad so I ordered a PowerTech prop and put on it. It has an 11 degree pitch per the folks from power tech. I did set the transom bracket to the next to last hole to try to push the front end down. The whole setup is nice, I'm wondering does anyone an idea on how to get this boat to plane? It does not have power tilt and trim. I did discover after I put the boat back on the trailer that the vent cap on the gas tank was not all the way vented, my mistake. Could this have been the whole problem, just not enough air to let the motor reach max rpm? I will have to wait for the next break in the weather to run it again. Your thoughts, thanks.

i would seriously consider buying a hydrofoil wing.

I have the same boat and motor except mine is not a SC. It seems funny, given the fact that you're in the middle of the boat that the bow wouldn't come down. I have electric T&T and it makes a big difference. It's really easy to adjust to whatever conditions in the boat change like number of people, weight distribution, etc. I would say, before you start buying stuff to get that thing back on the water and try every adjustment you can on the motor mount. Also make sure the height of the motor is right. My first boat was a 1236 with a 9.9 Nissan. I never did quite get it right and it's frustrating to know it should perform better (I think weight distribution was the problem in the end). I couldn't bring myself to drill holes into the cavitation plate of a new motor and I never put my hydrofoil on. Don't be discouraged by the first outing. Keep working at the easy stuff before you start using the green stuff...

I agree with the previous two replies. Give the boat and yourself some seat time to figure out different combinations of weight distribution and tilt adjustments. Try adding weight to the bow with gas tank, anchor, tackle, and/or battery. If no luck after some seat time, then a cheap fix would be a hydrofoil fin. My rig greatly benefited from a fin, helping me get on plane quickly, plane at lower speeds, and improved top speed. Just remember most of guys here (me included) didn't get our boats perfectly set up the first time we took it out. Good luck and throw us a pic of your new boat.

How old is the gas in the tank? If its left over from last summer that could be part of the problem. Check your plugs and fuel filter too. If a plug is fouled you will experience a dramatic loss of power.

A 25hp Merc should make that 1448 scoot. There are a ton of videos on youtube of 25 hp motors on 1448 jons and they are moving close to 30mph. Even with a jet drive they are running about 20mph.

I found this video on Youtube while shopping for a boat myself. At the 40sec mark you can see that this 1448 grizzley is planing out with 2 guys and a large load of gear. Maybe Smittles will chime in on this thread. He is a member here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJKp1LpVBv4

Are you sure you went the right way with the motor?
Closest the the stern should drive your bow down.
If it's not that,your probably not getting the right rpms.
How badly damaged is the prop and is it an 11 pitch?
Like mentioned before,that boat should move nicely with a 25hp...without the hydrofoil.

I second Zum's suggestion. Try getting that motor in as close to the transom as possible if it won't come down to plane first. If that doesn't do the trick you might want to add some weight to the bow by putting your gear up there and all. You will only be able to go so fast if it won't get up on plane but I would think a 25 should make that fly. An old Erude 25 had my 14' with wood decks doing 20+ easily.

My 1648 does 30 with a 25 nissan 2 stroke. It took alot of adjusting to get it there. I built 3 different jack plates before I was happy and I still think it could be better. If the nose is to high I agree with the others the motor needs to be tilted toward the stern. Can you post pics of the angle its mounted now? With the vent closed you may not have been getting enough fuel.

I have the Motor Pin in the second hole nearest to the transom, only 1 more hole. The cranking battery and the fuel tank are in back between the seat and the transom. I have the trolling motor and battery up front. Maybe should move the battery or fuel tank forward if at all possible. The prop is a brand new powertech stainless, with an 11 degree pitch. The boat itself has the full transom in the back. I'm wondering if someone makes a bolt on Jack Plate that can manually move the motor up and down or one that is specifically made for this particular setup. The motor weighs about 157lbs.

2feettexan said:

Maybe should move the battery or fuel tank forward if at all possible.

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I have seen this work many times on different boats. Any weight you can move from back to front will help.

I have a 1448 Flat Bottom with a '76 9.9 Johnson (15 horse carb). Mine will plane off with 2 people in it. My pin has to be in the 2nd hole with 2 people and in the 1st hole with just me.

How far is your cavitation plate below the bottom of your boat?

Set up the way you say you have it (TM and batt up front, gas tank and batt in back) it should plane no problem even with the motor in the 2nd position. A 15 hp would be able to get that boat on plane.

Sounds like a power problem to me.

If a 15hp can do this...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewhsgg1hong ...... a 25 should have no trouble getting you on plane if running properly.

bcbouy said:

i would seriously consider buying a hydrofoil wing.

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Hydrofoil fins will help improve your planing ability by not allowing the boat to over plane. These are very common and can be found at BPS or any other boat stores. This is exactly what you need.

I am going to 2nd and 3rd the guys stating power problems. What rpm's are you turning? I bet you are not getting full power and have a fuel delivery problem. Could be the tank not being vented. That 25 should be able to hop the front end trying to get out the water if set too high. I have a 25 on my 1448 and fuel and battery in back and can get on plane in a boat and half length. Vent your tank, and try it again. If it still won't plane might need to see the Dr.

Sorry,didn't realizer you already had the new 11 pitch stainless prop.
Maybe a 11 pitch(stainless)is to big?
Without knowing your rpms,it's hard to diagnose.(rpms are key)
Does it sound like it's reving high enough?
I was thinking if it was reving high enough,it would porpoise(slap)and not just ride with the bow high.