Help w/ Honda 90 & Skiff, planing/ power

[Dawghouse]

If there are any owners of this setup (Carolina SKiff DLV 19' w/ 90 hp Honda) please let me know what your speed and rpm numbers are. Went to our local lake over the fourth to a friends house that has this boat. It is one year old and he has had it in the shop a couple of times complaining that is doesn't have enough power. I drove it for the first time and he is right, the thing wouldn't get on plane with 4 adults and 3 kids. The boat is 1660 lbs. and has a capacity of 11 persons or 1430 lbs. We pulled a tube some with 2 adults in the boat and three kids on the tube and it would come off plane if we made a turn. If there are just 2 adults in the boat it will run in the low 30's turning about 5100 rpms wot. I do not have the book to know what the rpms should be at wot.

He will take the boat into the dealer where he got it and they will tweak something here or there and tell him that's about all he is going to get. He would always just tell me that he should have got the 115 but I didn't know it was this bad. The 115 is the max hp for that model. I have an '02 CS 1980 semi v with a 80 4s Yamaha and that is the reason he went with the Skiff. Granted the newer DLV's are heavier than the older semi v's but I know that something is not right. Mine has jumped on plane with 11 people on it before (only one time with 11 and that was an emergency).

Sorry this is so long and I'm sure I have left some details out but I just wanted to help this guy out if anyone has any experience with this setup. I do not have the prop info and it would amaze me if this is the sole reason for the poor performance but I will do some research and see if I can get that info.

Thanks for any insight that anyone may have.

[HOTSPOT]

Not the exact same setup, but I had a 1998 Polar Skiff model 1996 (19' long 8' wide) with a Honda 90. The Polars back then were HEAVY compared to other skiffs (still had a lot of wood in them.) The boat would fly and I could have 4 adults on board and pull two tubes at the same time. Best I recall, the boat would plane in 2 to 3 seconds and ran right at 43 mph. I did raise the motor two notches, it was way to low from the dealer.

A buddy of mine still has the boat and the Honda has over 800 hours now. Great motor.

I was running a 14x19 stainless steel Rapture prop.

How many rpms are you turning at WOT trimmed up with minimal load?

[Dawghouse]

Thanks Hotspot... Trimmed out with myself and the owner in the boat and 1/2 tank of fuel I could get 5100 rpms and about 32 mph wot. It got up on plane pretty well with just us but any kind of turning drained the power and if we did a fairly tight circle it would eventually come off plane with just the two of us.

I did think about the motor being too low after I posted and I am going to have him check that when he checks his prop pitch this weekend. The motor seems to be running fine other than the lack of power. I agree, the boat should be running closer to your numbers above. My '02 will hit 39 and jump on plane with 4 adults +.

[HOTSPOT]

My Polar also had ballast areas to the far right and left. Have him remove those plugs to make sure he ain't carrying a bunch of water.

[Dawghouse]

He has a self draining cockpit with the plugs in but I don't think he has any ballast areas. I should know more when he gives me the prop measurements but I think he should be turning around 6000. + rpms at wot.

[bobStash]

I have a 198DLX with a 90HP Yam.

With me and another dude in it, WOT (with bottom paint) it will run about 34MPH and turn 5300 RPM.

We routinely pull an adult on the tube with 3 other folks in the boat. She planes decently quick and stays up even in turns.

I don't know the difference in performance between the DLV/DLX and Honda/Yam but other than coming off plane, your description does not sound too far off. It may be a propping or engine height issue...