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TBPNews #114 – Sept. 30, 2007
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>>>> Tunnel Boat Performance News
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In this issue:
1) Ferrari joins P1 Powerboat
Racing!
2) FEATURE:
'Winterizing Your Performance Outboard Engine (Part 2)
3) Fountain Mercury Sets Center Console World Speed
Record
4) David overtakes Bernard to win ABRA San Diego Thunderboat
Regatta
5) 2007 J.D. Power
Marine Engine Survey
6) Powerboat Racing on TV
7) Jimboat's Feature articles
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1) Ferrari
joins P1 Powerboat Racing!
Sportscar
racer and businessman Massimiliano (Max) Ferrari will race in the 2007 Powerboat
P1 World Championship, competing for Evolution Class honours with an
American-built Skater 399 powered by Mercury Marine Racing engines.
For several years Ferrari has
maintained close ties with Powerboat P1 and, with this announcement, his racing
plans are finally complete. The Skater Racing Team represents a significant
entry into the P1 fraternity, not only in the quality of the boat, pilots and
back-up infrastructure but also the charismatic personalities of the team:
Massimiliano 'Max' Ferrari: Respected businessman and experienced powerboat and
sportscar racer; Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia: The 'Prince of Venice and
Piedmont', a motor sport enthusiast; Giorgio Pasotti: Actor (winner of the 2004
Flaiano Film Festival Best Actor Award for 'Dopo Mezzanotte') and fanatical
sports competitor; Tomaso Trussardi: Youngest family member of the famous
Trussardi Italian fashion brand; Andrea Bergamini and Maurizio Bulleri: 2005 P1
SuperSport World Champions and renowned PR and media experts.
The team's progress will be one of the most eagerly observed during the season
on more than one level; a strong pilot line-up, royal blood and celebrities, in
a racing boat built by one of the marine industry's top boat manufacturers.
Lorenzo Quadri, owner of 'Quadri Racing' in Geneva, Switzerland, is supplying
the engines and technical equipment and, already, the 40ft boat has a
'Hollywood' pedigree, having been used in the United States by Columbia Pictures
to advertise the 'Spiderman' movie.
check out more at:
www.powerboatp1.com
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2) FEATURE:
'Winterizing Your Performance Outboard Engine' (Part 2)
Getting your performance powerboat ready for winter storage is more than
just pulling it out of the water. Proper winterization of your boat and motor
can be the most important maintenance a boat owner can perform to help ensure it
weathers the winter without damage, and to ensure safe boating next spring. In
the last issue of TBPNews, Part 1 discussed Tools required, Preparing the Fuel
System, and Inspect & Change Gearcase (Lower Unit) Oil. Now, in Part 2, we
will cover Preventing Rust & Corrosion, Engine Inspection & Preparation,
and Freezing prevention.
Prevent Rust & Corrosion
Lubricate linkages - Clean all pivots and visible gears and protect them for the
winter with oil or grease, as specified in your owner's
manual. Grease all of
the pivot points in the steering and trim/tilt mechanisms. Pumping some grease
into these areas will displace any water that might be there.
Allowing corrosion to flourish during the off-season is less dramatic but
equally destructive. Corrosion can establish a foothold on idle components, so
liberal use of corrosion inhibitors--both internal and external--is a second
guiding principle for winterizing.
Drain cooling passages - Use a flushing attachment (Flushing kits are available
from boat dealers.), or run the outboard in a tank filled with clean fresh
water. Disconnect the flush attachment or remove the motor from the flush tank.
With the motor upright, let all water drain out of the pick-up. Open drain plugs
(if any--see your owner's manual) to empty the powerhead and intermediate
housing. Crank the motor a couple of times by hand or "bump" it with
the starter to empty the water pump. If the motor will be exposed to freezing
conditions, it is essential that no water remain inside.
Fog the cylinders - Remove each spark plug and spray fogging oil into the holes
to coat the interior surfaces of the cylinders. Rotate the flywheel (do this by
hand, not by turning the starter motor with the ignition key) a few turns to
spread the oil on the cylinder walls. While the plugs are out is the time to
check them and re-gap or replace as required. Reinstall the spark plugs.
CAUTION: do not over tighten. Over tightening is the #1 mistake made when tuning
up your outboard engine. Just turn the plugs until finger tight, and then use
your socket wrench to tighten only 1/8th turn more. (Over tightening can strip
the threads in the head, and really ruin your day!).
Fill oil tank - For (2-stroke) engines with automatic oil injection, fill the
reservoir to the top fill line. This will prevent condensation from forming
inside the tank. For 4-stroke engines drain the oil in the sump. When you're
done filling the sump again with fresh oil, check the level using the dipstick
(just like you would in your car!).
Touch up damaged paint (you can usually get a perfect color match paint from
your dealer or from an automotive paint store. Mist-coat powerhead and any
unpainted parts with an anticorrosion spray.
Spray a moisture displacing lubricant such as a silicone product onto electrical
terminals and the fuse panel. Read the label to make sure the spray is safe for
use on electrical components.
Clean and liberally lubricate propeller shaft - The off-season is the perfect
time to have your prop(s) serviced. If the engine will be stored on the boat,
take the prop(s) home to discourage theft.
Clean starter motor shaft and pinion gear - now is a good time to clean any
buildup of grease and dirt from the starter. If there is too much buildup on the
pinion gear, or the shaft or the return spring, then the starter may not
function properly. Clean it all well, then put some white grease on the shaft
and the pinion gear.
Inspect
Check the props for nicks or dings. Even very slight damage will hinder
performance. Worse yet, blade damage can cause vibration, damaging other engine
parts and the drive system. Get any damage repaired - some damaged props can be
repaired by marine dealers for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
Inspect steering systems, including tiller steering friction fittings on
outboards. Tighten them if they're loose. Grease the cylinders on mechanical
steering connections to the motor.
Battery Prep - Remove the battery and store it inside. Do not store your battery
directly on a concrete floor or on the bare ground as this can discharge your
battery. Use an automatic shut-down (current limiting) battery charger to keep
your battery charged up over the winter. If your battery has water fill caps,
make sure they are filled to the "fill-line" with distilled water.
Mouse-proof your engine - This might sound crazy, but if you've ever had a bad
marine experience with a rodent, you'll know what we mean! They can do allot of
damage mice to an outboard over the course of a long winter - and seem to really
enjoy doing it in the most hard to reach corner of your engine. In addition to
chewing up your wires and hoses, they really love that foam or plastic
soundproofing material on the inside of the cowling. Use a fitted canvas engine
cover, or something smelly that will discourage the mice from living inside your
engine during the winter.
Watch out for freezing - It is sometimes a good idea to disconnect gages
that use water pressure to operate - such as speedometer and water pressure
gage. Trapped water in the line can make its way to the gage. The freezing
process causes thermal expansion in the lines and inside the gage, ultimately
damaging the gage if the water freezes.
None of these operations are very difficult, and can be done by the average
handy boat owner. The 'checklist' makes it easy to go through the full process
without missing any steps. For boaters who aren't comfortable doing their own
maintenance, a qualified marine technician at your local boat dealer may perform
the procedures. Taking a little time in the fall to get your boat and motor
ready for winter means that you can be one of the first boaters out on the water
next spring.
See Jimboat's full colour article published in Family & Performance magazine at:
http://www.aeromarineresearch.com
******************* TBPNews
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3) Fountain
Mercury Sets Center Console World Speed Record
Fountain Powerboats, in a two-way average speed of 87.6
MPH, set the American Poker Run Associations (APRA) center console world speed
record. The kilo boat was a Fountain 38’ Tournament Edition, named CorporateCars.com, powered by four 300 horsepower Mercury XS Optimax engines.
Conditions were less than optimal with a steady north wind coupled with a six to
12 inch chop, which proved to be no match for Fountain’s positive lift hull
design.
Fountain’s new
speed record shows the boating world that an outboard powered Fountain center
console can now compete with sport boats. Reggie Fountain has incorporated his
legendary notched transom, pad keel, positive lift hull designs into what is now
the industries most extensive line of high performance fishing boats.
see the Fountain video at:
www.fountainpowerboats.com
******************* TBPNews
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4) David overtakes
Bernard to win ABRA San Diego Thunderboat Regatta
Steve
David in the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto passed U-5 Formulaboats.com driver Jeff Bernard
on Lap 3 in the final heat of the San Diego Thunderboat Regatta on Mission Bay
and never looked back, capturing his second ABRA hydroplane series race this
season.
The U-16 Ellstrom Elam Plus driven by Dave Villwock left the course after three
laps with engine problems. The U-16 still won the team championship with 8,794.
Villwock, also with 8,794 points, defeated David by 935 for the 2007 driver
championship.
Looking to 2008 season already,
two new teams, the U-22
and U-28 race teams, are set to make their debuts in 2008 and a third team, the
U-48 Lakeridge Paving, plans on running a second boat on the west coast. That
brings the total to as many as 18 boats that could score points during the
season. The U-22 team is taking a piston boat and converting it to turbine
while the U-28 is converting a turbine boat to piston power.
Along with the new teams, several existing teams may enter 2008 with different
boats. Both the U-1 Miss Elam Plus and U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing teams have
explored the option of building new hulls for next season while the U-13 Spirit
of Detroit is reportedly negotiating to buy the former U-2 Miss Trendwest hull
from Muscatel. Muscatel campaigned that boat in 2006 as the U-2.25 Superior
Racing.
Check
out more at:
abrahydroplanes.com
******************* TBPNews
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5) 2007 J.D. Power Marine
Engine Survey
Jim Shepard outlines the results of the J.D. Power and Associates
Competitive Information Study for 2007 for Marine Engines. This survey measures
overall customer satisfaction with marine engines that have been divided into
four (4) separate categories. The study reports on engine classifications
including EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) Inboard Engines, 4–Stroke EFI
(Electronic Fuel Injection) Outboard Engines , 2-Stroke DI (Direct Injection)
Outboard Engines , EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) Stern drive (I/O) Engines;
and examines seven (7) separate factors in determining overall customer
satisfaction as reported by owners of marine engines including 1. Starting
Ease,2. Quietness at Cruise, 3. Reliability ,4. Fuel Economy ,5. Shifting
Smoothness ,6. Lack of Engine Fumes ,7. Ability to Accelerate the Boat Quickly.
Check more at:
powerboat.about.com
******************** TBPNews
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6) Powerboat Racing on TV
*** "Thrill Zone: Extreme
Powerboats" -
National Geographic powerboat show.
Author Jim Russell (Jimboat) is powerboat design technical consultant on a new
National Geographic special for "Thrill Zone"
series...
Details at: (channel.nationalgeographic.com)
Watch for other show dates on AR's website! www.aeromarineresearch.com/NatGeo_thrill-zone.html
*** "Champ Boat Grand Prix Series" - on SPEED Channel - Check for next show at: www.champboat.com or at: www.speedtv.com
*** "F1 World Championship TV Show" on The Water Channel - Check it out at: www.waterchannel.com; [see web site for other show times]
*** NEW "War On Water" TV Show" on The Water Channel - Check it out at: www.waterchannel.com; [see web site for other show times]
*** "Class 1 – World Championship – 2006" on The Water Channel - Check it out at: www.waterchannel.com; [see web site for other show times]
*** "Offshore Classics" on The Water Channel - Check it out at: www.waterchannel.com; [see web site for other show times]
*** "American Powerboat Television" on The Water Channel - Check it out at: www.waterchannel.com; [see web site for other show times]
*** "Honda Formula 4-Stroke Powerboat Series" - Check it out at: honda-racing.co.uk
[Ed. Note: The Water Channel is available
on The Dish Network]
******************** TBPNews
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7) Jimboat's Feature articles
Watch for Jimboat's new article on "Chine Walk" in upcoming HotBoat magazine.
Jimboat writes Feature articles in HotBoat, Family&Performance Boating, World of Powerboats, Extreme Boats magazines.
- 'Hump
Zone' - "Why does your Boat Porpoise?" - HB-April 2007
-
'The Bottom Line'-"Why does a Pad make a vee Hull faster?" -
F&PB-Sept 2005
- "10
Smokin' Speed Secrets Revealed..." -
HB-Feb2005
-
"Winterizing your Performance Outboard" - F&PB-Jan2005
-
"What a Drag" - 'Trim Angle & Engine Height Can Reduce Drag and
Increase Speed' - HB-Sept2004
-
"10 Safety Tips" - 'Ten Safety Ideas for High Performance Go-Fast
Boats' - HB-Aug2004
- "Flight
Path" - 'Where does Lift Come From?' - HB-April2004
- "Rocket
Science" - 'How To Increase Your Hull's Design Speed With Aerodynamics' -
World of Powerboats-Winter2004
-
"Tunnel
Vision" - 'What Factors Influence Tunnel Hull Performance' - Extreme
Boats-April2003
- "Step-by-Step"
-
'Step
Design in Powerboats' - TBPNews #88, October 2005
******************** TBPNews
*******************
See you next time!
/Jimboat
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