Could Not Get On Plane

trich11

Loaded up our 2002/342 on Sunday with 6 people, 3/4 tank of fuel and the usual beer and snack. Cruised out of the harbor and gathered up a slight head of steam and then hit it. Boat wouldn't come up on plane with tabs and trim down all the way. Backed off and put the "larger" people in the cabin and everybody else forward and tried it again. Same result. WOT and I was only making 3800 RPM on either engine. I talked to a couple of others over the weekend and one with a 342 said with only 2 on board he took almost a mile to get on plane. Another with a 38 Sea Ray suffered the same fate although when he tried it later in the day it popped right up. The only common denominator we can think of is the river is "turning over" possibly from lack of rain. The surface is green outside of the channel. We are thinking that we may be getting an unusual amount of build up on the bottoms of the boat. I have boating on this river off and on for 20 years and have not experienced this before. Thoughts??

Black_Diamond

Build up on the bottom can add a lot of drag for sure.  A PITA but might be worth hoisting to powerwash the bottom.  I had a similiar problem on my 2003 342, it was over propped..it always had the problem.

trich11

What pitch props are you running now? I think mine are 24's

Black_Diamond

I went from 24P to 22P, 350 MAG MPI, made a huge difference.  If I had 6 adults on board and 1/2 tank of gas or more, it would not even get on plane.  Put my rpm right where it belonged.  I cruise at about 3,800 rpm now

trich11

BD, if I read you right you had big problems at 24P but with the 22P it will get on plane with 6 aboard and fuel?? Mine has always came out "OK" but not what would consider great. I think I need to consider the change to 22P.

trich11

BD, What is your speed (mph) at 3800? I am typically about 30-32mph at 4000 RPM

TikiHut2

If it's common with other boats around you, and yours has performed well in the past at 3800rpm, I'd say it's bottom fouling. BD has some good input on prop size too but just as his 1st response said, I'll bet it's just slime/fungus/growth or all of the above. Weird how such tiny microbes can screw with you and wreck your day so effectively. Luckily it's an easy fix.
Mike

trich11

I truly hope it is just an issue with crap on the bottom. Problem at our club is there are no trailers available to haul a 342. One of my buddies has a 330 Formula but I am not sure if we could get it on his trailer. Probably going to take it over to the local beach and scrub off as much as I can reach and put the 22P props on the winter buying list. I remember a string on the old site discussing 22P versus 24P on the 342 and should have taken that advise then.

Black_Diamond

For the money it costs, clean the bottom first. BIII prop sets are $$$.

At 3800 rpm and nice conditions, about 28mph on the speedo, have to check on gps..can't remember. lol. But it gets up and going way better and docking is better too.

LaRea

trich11 -- Where are you located, and what type of bottom paint do you use?

raybo3

Same problem the first year I had my 342 now every year I do mid-season maint. New zincs and power wash the bottom. No more issues..... Good luck and keep us posted...

212rowboat

I couldn't get on a plane once..

We were waiting for a flight back to the land of the free from Cuba- via a Coast Guard C-130.. The bird was late, and we decided (all 21 of us) to mosey down to the canteen, and adjoining beer garden, where we loaded up.. The bird arrived about 12 hours late, and by that time we were all slobbering.. they wouldn't let us get on that plane.. something about regulations were cited, but I figure it had more to do with Mr. Airman First Class 'payload master' deciding that pressure washing the fuselage after our departure wasn't on his bucket list.. We cursed him, though with retrospect over few years now, I'm not sure he deserved it..

so, too much beer and whiskey will keep you from getting on plane with a certainty..

I was kicked off a plane once, too... I was all about it, looking forward to jumping, but changed my mind at the last second.. the jump master wasn't interested in having an intellectual discussion on that ramp, as it turns out, so he gave me a mighty shove and off I went (cursing profusely, I should add).. I went back up that afternoon, and wasn't kicked off so much as I jumped that time.. turns out it's mind over matter more than I thought.. I still cursed, though..

maybe cursing keeps us off planes.. huh...

Capt Ron

Apparently, altitude has a big effect on someone already feeling good...that's why they wouldn't let you get on the plane...you would only get drunker...

212rowboat

 I'm mad at that payload master all over again... :-D

trich11

Update. Out yesterday with the wife and I. Headed to the beach to scrub the bottom but decided to try getting on top on the way. Popped up with a little effort. Cleaned what we could and hit it on the way home. Jumped right up! 32 mph at 4100 rpm by the plotter.

raybo3

Trich that still seems a little slow to me. I get that around 3700-3800. 3700 is the "sweet spot" on my boat. At 4100 seems like your pushing a little hard....

TonyWalker

Could it be because of the difference between salt water and fresh?

Tony

Salt Shaker 342

raybo3

Tony what speed do you get around 3700?

TonyWalker

Still breaking the new engines in.  So the only data point I have, going by memory is at 3600 rpms, about 25 mph.

Tony

LaRea

Great!  The fact that scrubbing helped means you need to finish the job by hauling and power-washing.  

Your experience is the same as mine.  I scrubbed my hull with a deck brush.  It moved my WOT speed from 29 mph back up to 33, so I knew it had helped.  When I hauled the boat, I could see that my brush only reached about 25% of the hull.  After power washing, my WOT speed was back up to 40 mph where it should be.

trich11

I'm still running 24P props and we couldn't get more than 25% of the bottom. Plan to install 22P next spring and see what we get.

Dream_Inn

Trich, I think you are well on your way to getting her back to where you should be!  Bottom growth can definitely slow a boat down.  Good luck and let us know how the prop change helps as well.