Conference vicki::boats

    
    Wayne,
    
    Yes, I'm a Baja owner, 1985 Sunsport.  My boat does the
    same thing with hard turning....I quickly learned that
    this boat would not handle the same way the Boston Whaler
    did...sharp turns are out!
    
    Somebody did mention that the engine, a 115 Johnson OB,
    looks like it was mounted too high on the transom.  I
    haven't looked into correcting this problem, I've learned
    to live with it.  
    
    By the way, does your engine scream at you when you make
    a sharp turn....mine does!  Anyone know what kind of damage
    this does to the engine if you continue in this fashion?
    I quickly straighten out once I hear the engine
    go bonkers on me!
      
    Jeanne
    

RE: 
>>    By the way, does your engine scream at you when you make
>>    a sharp turn....mine does!  Anyone know what kind of damage
>>    this does to the engine if you continue in this fashion?
  
Jeanne,
Obviously the prop (and engine) are freewheeling during cavitation.
What does your tach have to say for itself while your engine is
screaming at you?  If your tach is much past 5500 rpm, your motor
will be saying goodbye before too long...  Then you'll be the only
one left talking - to yourself!    8^(

Seriously, if the motor is really over revving you should either get
the problem fixed or competely avoid the maneuver that's causing it.

Rick

    
    Not to worry, Rick.  I don't ever/hardly ever let the
    boat "talk" to me that way!   Yes, the first time
    it happened the tach went beserk! 
    
    As I said, I've learned to live with the problem,
    that is, NOT take sharp turns.
    
    Jeanne
    

    Although I too have a Baja (190 Sunsport w/260 I/O) I doubt that the
    problem is limited to that make of boats. I suspect anyone that cranks 
    a hard turn with an O/B or an I/O would cavitate without the right
    setup.
    
    The mechanic where I bought my boat has a twin to mine. We demo'd my
    boat, and it cavitated during hard cornering. We took out his boat and
    he snapped a 180 degree turn at 45 mph without any signs of protest.
    The main differences were that he had a Doel fin, and a stainless prop
    (don't remember which one), I didn't. He had also spent a lot of time
    playing different props to find the one he liked best. Working at large
    dealership has it's advantages.
    
    I was at a local repair shop a few weeks ago and the mechanic was
    commenting on my choice of props ( cheap-o 21 pitch aluminum) and said
    that it propably cavitates under hard corners. I agreed. He pulled out
    a Hi-5 and said you won't with this one. But, like you, I don't have
    $500 for a new prop. The Doel fin seemed to help, other than that I
    live with it, or bum rides of friends with inboards. 
    
    ~jeff

Hi Jeanne.  How have you been?
Traded in the Whaler for a Baja huh?  Quite a change.  Yes, my motor
screams at me too with too hard of a turn.  The screaming is because of the 
cavitation.  Your prop is either out of the water spinning in the air, or
an air pocket has formed around your prop in the water.  In either case, if
you don't shut it down, you'll wreck your motor and/or burn the prop.
I've done 180 degree turns at 55 mph with mine.  It turns on a dime, but will 
always cavitate at the end of the turn.  The Baja dealer did say the Sunsport 
is really touchy about what prop you put on it.  He suggested a couple others 
in addition to the Hi-5.  They were both Quicksilver/Merc props, but I can't
remember the names now.  I had one prop dealer also suggest the one with the
progessive pitch (3 pitches in one prop).  I think it was called the Phaser.
Has anyone had any experience with it?

I dropped the motor down a notch last night.  It was an interesting maneuver
when all four bolts were out of the motor mount.  I'm taking it out tonight,
so I'll see if it helps with the cavitation.  I hope so.  We are going to our
favorite lake for a week's vacation next week.  A whole week of glass and no
other boats.  It is the only lake I've ever been at where the water has been
crystal glass, and everyone has been too exhausted to go back out and ski.

/wayne

    
Hi Wayne,

Yep...I do miss the Whaler, that boat was an investment!
The Baja is *much* better for skiing though.  I'd lower
the motor on my Baja too, except I'm hoping to trade up
some day soon!   

>>A whole week of glass and no other boats.  It is the only lake 
  I've ever been at where the water has been crystal glass.

          Where's this?!  Can we have a gumball there?!  :>)
          Enjoy your vacation.

By the way, the helicopter/barefoot stunt sounds too cool!
I'd love to see it!  

Jeanne

>> >>A whole week of glass and no other boats.  It is the only lake 
>>  I've ever been at where the water has been crystal glass.
>>
>>          Where's this?!  Can we have a gumball there?!  :>)
>>          Enjoy your vacation.

Sure, I'd love to have a gumball there.  Just pack up your ski and come to
Colorado.

>> By the way, the helicopter/barefoot stunt sounds too cool!
>> I'd love to see it!  

They are video taping the show.  Send me a tape and I'll send you a copy.  Its
not a bad show for a club that was just formed.  We also have a 5-man pyramid,
a 360 around the boat, ballet line, barefoot jump offs, etc.  My twelve year
old daughter and I are even doing a mixed doubles act.  I didn't know anything 
about show skiing three weeks ago, but we've had some good teachers.

Wayne

     re .0
    
    Hey Wayne how's Colorado treating you these days. With all the people 
    from around here (NH/Ma) moving out there....it seems at times that I
    must be the only one who moved from Colorado to New England :-)
    
    Anyway....so the old 190 Baja is having a little cavitation problem
    coming out of sharp turns. My 174 Sunsport (205 HP I/O w/24 pitch Turbo-II
    SS prop) rockets through very sharp turns with no cavitation at all.
    This has always beens true, but with the addition of a device called a 
    Turbo Lift plate clamped on to the cavitation plate - it now turns like 
    its on rails!
    
    But getting back to your problem, it sounds like you've got your motor 
    running a little too high for the type of turns you're making. Try
    dropping the motor down a bit till cavitation stops. You will lose a
    bit on the top end, but that's what transom jack plates are for. You
    might want to pick one up. For performance props - OMC - Raker, Merc -
    Laser-II, could try 4/5 blades, or Land and Sea's Torque Shift Prop.
    
    If you want advice on improving your outboard Baja's proformance, call
    Land and Sea in Salem NH - they are the best!
    
    Cavitation is a problem which can be solved with a little problem
    analysis....so take the time and you will be rewarded by a boat which
    will accelerate through and out of the turn, instead of spining the
    prop in the air and cranking the RPM up through the roof.
    
    							Good Luck
    						         -mike-

Lowering the motor didn't help.  I met the new BAJA dealer in town this morning
at our ski show practice and he said he would let me try some different props
as long as I didn't ding them.  He said the Hi-5 would solve my problems.  He
said it would take about 5 mph off my top end (from 55 down to 50), but would 
give me one heck of a hole shot.  He said he could give me a better deal than
$500 on it too (probably $499 :^).

/wayne


Show skiing  -  Falling in front of A LOT OF PEOPLE
Ski jumping  -  Picture a bird that has lost its wings
Cold water   -  A relative term until it becomes solid
Jet boat     -  A water pump with seats

Definitions compliments of Matt "kelvar" Klein

    Don't know much (actually anything) about Bajas. What's the bottom 
    look like? Is it deep V?...modified?...or other?
    
    If the problem is unique to Bajas I'd suspect that they either lean
    way over in a turn or create a void as the hull yaw's around it. My 
    first inclination would be to go deeper, or trim in more. 
    
    I don't know why an expensive prop would be the answer. What's a High 5
    anyway? A five bladed prop?
    
    Not much help,
    Paul                                          
    Who_doesn't_know_squat_about_skiing_but_reads_a_lot_about_hulls_and_props.

Re: .0

Hey Wayne, 

That wouldn't be Prospect lake would it?

Rob

RE: .11

The Baja has a flatter performance hull.  It doesn't lean at all in the turns.
That was one of the reasons we bought it.  Yes, the High-5 is a new five blade
prop.  I just came back from a week at my favorite lake and I've changed my mind
about the results of lowering the motor.  If I really work at it, I can make it 
cavetate in a left turn, but for the most part, my problem has been solved.  I
only lost 2-3 mph on the top end.  Well worth it.


RE: .12

Yep, our Ski Club is based at Prospect Lake.  The Ski Show went really well.  
They also had a Pro Wakeboard tournament.  They are something else.  Watch
for Darren "Scud" Shaperro (sp?) to beat out Tony Perez for the national 
championship this year.  Everytime he went out, he set a new points record.
As the wakeboarders would say, "He was awesome, dude!"