F26 Handling question

[Agitator]

Guys, finally got my F26 finished and have spent the last two days on the water. She runs great. I can cruise at 23-2400 RPM and its smooth as silk. When I run her wide open and trimmed she's a little squirrelly. She'll dart side to side sometimes. You really have to drive her. Of course I never run her like that but was wondering if that's typical for these. She's got the OEM rudder and a 318 Chrysler. Also, do any of you have that board that sticks out from the bow (Can't think of the name right now) that I can hang an anchor from? If so, where did you get it?

[wowzer52]

Most of the boats I've had in that size range have all been squirrelly at higher speeds and slow speeds also and at slow speed can be a pain in some circumstances. Often I have concidered bolting on a rudder extention but usually just deal with it. And as for high speed, how often do we drive 25 to 35 mph? Look at the "bow pulpit" on other boats in your marina and build one or have someone build it for you, it's much cheaper.

[wowzer52]

On my F-32 instead of a bow pulpit I put on a long bow roller which was much easier than a bow pulpit, however, $129. wasn't that cheap.

[MattSC]

Glad to hear that everything's going great. The F-26 is a great handling boat. As for running at higher speeds what you're describing is typical. The darting side to side is "chine" walking. Be careful making turns at high speed as the bow can dig in. When I had the 318 in mine I usually ran it around 2900-3000 rpm and was around 17 knots depending on conditions. As for the rudder, I haven't really had any problems with it, just remember to think ahead of where the boat actually is, and give the rudder a chance to react to your wheel input, otherwise you'll end up chasing it. Pay particular attention to the tide and wind and use them to your advantage if you can.
I don't have a bow pulpit on mine, but they are pretty nice. If you search the forum, there was a thread for an F-26 not too long ago that had a nice pulpit made out of Starboard with some photos. Good luck

[Paul - SW Ontario]

Those pulpit pics the gentleman before me referred to were mine...the HDPE marine board cost me about $45...it was a scrap piece from a local plastics warehouse.

As for the handling...my 26 as likely all boats this size I hear, likes to dig in and "chine"....once on plane...trim your tabs accordingly to stabilize.

When I know I'm going to maneuver at cruising speed (half throttle - about 13-17 nts)...I tend to trim the bow up slightly to avoid it digging in.

It can be challenging though during windy and wavy conditions.

http://s658.photobucket.com/albums/uu301/F26_Express/?
albumview=slideshow

[randyp]

I agree with MattSC on the handling at WOT. When I run at 3000-3200 RPM (about 17-19 mph on GPS) I trim the stern down a bit so the wake is starting just about mid-ship. This lets it run at optimum speed. Most of the time I just run around 1800 RPM for fuel economy, noise, and the fact that she's a middle-aged lady who does not need to be beat up.

My anchor platform is home-made. Original was made from a thick piece of oak with another oak mount that offset the recessed deck. Over time it got pretty funky so I have a friend cut a new one from clear pine and then I went to work with West epoxy and cloth, finally finishing it wiith a 2-part epoxy white paint. Total cost was under 100 bucks, including the anchor roller. You can buy anchor platforms stock or you can have a shop fabricate one. I mounted my spotlight on the front of it. Use plenty of sealant when you do mount it, and be sure it's through bolted in at least 4 places with steel or wood backing plates. You don't want this puppy ripping loose.