Boat/motor question... dragging the skeg

[Tenntrapper]

Probably a simple question, but...
I watch some of those "boat ramp" videos..as well as hearing about it here occasionally.
How do you drag the skeg when pulling boat out of the water? Is it the trailer is too low? Wrong shaft length motor on boat,etc? I guess I could see it if tow vehicle crested a hill...raising tongue or something. Maybe my trailer is just higher, as I don't think I've ever came close to dragging it.
Just curious I guess.
Thanks

 

[TNGunsmoke]

Motor not trimmed to prevent it is my guess

 

[BigCityBubba]

In my personal experience its usually the wrong shaft length of the motor. One example would be that someone bought a motor that came off a pontoon boat and stuck it on their bass boat.

 

[Spurhunter]

If you trim it up, all other variables shouldn't matter.

 

[Pilchard]

The angle changes when the truck crests the top of the ramp. As others have said, trim/jack your motor up.

 

[shrimphead]

i would have to say trailer to low

 

[RUGER]

It has alot to do with the ramp as well.
Some places I fish it doesn't matter if the motor is trimmed up or not you are fine.
Other ones you will crunch it if it's not trimmed up.

That's why routine is so important when launching or taking a boat out.
Do the same things in the same order every time and you are good.
I always trim mine up no matter what.
Gotta do it eventually to put the motor toter on, so might as well do it before you leave the water.

 

[Doecrusher]

Like others have said being trimmed down when power loading washing the ramp out...

 

[Kevin]

if your motor is dragging coming out of the water, you're getting terrible performance when you're in the water as well because it's either mounted too low or wrong shaft length. I imagine someone could have a hydraulic jack plate and have it cranked all the way down. But if they have a hydraulic plate, you think they'd be smart enough to not do that in most cases.

 

[UCStandSitter]

If you trim it up, all other variables shouldn't matter.

Or you are my FIL with a 20 yr old pontoon. Trim is broken so he just hopes for the best. Makes me cringe every time I help him load it.

 

[Spurhunter]

if your motor is dragging coming out of the water, you're getting terrible performance when you're in the water as well because it's either mounted too low or wrong shaft length.

I bought my boat from a 74 year old man and the manual jackplate was set way too low. It would only run 55mph when I bought it. I guess that was fast enough for him. It's amazing how much a motor set too low will slow you down.

 

[Tenntrapper]

I bought my boat from a 74 year old man and the manual jackplate was set way too low. It would only run 55mph when I bought it. I guess that was fast enough for him. It's amazing how much a motor set too low will slow you down.

This was partly the reason for this question. Seems if the motor is that low...it's setup wrong.
And I can kinda understand crests of hills, tow vehicle goes over, lifts tongue causing it to hit, etc. But I've seen them drag them as soon as the come out of the water...and across a level concrete/blacktop parking lot.
That seems like it has to be a really low trailer..or something setup wrong.
I think my trailer is high...I have to back rear tires nearly into water to load/unload...and I've never came close to hitting the skeg.

 

[Spurhunter]

This was partly the reason for this question. Seems if the motor is that low...it's setup wrong.

I was only talking about 3 inches when setting up a boat. It's amazing how much speed that robs.

 

[Spurhunter]

Can we all agree it's a skeg? Scag is a lawnmower.

 

[Tenntrapper]

I was only talking about 3 inches when setting up a boat. It's amazing how much speed that robs.

Yeah, my Jon boat was rigged wrong from the dealer. Getting it correct got me from 27 to 31 mph.

And the difference was less than 2 inches.

 

[Lt.Dan]

As for the trailer being in a wrong position, on a level surface, loaded and attached to the tow vehicle, it should be level. Low at the back of the trailer, lower the tongue. High at the back of the trailer, raise the tongue. A level trailer with the proper weight distribution (60% in front of the axle/ 40% behind the axle) tracks down the road without swaying also.

 

[Spurhunter]

Yeah, my Jon boat was rigged wrong from the dealer. Getting it correct got me from 27 to 31 mph.

And the difference was less than 2 inches.

People will laugh but 4 mph is 4 mph, and it's not just speed, it's knowing your boat is running efficiently.

 

[Tenntrapper]

People will laugh but 4 mph is 4 mph, and it's not just speed, it's knowing your boat is running efficiently.

Yeah, they had the motor too high. In the lowest trim setting (manual) at a little over half throttle, it would lift the back of the boat and plow the front into the water. At the next trim notch, it would cavitate bad on takeoff. I lowered it to where it belongs, and can run in the third notch now... getting the front up out of the water. Boat runs a lot more freely now.
The way they had it, you could tell it was really struggling...a lot of load on the motor.