tomkat Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 So I got a new Lund Rebel 1650 Sport 90 hp Mercury. I have had it out in Lake Ontario a couple times on breezy days . I was experimenting with how to best drive it to reduce slamming down and I basically ended up going 8-10 mph. I don't think the chop would have been more than 2 feet with the occasional larger swell but it sure made for an unpleasant boat ride. For those of you that have some experience on the lake with similar size rigs I would appreciate your input. I tried hitting the chop at different angles and playing with the trim but never felt I could safely go faster? It wasn't really windy but it was onshore and made for a long ride from Burlington Bay to Bronte. I am looking forward to using the boat on smaller lakes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishAbout Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Its a small light boat. It will be a rough ride in a two foot chop if you go fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Yep, light boat. All you can do is what you did. Trim down, and find the sweet speed where your not getting pounded too hard, and not taking on water. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomkat Posted June 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Well I don't normally boat on Lake Ontario I was just trying to do the engine break in and they want some wide open throttle time but that wasn't going to happen! When I went on walleye central guys talk about bow up vs bow down and having the boat on plane But that didn't even seem like an option to me but people talk about the operator making a big difference in how the boat rides in chop. Not sure if a skilled operator could go faster and smoother? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Experience helps for sure. I went for a ride in my buddies princecraft in Lake O once and was scared to death, then I took the controls and it was smooth as silk....so it does make a difference. Sometimes getting up on plane, and on top of the waves is better, but you do take a beating on the odd big roller. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 First thing is to trim the engine down until so the nose is a little more planted in the waves. Second thing that helps is a pair of Smart Tabs. They help to plant the nose with less trim as well as lift the rear of the boat higher in the water which also helps. As a bonus they also help you stay on plane @ a slower speed and give you better gas mileage. You will never be able to go full out into a good chop but you can smooth the ride out some what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomkat Posted June 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I found at the low speed I was going the bow was high but when I tried to go a bit faster it felt bad for my back and the boat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hutch4113 Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Sometimes you can get it to plane right - and skip across the top of the waves. Generally though I find I trim down taking the boat off optimal plane, and basically plow through the waves. Cuts my top speed in half - but is definitely a more comfortable ride. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landry Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I find in the Kawarthas with my 16' x 85" crestliner I can usually get up on topic the waves and adjust trim to get it running well. On the great Lakea I often find the eves to be more spread out causing me to puns the waves no matter how I trim. That's what u get with a shorter wider aluminum boat. The big long Rangers ow by me like there are no waves - but those boats are 50,000$ more than mine:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I found at the low speed I was going the bow was high but when I tried to go a bit faster it felt bad for my back and the boat! Giver a little more and the bow will come down, boat will plane, then you can back off the throttle. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freshtrax Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Going into the waves I generally plant the bow and take it slow. In a following seas I like to be moving a little faster than the waves like everyone says you just gotta find the sweet spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioFisherman Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 I spent a lot of time on Lake Eire in a 17 foot Smokercraft with a 35hp merc, I picked good days for me and my boat to be out there and wasn't afraid to head for shelter if it got bad out. I always picked the ramp closest to the area I would be fishing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davew3 Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Tomkat whatever you do don't try to hop across the tops. Not unless you can really get going. Everytime you hit a wave top it will slow you down until you plow right into one. Then it hurts. I found out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeXXington Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Slow and easy is sometimes the best way unless you want to rattle your cage. x2 on the Tabs, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomkat Posted June 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Yeah I was just trying to minimize damage to my wife myself and the boat. A big part of the boat choice was garage space as I don't want to be dealing with storage issues. The conditions I was in were nothing compared to what it could be like so I will continue to do what I did with my last boat use it up north and forget about Lake Ontario! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davey buoy Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Just need to pick your days on Lake O.North wind on the north shore ,or no wind can work well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 FYI 2 feet isn't rough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spincast Posted June 8, 2015 Report Share Posted June 8, 2015 Just need to pick your days on Lake O.North wind on the north shore ,or no wind can work well. yup, look for offshore winds. 15 K was my max in the 16 footer. And if you have more than 2 in it, sometimes less. Went out once in about 10 k winds with two friends and G. We got set up about 3 miles or so off shore. Took about 15 minutes to run out. The winds picked up, and water started coming over the bow. We pulled up and ran back. Took almost an hour going at a slight angle to the waves, with them. With the aluminum, the ride is definite more over than through. Not good for the rivets (or welds) to be hammering that hard either - puts a lot of stress on the boat. Windfinder is your friend. I guess the Niagara isn't convenient for you? That would be a good place to run her at WOT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomkat Posted June 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 Yeah I need to start fishing the Niagara more its pretty convenient from Burlington. Saw some big musky cruising a bay in there but still haven't caught one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rizzo Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 bring a fat buddy and have him sit right up front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aplumma Posted June 9, 2015 Report Share Posted June 9, 2015 bring a fat buddy and have him sit right up front I found sitting on their belly to improve the ride more. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave524 Posted June 10, 2015 Report Share Posted June 10, 2015 (edited) With my old 18 foot aluminum centre console , I liked to stand up, you could pick a smoother course through the chop with the better view, once you get up to 4/5 foot swells, you'll do better with a hand on the throttle, throttle up and down with every swell. Went out alone on the big O in a lot of crazy stuff when younger. edit : actually the knees were better at taking the pounding when standing than the butt planted on a seat . Edited June 10, 2015 by dave524 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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