increasing boat speed with hull treatment

[Tom]

I have an eigthteen foot Crestliner, and want to increase it's speed. Will waxing or clear coating th hull, or any other treatments help?

Tom in NC

[Dodge1]

Unless your bottom starts to look like a large barnacle or a weed bed your not going to gain much. Still I wax the bottom of my fiberglass hull once a year.

Now if you run in the ocean another set of rules comes into play but since your posting on Walleye Central we can safely dismiss that train of thought.

[Scott D]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-19-01 AT 11:21AM (CST)[p]Check out this link to BassBoatCentral.com to see what these guys said about waxing the hull:

http://www.bassboatcentral.com/don'twax.htm

Note: the link doesn't work for some reason by clicking on it, but if you type it in like it shows or cut and paste it should work.

[Eric Olson]

Don't wax!
waxing creates more drag by not allowing the hull to break the surface tension. America's Cup sailboat racers make the most out of the available wind by sanding the hull along the direction of travel. This allows the water to "channel off" the hull without added drag of a smooth curface contact.

I am not professing to have everyone sand their boats!

Keep your hull clean, and free of bugs, debris and other contaminents that may interfere with the water flow over the hull.

That will be you best bet!

tight Lines
Big Fish
Eric Olson

[Tom P]

I have question about the sanding the hull. I have read that posting on Bass Central too. My question is wouldn't sanding from chine to chine be the way to go? This would work better if I understand the Laminar Effect correctly. If you would sand from bow to stern the water would flow in the valley and peaks and would create more "surface area". If you would sand from chine to chine the water would flow over the peaks and no water in therory would flow to the valleys of what you sanded and inturn give you less surface area. This would break the surface tension and increase speed,right???????? We are talking 400-320 grit here. I hear it will help and then I hear it won't help. Has anyone sanded their walleye boat with any increase in speed (GPS) Any ideas on direction of sanding as per above???

[steve(IL)]

Some surfers and windsurfers have sanded the bottoms of their boards for a long time. A rougher surface creates turbulence which is more slippery when moving/less surface tension.

I think it's a good idea...... ON YOUR BOAT! :-)


My guess is that speed gains on a walleye boat would be minimal.

[Risky]

Sanding the bottom of a fishing boat may gain 1 to 2 miles on top end, and would only recomend wet sanding using 1200 grit on the running pad. Mainly is what you are doing is removing the wax and and causing air and bubles for the pad to ride on. I raced boats until 1995 and now I enjoy offshore fishing, There are factors you may want to think about. The boats first layer is gel coat and its sole purpose is to protect the fiberglass the second is for looks so you just add what ever color you want to it. Fiberglass will let water through it and become soft and then your stringers and transom will rot. In a fishing boat the boat stays in the water in one spot or moving at slower speeds and is more likely to run into that oil slick left behind by another boat or maybe even your own motor along with all types of other chemicals and dirt, The wax is also helping to repel all these eliments from asorbing into the boat hull and causint it to first off is stain the hull then after a while it can start to soak in and cause (brusing) or soft spots. The most effective way to do this is to tape off the pad, dry sand the area using 1200 then spraying primar and then dry sand that with 1200, this is for speed and will have to be done about 2 or 3 times a year. now how much work do you want to do for a couple of mph more. The fastes mile per dollar that will last will no maintence is installing a nose cone you are looking at and average of 5 to 7 miles straight out of the box for around 350.00 installed or 200.00 if you do it your self. this also cut down on porpus'ing (sp?) and if you go with the low water pickup style it cuts down on the water pump drag. I guess Ive rambled on long enough if your interested I will type more.


Rick

[Tom P]

Any more opinions on sanding direction and grit? 1200 grit seams way too light. I have been hearing 600-320. Anybody have freinds into power boat racing that would know for sure. The nose cone idea won't work on a walleye boat and will only slow you down. I have read time after time in Bass & Walleye that you have to get up to 70+ mph and VERY high prop shaft heights to gain any mph. In Shop Talk you see very often people lossing speed on fast bass boats that are setup right, but just not on a fast enough boat to make a difference. I don't think Allison makes a walleye boat yet.

[Risky]

I need to see what a walleye boat is, I dont beleave we have very many here in S. Texas. One of these days Im going to take a trip just so I can see what everyone is talking about.

Rick


>Any more opinions on sanding direction
>and grit? 1200
>grit seams way too light.
>I have been hearing 600-320.
>Anybody have freinds into power
>boat racing that would know
>for sure. The nose cone
>idea won't work on a
>walleye boat and will only
>slow you down. I have
>read time after time in
>Bass & Walleye that you
>have to get up to
>70+ mph and VERY high
>prop shaft heights to gain
>any mph. In Shop Talk
>you see very often people
>lossing speed on fast bass
>boats that are setup right,
>but just not on a
>fast enough boat to make
>a difference. I don't think
>Allison makes a walleye boat
>yet.