By Matt Claiborne
01.
Motor Mechanical Issues
02.
Damaged Propeller or Prop Hub
03.
Dirty or Fouled Hull
04.
Improper Motor Trim
05.
Wrong Trim Tab Setting
06.
Too Much Weight or Out of Balance
07.
Inflatable Tube Pressure Low
01.
Small boats become underpowered quickly as you add more weight. So don’t carry around weight you don’t need. Look at every part of the boat and see what weights you can reduce.
02.
If your boat doesn’t have trim tabs installed on the transom, consider adding a set.
03.
The basic idea is to make the outboard’s trim function much more effective. They also add an element of lift to the back of the boat. That helps push the bow down, which in turn helps your boat get on plane with less power.
04.
Most powerboats have either three or four-bladed props. As a general rule of thumb, three blades give you better top-end speed, and four blades give you a better hole shot. So if your boat won’t get on plane, a four-blade propeller might help.
05.
It’s not the cheapest option, and it isn’t often required. But if your motor just isn’t doing the job you need it to do, consider getting more horsepower. This is the most effective on small boats with portable motors, but the concept applies to any size boat.