ditching the gremlins!!

[Guest]

hi all.....

as most of you are aware...suzanne and I have had some very bad experiences on jupiter mist when trying to plane, on breydon for example, and without successfully mastering this, we couldnt possibly go salt side again, after some awful experiences there too.

Although we now have traded Jupes for Sea Hunter (aka"bling of the broads") our fears have been with us and we decided to devote this weekend to getting rid of the gremlin fear of tipping over at 30 knots!!

So we have been on the F33 since friday (although we slipped out for a lovely valentines lunch at the dukes head in somerleyton on saturday). We took her up breydon on friday, hour after high tide, and although extremely nervous, we slowly got her on the plane and up to 20 knots (took us 10 minutes to get up through sheer terror!!!) but once up ....she was rock solid!!! Woo-hoo!

Anyway, decided that this success was not enough, so we have just been out again, reailsing the extreme amount of fuel we had been using by only tentatively pushing the throttles throughout the rev range. We also found that going up on the plane slowly, the tabs probably held us back and one of the turbos didnt want to kick in when it should have done. Even so...we eventually got there....20 knots...though I will add, because of our fears, we did this in the lower helm position!

So, anyway, we bit the bullet this morning and went for it...full on!!!

Both on the flybridge, we got to the straight stretch on breydon (you know, the bit where even I coulnt hit a post!!) and with a bit more vigour, opened the throttles.....wow!!!!! she wooshed up on the plane quite easily...and once up there, she was rock solid!!! Turbos kicked in fine this time...

Well if that wasnt enough...we got braver....

I liken the experience of both the turbos kicking in, and reaching planing position where you suddenly loose all drag, to the experience of accelerating up the runway on an aircraft, and so thought it would be a good idea to go from a few knots to full speed like an aircraft does.!!!!!

So...we slowly turned around, with about a straight mile or so of breydon in front of us, and just pushed the throttle all the way from standing start!!!!!!!!!!

WOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!

The turbos kicked in immediately even though we were at 5 knots (didnt even get a chance to hear the noisy kad 32 compressors kick in before this), the boat rose out of the water and within seconds reached 14 knots where we knew we were being lifted out of the water and what happend next was incredible....

She just kept on going....faster and faster (like the plane on the runway...) but more solid with every increase in speed (bear in mind that I wasnt touching the throttles!!).

And she happily carried on up to about 28 knots...still rock solid, and although the throttles were still not completely open, a small adjustment of legs and trim tabs and we achieved 30 knots!!

When we got back, we noticed that in fact both the legs and the tabs were in very inextreme positions, and the vessel had required almost no adjustment to get her up quickly and maximise its speed.

needless to say...we have been hi fiving for the last few hours and , of course, now are celebrating with a glass of wine!!

Salty bottoms...we will be coming to Southwold!

luv ma boat...yep yep!!! : : :

adam...

[mbird]

Yaaay!

Nice one Leroy

I know when we took Serenity onto Breydon with Jonathan for moral support, I was cacking myself a bit, especially after we flopped over sideways . I've yet to do it without a mentor though, but I don't think it'll be too much longer before we are out playing

[Guest]

Hi Adam

sounds like you had a great time the first time you say you stayed in the lower helm position & hardly opened up the throttle i would have been straight on the flybridge & gunned the engined but that me

did you take any photo's or video footage?

Jonny

[pks1702]

And what a nice day to be burning some diesel

[Guest]

Hi Adam

With notorious still under the mechanics hand i envy your fun but glad your getting the hang of the new girl. Have a few for me tonight too

Andy

[senator]

well done you two, can understand the hesitance after Jupiters but this one was always going to be a lot better.

You will find her far superior at sea too but dont get too cocky, she is still 34' and pretty top heavy, you still have a few bottom clenching moments to come untill you get used to the roll on the flybridge and just because you are up there doesn't mean the sea can't join you and it will if you run her into a hole at 30 knots.

Glad it all went well and I bet Yarmouth port authority breathed a sigh of releif too.

Ian

[Happy Jax 3]

Well done Suzanne & Adam

Glad to read you are building your confidence in your new planing machine, without hitting a post as well.

[RedRover]

Well done adam and suzanne,i know the feeling when i went up on the plane in my Sealine for the first time with my new boat bit scary but when you have done it once or twice it does get better.

[Jupes]

Thanks everyone.

This weekend was a big relief for both of us. We had such a bad time with Jupiter on several occasions and, it nearly put us off completely. We started deliberating towards the end of last season as to which way to go. Whether to give up on the idea of seagoing and go for a broads cruiser or go slightly bigger and see what the difference was. Finally deciding to try bigger before giving up; this weekend has gone a long way to restore our confidence. Whereas, before we just couldn't get her to stay level and therefore spent too much time messing with the trims and legs, Sea Hunter just did what it says on the packet, as she should. Phew!!!!

Jonny - sorry we were concentrating on steering rather than photographing. We hope someone will get a decent shot of us at Easter.

[Guest]

I could bleat on about carbon footprint and your "Clarksoness" love of boy's toys and speed but i'm not even going to mention it!!

From your description of the weekend events it is clear that your new toy has delivered a genuine thrill!! May I suggest that you pedal to your boat in future to offset your carbon usage.

Damn, I said I wouldn't mention that!!

Me envious? Noooooo

[Lucky]

I could bleat on about carbon footprint and your "Clarksoness" love of boy's toys and speed but i'm not even going to mention it!!

From your description of the weekend events it is clear that your new toy has delivered a genuine thrill!! May I suggest that you pedal to your boat in future to offset your carbon usage.

Damn, I said I wouldn't mention that!!

Me envious? Noooooo

Well done guys !! Very glad it all went well !!! Fill her up and do it again !!!

[Guest]

Jonny - sorry we were concentrating on steering rather than photographing. We hope someone will get a decent shot of us at Easter.

I cant wait to see sea hunter around get a glimpse of the more expensive lifestyle some people have

Jonny

[jimbo]

Yes these boats that run on sliced Dolphin really disgust me too

[Antares_9]

Yes these boats that run on sliced Dolphin really disgust me too

I know what you mean Jim, I was a bit worried about fuel scarcity so have converted to run on seal blubber, there's always plenty of sea rats about.

[jimbo]

I know what you mean Jim, I was a bit worried about fuel scarcity so have converted to run on seal blubber, there's always plenty of sea rats about.

I wondered what that Scrimshaw decorated club was for