V boats - rough water handling

[bgreene]

Originally Posted by awthacker

I often catch rides in a 23' seapro, a 21' seapro, and an older 23' hydrasport (all center consoles). Id say it the 23s handle seas only a bit better than my V20, but the V is much drier than all three. I don't have trim tabs, and we push fairly slowly through anything 3-4 or bigger. I used to be gung-ho, but now that I'm a boat owner, I choose not to go if the forecast is 3-5 or worse.

Tabs made a big....make that huge difference with my V21. Just a little tab brings the sharp bow entry into the waves and cuts rather than the hull lifting and coming down flat.
I can now run 20 + mph through 2' + chop without pounding - at all.

I'm not one for pounding a boat so this is great now.
The watch out is not too much tab or it will dig too much, become a wet ride, and risk plowing the bow right in and through waves - especially running with the seas.

I had a 94' Mako prior to this boat. The ride was different, rode more " bow proud" preferring to rise up and over rather than tending to dig through waves. It would pound, even with tabs down, but was built like a tank. Overall a good rough water boat as I never took a wave over the bow.

Keep the stories coming.