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I am about to launch (today!) the 1965 13 footer I have restored, equipped with a 1993 Evnrude 30. And I am actively seeking a post 1977 smirk style 17 Montauk to use as all around dive and fishing boat in Florida. I am very interested in comments and advice from owners with actual first hand experience with jack plates on these two boats with any engine. I run shallow water. I fish flats and also offshore. I like to joy ride. And I'm interested in tweaking for top speed.
I am considering a hydraulic jack plate with power trim and tilt for the 13. And not sure what to put on the 17 when I get it.
Please... I know we are all Old Salts who know everything about boats. Especially you and me ;). But I am not interested in hearsay or opinions , guesstimates, or pontification from people who knew a guy who had a cousin whose neighbor saw one once on a boat in a magazine years ago and hated it.
If you have actually owned and/or run a 13 or 17 equipped with a jack plate, I would love to hear all about your setup, how well it worked for you, and what your advice would be..
I apologize if this subject has already been beat to death elsewhere on the site. Perhaps I woke up retarded this morning, but I cannot seem to phrase a search that yields anything other than zero results or 5000 hits none of which are about jack plates.
Thanks!
Without passing any judgement about the state in which you woke up this morning, I suspect you'd get more and better responses if you posted your question somewhere other than the "for sale" section.
I cannot tell you how it works on the hull but, if you decide to buy one, Bobs Machine has a very well made heavy duty jack plate. He now offers it as the Action Series with hydraulic cylinder self contained or a separate mount for the motor and pump elsewhere protected on the boat. I have a 12" version for my 22' 1979 Revenge and sent back a jackplate from a different manufacturer. He can also send it out for Type 2 anodizing (recommended). You are looking at a 6" plus set back with the self contained and 4" plus for the separate motor style.
Without passing any judgement about the state in which you woke up this morning, I suspect you'd get more and better responses if you posted this somewhere other than the "for sale" section.
Dan
I have a 2003 Montauk 170 with a Merc 2 stroke.
This spring I added a CMC hydraulic jack plate. It has a self contained pump so it doesn't use any storage space.
I have been extremely happy with it. It allows me to get into places that I couldn't reach before and lets me stay longer on a falling tide.
It does change the operating characteristics and it takes a while to get used to the differences.
You can't jump on it with the motor all the way up. You must lower it some to start and then experiment to find the best running height. With the motor up I can run with the bow down and it runs smoother through chop and it does not porpoise as much.
Thanks, Guys! I didn't intend to post in for sale. I guess I just didn't know where I was. As usual.
I have been all over the Bob"s Machine site and would likely go with one of their products, pending what I heard here. The two things I'm most concerned about is the extra leverage created by moving the weight of the motor aft and the process of finding the right prop. One that works well jacked up, but also works when running offshore in bigger waves in the down position. Then again, I guess I could run different props for different days.
Thanks for the links and testimonial. Exactly what I was looking for.
Unfortunately, that nasty cold front that's been terrorizing the rest of the country finally made it down to Florida yesterday, just as I was ready to head for the ramp with the 13 for shakedown. Today ain't lookin' too great either.
