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Thread: MI Tide (bugbuster) question

  1. #1
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    Default MI Tide (bugbuster) question

    I recently purchased a MI Tide 14' (bugbuster) boat from a fellow SCDucker, and put a Tohatsu 25 with break away jack plate on it. Great boat and motor combo but I need some help with the set up. Boat runs OK but it wants to start bouncing. Boat has a high transom and motor is a long shaft with trim/tilt, so cavitation plate is level to bottom of boat. I can run 3/4 throttle without jumping, and can run WOT and trim up without cavitation, but you better hold on because boat will come out of water if you hit a wave.

    What can I do to stop the bouncing? Do I need to add some weight to the front of boat? Motor seems at right height but maybe it needs to be adjusted?? This style boat has a small "lip" built in the bottom, so do I need to shave that "lip" off? Currently running a 13pitch SS prop, so do I need to change props?

  2. #2
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    Is it porpoising or does it feel like the back of the boat is jumping out of the water?
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  3. #3
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    at 3/4 throttle it will run flat but at WOT it will start porpoising (with motor trimmed down). If I trim it some it will pick the front up but will porpoise even more, but the prop does not cavitate.

    25 tohatsu is a strong motor but that hull should handle it fine. It is a 4 stroke, so it is a heavy motor, that's why I was thinking adding weight to front to equal the motor weight might help.

  4. #4
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    Agree, that's why I am asking the scduck gurus before I do any major changes.

  5. #5
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    Had the same boat and issue with a 50 2 stroke. I was told to grind the hook in the bottom and repair fiberglass or put weight in the front. I ended up with two small sand bags in the front anchor compartment and also pushed the gas tank just in front of the livewell and that took care of it. Should have never sold it.
    Last edited by Wadmalaw; 06-22-2020 at 02:35 PM.

  6. #6
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    touching the hull would be my last resort. i'd focus on setup. Sounds like you need more speed/lift to get the hull out of the water. if you don't have enough power to get the hull out of the water that can make it bounce. i'd start by getting the cavitation plate up to the surface. when you're at 3/4 throttle and the cavitation plate is trimmed level with the surface of the water, how far below/above the water surface is the cavitation plate? If it's buried, raise the motor. What rpm's are you turning when at WOT? What prop are you running?
    Last edited by Redleg Camo; 06-22-2020 at 03:10 PM.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wadmalaw View Post
    Had the same boat and issue with a 50 2 stroke. I was told to grind the hook in the bottom and repair fiberglass or put weight in the front. I ended up with two small sand bags in the front anchor compartment and also pushed the gas tank just in front of the livewell and that took care of it. Should have never sold it.
    This seems like the easiest thing to do, so i will try it first.

    I had a fast craft years ago and it had the hook (i referred to is as a lip) sanded out. That boat ran great!

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redleg Camo View Post
    touching the hull would be my last resort. i'd focus on setup. Sounds like you need more speed/lift to get the hull out of the water. if you don't have enough power to get the hull out of the water that can make it bounce. i'd start by getting the cavitation plate up to the surface. when you're at 3/4 throttle and the cavitation plate is trimmed level with the surface of the water, how far below/above the water surface is the cavitation plate? If it's buried, raise the motor. What rpm's are you turning when at WOT? What prop are you running?
    When on trailer the cavitation plate is about level with bottom, maybe a 1/2 inch higher than bottom. That hull kinda has a built in jack plate, meaning the actual bottom of boat does not extend to the bottom of transom. Also i have added a jack plate, so motor is even farther from the actual bottom. It is a new motor and it just allowed me to go full throttle, but i have not been able to look at where the plate is while running. I can trim the motor without cavitation but the boat really starts porpoising so can't hold on for very long. It does start kicking a rooster tail, and that might be due to the cavitation plate being too low. Rooster tail does not look like it is coming from the prop

    running a stainless steel 13 pitch prop
    Last edited by FHF; 06-22-2020 at 06:36 PM.

  9. #9
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    Average top speed?

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  10. #10
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    Order two 20 or 25 pound bags of number 8 lead shot that come in the nice heavy duty bags and fix them in the far front of the boat in that dry storage compartment. Try raising the motor to the highest it will go on the jack plate. If it is already as high as it will go lower it a notch.

    When I had my super v, I added the break away jack plate and it pushed the motor back about 6 inches raising the front of the boat as it sat in the water. I added the weight to front and it made all the difference.

    You could even do a resin pour with lead shot added to fit that space better.

    Do not hunt yourself old man.

  11. #11
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    Going to put some weight up front and see if that fixes it.

    I will admit it is a little quicker than I expected, so hopefully will not hurt myself having fun with it.

  12. #12
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    Put Bennett SLT6 trim tabs on it and you will be amazed at the performance.

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