donnie d
Well-Known Member
I have a 20' ThunderJet Luxor (Falcon in Canada). All aluminum boats ride pretty rough for a few reasons. Primarily, it is because they are light. Secondarily, it's because not a lot of manufactures have the technology required to do compound curves in aluminum. This is easily done on molded boats, but requires expensive (and very large) hydroforming presses for aluminum. This limits the design of aluminum boats a fair bit. there has been TONS of writing and debate (some even intelligent ;-)) on this focum about glass vs aluminum boats and there are tradeoffs to both. But the biggest complaint about aluminum boats it that they ride rough. Nobody ever complains about their efficiency (you can run a smaller HP motor on a lighter boat and get the same performance), their durability (you can run them up on a beach without cringing), or the fact that you can tow a 20' boat with a small truck. Most complaints are about the ride.
So what can you do to ANY aluminum boat to improve the ride? I've had some success with a couple of things. Suspension seats are the biggest help. If you have pedestal seats, the Smooth Moves suspension modules are damn near a no brainer. I both them two years ago. The install took me an hour. The difference was astounding. There are other options too, but if I were buying an aluminum boat today, I'd just add the cost of the Smooth Moves modules to the equation. The second thing I have done is fill the boat with gas. A full load of fuel in my boat weighs about 290 pounds and is low in the boat. that helps a fair bit. Of course, you have to drag that around with you all day and it might not be practical for short trip boating. But if you're going on a trip, that can be workable. Lastly, when you're bucking chop, play with your trim. There will be a spot on your hull that bucks the waves best. Just tune it in.
I can't really complain about my boat's handling specs, I really like the way it drives and rides and it's perfect for what me and my family likes to do. But if I were to do anything else to improve the ride, it would be to invest in a set of trim tabs. I think those will help quite a lot. If I was buying a brand new boat, I'd definitely spec it with suspension seats (or upgrade the pedestal seats to Smooth Moves right away) and I would probably get tabs installed, especially with the advent of Lenco electric tabs. This approach might let you focus more on the boat features that will allow you to do the things you want to do, and worry less about how it rides in chop because there are strategies you can employ to improve the ride of any hull.
Great comments. Run the KF up on the beach, and yep, no butt pucker, cringing or wincing. Agree on the trim too. The one issue with weight I’ve noticed is being blown off track with winds. Quick hands off wheel in wind and you get moved. I’ll handle that though. Nice and light easy to tow, beach, efficient (insanely efficient for a boat) and lots of dance floor space. Keeping it rammed full of fuel definitely helps. Overall very happy.