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Author Topic: jackplate or not to jackplate?  (Read 3484 times)

April 29, 2010, 01:55:08 PM
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aquashan

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jackplate or not to jackplate?
« on: April 29, 2010, 01:55:08 PM »
Hey everyone, I live here in the englewood, fl area on the coral creek waterway.  If your not familiar with it it is a very shallow waterway system to get out to open water.

I have been up and back with my 95' 175 Osprey and have also chewed up my aluminum prop just a bit.  Nothing major, just a few teeth marks and a little bend that I can bang back out.

What are everyone's thoughts on me putting a jackplate on the boat?  I plan on getting a SS prop eventually after I learn the creek a little better, but I thought that a jackplate would help even if I am just idling through the creek.

Any thoughts or suggestions?  I am new to boating and have only been boating for about a year and a half so far.  Any help is appreciated.

1995 Osprey 175
Johnson 88 special

April 29, 2010, 03:57:25 PM
Reply #1

fitz73222

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2010, 03:57:25 PM »
Hey Aquashan,

If you dont mind spending the money, you cant beat a hydraulic jack plate. I put one on my flats boat about 3 years ago and love it. I have a Powerlift brand, self contained very nice 5 1/2" vertical lift. I was assuming you were talking about a hydraulic unit and not a fixed jack plate that does nothing for shallow water use.
1973 Aquasport 22-2, twin 115 Mercs
2000 Baycraft 175 flats boat, 60 Bigfoot Merc
1968 Boston Whaler 13, 25 Yamaha (project)
1966 Orlando Clipper 13, 9.9 Merc

April 29, 2010, 04:10:40 PM
Reply #2

RickK

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2010, 04:10:40 PM »
Trim and tilt works well too - and it's free and doesn't move the CG backwards any.
Just my $.02
Rick
1971 "170" with 115 Johnson (It's usable but not 100% finished)

1992 230 Explorer with 250 Yamaha

April 29, 2010, 06:03:29 PM
Reply #3

John Jones

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2010, 06:03:29 PM »
Trim and tilt just drives the stern deeper.


aquashan I have the same issues here.  Spots not a foot deep at low tide in our channel.

Note that the following is not an Aquasport and not a standard flat transom.  It has a pocket 4" deep, 6" tall, and 24" wide which allows one to run the motor a little higher like a bracket does.

I had a manual jackplate with 3" setback that came on the boat when I got it.  It was jacked up 2.5" from where one would normally run a motor (anti-ventilation plate even with the bottom of the keel).  I just put a Bob's Hydraulic Jackplate with 6" setback and 6" lift and a Bob's Stabilizer Plate on my boat.  The motor is mounted in the top hole (lowest position).  I can jack it up to where only the skeg is below the keel.  Less water than that and you are going to have to get out and push anyway.

Other bonuses:

With it all the way up I can jam the throttle all the way from a dead still start and take off in much shallower water even with the motor trimmed negative (tucked in a little).  She really pops up.  Less than 3 seconds to being on top with practically zero bow rise and no stern squat.  Probably half the time to plane as without it.  I have to instantly start the jackplate down a little or the prop will blow out when she gets on top.

I can run WOT with it jacked up 4.5" and I gained maybe 4 mph top end before I hit redline.  I could go from a 15" pitch prop to a 17" and get more speed if I wanted.  Before the change it maxed out at 5800 rpm.  I can hit 6100 before I chicken out and back off.  I don't want to blow my motor.  I have no interest in more speed anyway.  The hole shot means way more to me and I'm not interested in paying for a new SS prop either.

Original



Bob's Tru Trac Stabilizer Plate



New jackplate



The best pic I can find of the transom pocket.
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Niccolo Machiavelli

April 29, 2010, 07:17:50 PM
Reply #4

RickK

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2010, 07:17:50 PM »
I thought you just wanted to idle through - tilt should get you there.
So JJ, when did you get the PP on the boat?
Rick
1971 "170" with 115 Johnson (It's usable but not 100% finished)

1992 230 Explorer with 250 Yamaha

April 29, 2010, 08:57:58 PM
Reply #5

John Jones

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2010, 08:57:58 PM »
Tilt will get you through a shallow spot but if you give it any gas at all the boat squats.   Now I can do a fast idle or more.

I have had the Power Pole just about exactly 3 years now.  The best invention since peanut butter for an inshore fisherman.
Politics have no relation to morals.
Niccolo Machiavelli

April 29, 2010, 09:59:04 PM
Reply #6

akbridge

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2010, 09:59:04 PM »
I got a jackplate on my 170.  I would not trade it for anything.  It allows me to raise the motor while running shallow, lower it for nasty chop and raise the motor all the way up and idle through about a foot of water.  It does cause the stern to sit lower.  If you do get a jackplate, you also should get a water pressure gauge for the cooling system.  It is useful to know when your motor runs out of water for cooling.  And if I had one complaint it would be that sometimes when I goose the throttle in reverse water shoots up the jackplate and into the boat.

April 29, 2010, 11:14:34 PM
Reply #7

John Jones

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2010, 11:14:34 PM »
Quote from: "akbridge"
If you do get a jackplate, you also should get a water pressure gauge for the cooling system.  It is useful to know when your motor runs out of water for cooling.

Good point.  I always put a water pressure gauge on my boats whether or not it has a jackplate.  One plastic walmart bag caught on the lower unit can fry a motor in a heartbeat.  Just last summer a friend of mine caught a bunch of grass on his Yamaha 150.  The built-in overheat alarm saved him.  The impeller was completely melted down from running dry.
Politics have no relation to morals.
Niccolo Machiavelli

April 30, 2010, 02:35:41 AM
Reply #8

Aswaff400

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2010, 02:35:41 AM »
bobs has a jackplate with only 4 inch setback. i prefer bobs(and porta) over any other brand like powerlift cmc or the like, ive seen all of them fail (stop working) after 2 years but every one of the bobs have never failed... ill eventually put a bobs jackplate on my boat

http://bobsmachine.com/Products/jackplate_hydraulic.cfm

and a water pressure gauge is a must if running a jackplate, only takes one time of raising it too high to fry your motor if your not careful
Aaron
1996 200 Osprey SOLD
1968 22-2 Flatback SOLD
1993 210 Explorer SOLD
1991 Fountain 31TE SOLD
1989 Fountain 12-meter SOLD
1992 Talon F-20 SOLD
2021 Fountain 38TE QUAD 400's

April 30, 2010, 07:16:09 AM
Reply #9

akbridge

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2010, 07:16:09 AM »
I agree that Bobs is the best plate out there.  You can locate the pump assembly anywhere in the boat, they are light, and they are reliable.  I have a CMC and it works.  The CMCs are cheaper to buy generally.  I got mine used for $400 shipped to my door.  Before you decide on a plate.  Take a look at your controls (steering system, throttle, and electrics) to make sure everything will be able to move back 4-6in and up about the same.  Often times steering cables don't like to be moved.  I would hate to have to cut a hole in the transom to allow the steering cable to reach the engine without binding ( I used to have a 16' skiff that I had to do such a thing to).

April 30, 2010, 07:22:34 AM
Reply #10

akbridge

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2010, 07:22:34 AM »
Here is what my 170 looks like with a plate.



April 30, 2010, 08:35:25 AM
Reply #11

Skoot

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2010, 08:35:25 AM »
Quote from: "akbridge"
Before you decide on a plate. Take a look at your controls (steering system, throttle, and electrics) to make sure everything will be able to move back 4-6in and up about the same. Often times steering cables don't like to be moved. I would hate to have to cut a hole in the transom to allow the steering cable to reach the engine without binding
Good point :thumright:

So let me get this straight. The pros with adding a plate are running shallower, faster, better fuel efficiency, shallower hole shot and Im sure some more.  Now on the other side, What about the cons of adding a plate?  Are there any? How about on an older boat?
Scott

1975 19-6 - 90hp Tohatsu

April 30, 2010, 09:34:14 AM
Reply #12

akbridge

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2010, 09:34:14 AM »
You got the pros right.  
As for the cons: more weight on the rear of boat, more electronics to fail, might need to change rigging to allow parts to reach engine, might need to change prop to something with more cup to allow higher settings and the fact that when you run the boat up on a sand bar now... well its too shallow just to push the boat off.  
I run mine on an original 1972 transom and have no issues.  I added a doelfin to help with planing at low speeds and reduce ventilation of prop.

April 30, 2010, 09:50:42 AM
Reply #13

John Jones

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #13 on: April 30, 2010, 09:50:42 AM »
Pretty much spot on.  The 115 max HP model only weighs 29 lb. or 37 lb. for the 300 HP model.  Heck, my wife gained that much weight in the last two years.   :|
Politics have no relation to morals.
Niccolo Machiavelli

April 30, 2010, 11:46:24 AM
Reply #14

gran398

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Re: jackplate or not to jackplate?
« Reply #14 on: April 30, 2010, 11:46:24 AM »
:lol:

 


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