Appropriate Transom Weight for Whaler Drive

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
peteinsf
Posts: 64
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2016 9:04 am

Appropriate Transom Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby peteinsf » Wed Jun 28, 2017 11:42 pm

[For prior discussion of the static water line of boats with a Whaler Drive,
see http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/020772.html ]

My [OUTRAGE 25] Whaler Drive has always seemed low in the water. The current waterline was painted for two c.1988 Johnson 200-HP 25-inch-shaft engines. My hope is that the small block E-TEC engines weigh less than (or at least equal to) the large block 1988 V6 engine so the boat will not sit any lower.

Does the waterline look about right for two old big-block engines?

Also this Outrage 25 Whaler Drive has the lightest possible options, small Console, RPS, no T-Top. Maybe the problem is she is nose-light not tail-heavy. A Revenge or Outrage 25 Cuddy Whaler Drive may be better balanced overall.

I could move the two starting batteries to the front well area but they could get swamped up there (plus the added weight of the longer, heavier-gauge cables).
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jimh
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Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby jimh » Thu Jun 29, 2017 6:06 am

The maximum power rating for a 25-foot OUTRAGE-type hull with Whaler Drive was 450-HP, and from this one can assume that twin 225-HP engines were anticipated to be used. An Evinrude or Johnson 3.0-liter V6 engine in c.1990 would have weighed 455-lbs, according to some data previously contributed. (See Weight of Older Outboard Engines in the forum archives.) On that basis we can assume that an appropriate transom weight for the outboard engines on an OUTRAGE 25 Whaler Drive boat would be about 910-lbs, and perhaps more, allowing for hydraulic steering gear.

An Evinrude E-TEC 2.6-liter V6 engine weighs 419-lbs in 20-inch-shaft configuration, so probably 429-lbs in 25-inch-shaft version.

From those data we see that a c.1990 Boston Whaler OUTRAGE 25 Whaler-Drive boat with twin Evinrude or Johnson 225-HP engines would have about 910-lbs of engine weight on the transom, and one with twin E-TEC 2.6-liter V6 about 830-lbs, or about 80-lbs less. On that basis the static waterline of the boat at the Whaler Drive should provide more freeboard with the E-TEC 2.6-liter than with the older OMC 3-liter engine.

jimh
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Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
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Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby jimh » Thu Jun 29, 2017 6:15 am

Regarding the static waterline of REVENGE models with a Whaler Drive, I can contribute observations from my boat, but it is a 22-foot hull. With a single E-TEC 3.3-liter V6 that weighs about 503-lbs, the engine splashwell drains on the Whaler Drive are completely out of the water by about two inches. On my boat there typically is some gear in the cabin, adding more forward weight. I agree with your assumption that for a particular hull available in either OUTRAGE or REVENGE models, the REVENGE boat will have significantly more weight in the forward half of the boat due to the cabin superstructure and added gear in the cabin.

Another factor that can affect the static trim is the amount of fuel in the fuel tank, and the size of the fuel tank. Most 25-foot hulls have 140-gallon fuel tanks. With gasoline having a weight of about 6.25-lbs-per-gallon, a boat with a full tank of fuel could have 875-lbs of fuel, and that weight would certainly influence the water line location at the Whaler Drive transom. In contrast, my REVENGE 22 Whaler Drive has only a 77-gallon tank, which is seldom topped off to completely full. Typically there might be 50-gallons of fuel, or about 313-lbs, in the fuel tank.

russellbailey
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Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby russellbailey » Thu Jun 29, 2017 9:49 am

I have a Hermco bracket rather than WhalerDrive, but it is not all that different. I also have a minimalist Outrage 25 with small console.

I found that it sits better and rides better after moving batteries in the console and adding 200 lbs of lead in the anchor locker, which approximates the weight of the cuddly model.

I have twin 25" shaft Optimax 150s on mine.

When I bought the boat it sat noticeably stern heavy with the twin Optimax.

Pete, I will measure how far up from the chine the waterline is on the rear corner on mine - I just re-painted and matched the waterline this winter. It sits right on the paint-line when it is full with 140 gallons of fuel, which is rare. Normally the rear 70 gallon tank is near empty and I run on just the front 70 gallon tank. Do you have twin 70 gallon tanks or a single 140 gallon? That can make an appreciable difference when you are not full on fuel.

I also considered moving batteries to the "steps" in the front locker, as that is sort of useless space, but I ended up with 3 under the console floor. My console is raised about 9" so there is plenty of space for them there. [as an aside, I really like the higher console despite being only 5'8").

peteinsf
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Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby peteinsf » Thu Jun 29, 2017 12:10 pm

Jim,

Wow, 80lbs reduction would be significant on the transom but I get more like 858lbs (429*2) not your 830. Still 52lbs in savings. I am also starting with aluminum props so there is another few pounds of less stainless steel.

On to "weight and balance", great info Russell,

Adding 200 hundred pounds in the anchor locker as ballast seems excessive. My pilot brain does not like that idea, hauling extras has to burn fuel. She has the single 140 gallon tank (not helpful for this specific concern).

Do you have a link to the 9" console lift (that must be a record). I sort of like the thing low, I don't seem to look through the wind screen (of course I have never tried it).
Last edited by peteinsf on Thu Jun 29, 2017 12:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

russellbailey
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Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby russellbailey » Thu Jun 29, 2017 12:52 pm

Pete, I'll do a separate post on the console raising to not change thread topics.

I experimented with lead about 25 lbs at a time to end up where I am. You may consider experimenting some - I think it makes a very noticeable difference in ride, particularly into choppy waters with helping keep the bow down. I think if you search around, you'll find posts on the old site from people who tried the Outrage 25 Cuddy model with and without the cuddy in place, and it appears consistent that with the cuddy in place the ride was better.

russellbailey
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Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2015 11:03 am

Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby russellbailey » Thu Jun 29, 2017 5:20 pm

5 and 3/8" from chine to top of bottom paint on stern side corner.

peteinsf
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Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby peteinsf » Thu Jun 29, 2017 10:55 pm

Looks to be very close to yours, about 5-1/2in from chine to top of bottom paint. That height on hull transom translates to 3in above bottom of the drain tubes in the whaler drive well.

Here is where the bow waterline is: With little fuel I kept inside the lighter area (green) is where it more likely was. Moving batteries to the "steps" is looking better.
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peteinsf
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Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby peteinsf » Thu Jun 29, 2017 11:16 pm

View of the steps.
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russellbailey
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Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby russellbailey » Fri Jun 30, 2017 12:41 pm

Good pictures - my boat does not have the tubing running from the forward area sump. Instead, there is simply a drain plug in the sump. We trailerboat mainly and the boat has never been in the water more than two weeks at a time, and in that time period the sump has never had any appreciable water in it. I presume that tubing is a discharge hose and not an intake hose?

Where my batteries sit in the console is almost directly above those steps in a fore-aft direction. When I considered using the steps, I planned to run wiring from the motors to the console, and from the batteries on the steps to the console, and connect inside the console with a BEP cluster. That is the approach I ended up using, but just with the batteries in the console instead of on the steps. For the battery to cluster run I only used 2 gauge wire, while I used 00 from the cluster to the motors. I have 3 batteries - two starting and one house.

peteinsf
Posts: 64
Joined: Sun Jan 03, 2016 9:04 am

Re: Appropriate Weight for Whaler Drive

Postby peteinsf » Fri Jun 30, 2017 1:32 pm

Russell,

There is a bilge pump in the aft section of the covered area, the boat was berthed and that area would fill with rain water etc. Also all of the forward lockers drain into there with wash downs etc it does get wet.

The ocean at the SF entrance can get rough, 4ft seas with 12ft swells are not uncommon so we do take some water over the bow on the way home if the weather turns bad on us (bow down in following seas mostly). Its good to have the pump up there, it can get exciting past the Golden Gate Bridge.

This boat is now going to be on a trailer and will be on Lake Ontario at my girlfriend's house next summer (Youngstown, NY) so I suspect the pump will get a rest at that point.

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