wind and tillers

When deciding on tiller hp does anyone else think about the wind. I seem to remember some close calls when a gust of wind tried to lift the front of my last boat as I was going down the lake. V hulls probably capture wind a little more than flat bottoms. Mine is rated for 40hp which is on hand whenever I finish the other work.

One of the many reasons I rig my boats with fuel, bait tank and all batteries up in the front. It makes the boat set level and also would help with that issue. Under full power trimmed correctly that front is not flopping anyway.

Precisely the reason I never leave land without my chubby fishing buddy. At 5’9” and 230 lbs he is easy to see over and keeps the front of my boat firmly planted! Kinda cheeses me off when he catches more fish but no matter the weather, we are always going to make it back to the launch.


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Buy a tiller extension and sit in the middle seat.

Buy a tiller extension and sit in the middle seat.


Sounds like a good way to balance things out.

this is a joke right?

I enjoy sliding across the lake sideways on the Grizzly 1860. Gotta leave plenty of room in the turns.

Seriously though,it is an issue in an empty boat. I run a 16’ v hull with a 35. It’s a utility boat with bench seats. On the rare occasion that I’m alone, it flies along just fine on a calm day. On a windy day, the wind will push it around a bit. Like nccatfisher said, I think it’s more an issue of weight distribution than engine hp. If I was by myself a lot, I’d have trolling motor and battery up front.


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If too much weight in the Stern were an issue often enough, a couple of five gallon buckets of water, tied in the bow, would help.

bcbouy said:

this is a joke right?

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Probably not. People are soft, flabby, drunk and uncoordinated today. When is the last time these folks have even balanced a bicycle or hiked a rocky trail? Their cars have sensors and controls to stabilize breaks and wheel spin on acceleration. Most have stability control that applies breaks and they never feel it. Now put the same soft uncoordinated dork in a simple boat with a tiller and they cannot comprehend the wind and world around them. It's not just boats. These humans lost most ability to walk and chew gum. Saw this on the web the other day so at looks like at least three of us can still ride a bike. The old guys here not only get a pass but a hats off. The rest.....

Weldorthemagnificent said:

Precisely the reason I never leave land without my chubby fishing buddy. At 5’9” and 230 lbs he is easy to see over and keeps the front of my boat firmly planted! Kinda cheeses me off when he catches more fish but no matter the weather, we are always going to make it back to the launch.


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Ahh, now I finally understand why I get invited out so much. :LOL2:

It should be fine. It was all over the place the first time out with nothing in it. Now it'll have 2 batteries up front, a nice trolling motor and maybe a Deckhand 40. My first boat was a shallow 14 v hull with a rope start 15hp Evinrude that I would sleep in at night in coves on Buggs Island. It had a battery up front and a transom trolling motor and that was about it.

Here's a thought, slow down.

On the first trip it had a 25hp Evinrude so it wasn't going all that fast.

Years ago on a large but shallow lake down east NC the wind picked up in the afternoon and the swells nearly took us down. We were in a heavy fiberglass tri-hull with a 100 hp.

You could use a Permatrim. It's a hydro fin with side stabilizers. These have an excellent reputation and are available in 19 sizes.
https://www.permatrimmarine.com/prod.shtml

When full here's a near 50# solution. 6 gallons and fits up in the bow on most v hulls. It's the only tank I run with. Walmart has them online, they just come with that funky EPA cap. It definitly takes the 'WHOA am I gonna blow over backwards like an unlimited hydroplane' feeling away charging into a stiff headwind with swells.

Great idea.

That tank looks wedge-shaped. I looked at WalMart online. Do you have any additional information on it? Manufacturer/model number etc.?

I also checked Amazon and Overtons to no avail.

richg99 said:

Great idea.

That tank looks wedge-shaped. I looked at WalMart online. Do you have any additional information on it? Manufacturer/model number etc.?

I also checked Amazon and Overtons to no avail.

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Hard to spot in photos because the handle throws you off.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Moeller-Low-Perm-Certified-Fuel-Tank-6-Bow-6-Gallon/37578369

Here is a picture of one in Amazon reviews.

https://www.amazon.com/Moeller-6BOW-Portable-Fuel-6-Gallon/dp/B004APE46C#customerReviews



It's hard to find what the profile looks like but I bet it's flat because they market it for inflatables.

Fwiw in captain driving 101 you slow down and trim down into a head sea letting the bow cut the waves and to keep you stabil. Of course it's way more fun to trim up and nail it!

I think it is great that someone made a tank that is tapered and should fit many boats that need the weight up front.

I noticed that, while reading the reviews on Amazon, most of the complaints were about the cap and the "tank blowing up and leaking". I had the same @#@$@% issues with a new 6-gallon tank. I bought a substitute vented cap and that solved all of those issues.

richg99 said:

I think it is great that someone made a tank that is tapered and should fit many boats that need the weight up front.

I noticed that, while reading the reviews on Amazon, most of the complaints were about the cap and the "tank blowing up and leaking". I had the same @#@$@% issues with a new 6-gallon tank. I bought a substitute vented cap and that solved all of those issues.

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Do you mean you did not follow the USGG EPA regulations with a p-trap, Inlet valve, anti-siphon valve, vent valve, grade valve and Carbon Canister that the new boat manufactures have to use? Here I'll simplify it for you.