Fishing boats, industrial boats, and pleasure cruisers can all begin to lag in the speed department. It’s usually a simple fix and nothing to be concerned about. A quick overall check of the boat, keeping a few different ways to improve boat speed in mind, should help get your boat to do what you need it to do.
Get Rid of Extra Weight
A walk through the boat with weight in mind will usually reveal some areas you haven’t noticed. Take a few moments to identify any extra supplies or features that you no longer need and remove them.
Open up storage compartments that you don’t regularly use and clean them out. Remove empty coolers that you aren’t using. Of the items that need to stay, try to condense as much as possible. This way, you can ditch empty boxes, coolers, and buckets that are adding useless weight.
Try to keep as much weight away from the bow as possible. When you’re trying to increase your speed, that’s where you want the least amount of weight.
Make Sure You Have the Best Propeller
The propeller makes all the difference, so if your boat is not reaching the speed you think it should, it may be time to select a new one. Check your propeller regularly for necessary repairs, and replace it when it no longer suits your needs.
Trimming the Boat
Trimming out a boat helps increase speed by lifting the bow. There are times, though, when you might be over-trimming and actually slowing the boat down.
Too much trim can cause the prop to slip, which in turn brings the speed down a notch or two. When this happens, you may hear an unusual sound coming from the back of the boat. Back down the trim a bit, and the prop should hook up again and get the speed back to where it was.
You can get a lot of years out of your boat investment—whether you’re using it for business or pleasure—if you take good care of it. Using the different ways to improve boat speed will increase productivity and enjoyment.
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