www.iFourWinns.com

No problems asking ANY question. That's the purpose of this forum.
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Getting the boat back on the trailer is an easy task if the trailer is set up properly. You do not want to have the drive trimmed up over half way and apply a bunch of power; you are asking for trouble. With my 288 Vista, we power load just the last foot or so. My wife or my 10 yr old will pilot the boat onto the trailer and power the boat up as I guide them then hook and crank the winch.

On the 170 Freedom, depending on the ramp, the drive skeg can touch the ramp. When the boat is sitting on level ground and I cannot trim the drive all the way down, it will hit pavement.

Each are easy to load. The 170 is a piece of cake to winch up but actually more difficult to power load than the 288. The 288 Vista will challenge your manhood with the winch at times but power loads like a dream.

If you have a tough boat to winch up apply a coat od PAM cooking spray to the bunks and life will be much easier.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

Just so everyone knows, emack is cmack's better half!

We were instructed by the dealer to have the trim at the 3/4 up position. The first mark under the "Up" position. For pulling the boat on and off the trailer. It seems most everyone on here agrees that is not good for the lower unit. So do you have the trim below the 30 degree mark for on/off the trailer? The dealer was power loading the boat at the 3/4 up position.
There was never a mention of danger by trimming up that far.
With that in mind, we were in a similar situation as DOUBLESCORPIO. I was working through a channel (5-8 feet but very narrow). I knew where it was but since I am new to boating, it was hard to stay completely in the channel. I was in about 5 feet of water then down into the two foot range. There was no sandbar to "see". We missed the others. The prop hit. So I proceeded the rest of the way trimmed "UP" at around the 50% position. I got a few shakes also, but then I would drop it a little and it would go away. I was able to work my way out without problem.
This lake was shallow for a long time at this boat ramp, until we hit deeper water. We ended up finding a better ramp in deeper water.
We will actually be going to what "should" be a better lake this weekend.
This situation can still happen even at a better lake.
So what do you pros do when you drop from five feet to two feet? Kill the motor, then trim up, then get out and push?? Got my eye on an expandable oar that should help also.
A few questions ::
1. Just to be clear -- the consensus is to NEVER trim above the 30 degree mark right?
2. How deep can you safely be at that 30 degree mark? I was in 3 feet trimmed up and made it back to the channel without hitting anything.
3. At what depth is the comfort level for faster speeds? I was in 7-10 feet and still just basically idling because I don't have that comfort level. I saw other bigger boats going 20+mph through there, even pulling tubes -- pitching the boat around. -- Did not seem safe to me. I was waiting till at least 12 feet to go above 10 mph. Only felt comfortable at 15 feet.

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2006 200 Horizon
Volvo Penta 5.0GL
Texas
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That's stress on the universal and/or Gimbal bearing

That's what you want to avoid.

As to your depth reading, it depends upon how your sounder is setup. If you have the Keel Offset set then the reading should be the actual water depth. If the keel offset is not set (zero) then you are getting a depth reading from the transducer to bottom and not taking into account the actual depth of the water (distance from the transducer to the surface of the water)

I do not use the keel offset so my depth sounder reads from the keel to the bottom. Your boat has a static depth it draws, probably 34-38 inches. If you have 18" from the surface to the transducer of the depth sounder with the keel offset to zero and your depth guage reading 24 inches, your actually in 42" of water.

Put your drive all the way down and measure the distance it is below the transducer. That is the distance you want to be aware of when going into shallow water.

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Jvalich
http://www.badcock.com

'04 FW 288 Vista "Mental Floss"

Interesting you should mention this. I, too, have about 5 hours on my engine and I believe I'm experiencing the same thing you did. I mentioned it to the dealer yesterday and he just told me to make a list of items to address at the 20 hour service. You obviously continued to use it for another 15 hours with no issues (other than the noise)?

Under proper usage, how does a new engine "fail" like that?

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SOLD! 2006 30th Anniversary Vista 278
"Conch'd Out!"

http://vista278.com