Planing angle

John Hart · Post by **John Hart** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 2:55 pm

I am interested in the location of the proper planing surface on our Thompson Boats... Mine is a Seacoaster.... At say 25-30 MPH, should most of the weight of the hull contact the water on the rear half of the boat... ?

As I look at various pictures of boats underway, I see different amounts of the hull exposed... Looking at a 1959 Thompson brochure cover page, there is a Thompson with the garboards clearly visible.... Other times I see more of a level hull with maybe the first or second strake contacting the water...

Still other pictures in Classic Boating (which is a great magazine.. I see more in one isssue there than the much larger WoodenBoat), there are Chris Crafts, Garwoods and others with 8 inches of air between the bottom of the hull and the water surface at the bow...

Should the goal be to have a level ride, or one that puts the planing surface in the rear third for minimal friction? I am not sure if the variability of the boats I see is related to improper motor angle, or just due to different boats designed to ride the water in different ways.

Any thoughts...?

thegammas · Post by **thegammas** » Sun Mar 25, 2007 5:18 pm

I've noticed the same - and since my boat has never been in the water since I've owned it, not sure I can contribute. I've never seen a picture of a Cortland Sea Lancer underway. I'll have to scan my CD to see if I can find a picture of any sea lancer under way. I plan to trim it out to get the best planning speed just under full throttle.