At the end of my rope!

[woodsman]

Guys I need some help. From what I have heard its not something that can be told but has to be shown. I dont know, I just know I'll take any advice at this point. Took the alli out today, havent been out in a couple weeks. got my tach fixed and was curious as to how my prop set up was compared to my motor. ran it "60" at 5000rpm. The sad part is i couldn't get it out of its walk to get it any faster. the guy I bought it from said he run it on a strip at 94(with an different prop). It has a 2.5 93' 200, with a 26" quicksilver prop, sitting about level with pad.
my question is, how do i get it out of that stupid walk!!? Is these rpm/speed figures about right? I want a 4 blade prop but have no idea whhat to get. i am disgrace a alli owner. I cant even drive it. i have had this thing a year now, whats wrong with me!
im sorry to vent guys, but i need some advice.

 

[Iowafshr]

What have you already tried to do to correct it?

 

[woodsman]

makeing a couple passes i tryed trimming on up and trimming back down. I have tryed a suggested sway of the steering wheel and thats about all i have tryed, thats all i know to try. the bost is level when i run, because i tryed it without leveling one time and oh boy that was a ride!

 

[Iowafshr]

Is it level when you're sitting still? When it starts to lift on the pad is when its important. Until that speed it will run pretty flat even with an unbalanced load.

 

[SLOmofo]

Best to have someone that has one and is knowledgeable to look at it and drive it. No slop in the steering or engine mounts. Life jacket, kill switch and only you in the boat, no passengers except for a teacher.
60 is norm for the start of chine walking at least it was the same speed for me. I found it best to look out ahead of the boat, not at the bow of the boat. Your inner ear is what you use to balance when you walk and ride a bike. Same here.
What your trying to do is keep the boat balanced and level on a 10 5/8" relatively flat pad. It's not easy, thats what makes it fun.
Drive it at 55, over wakes, chop, flat water, trim it up and down get used to it, see what it does in every condition.
Increase speed 5 mph and do it again.
The biggest thing is not to force it, if it starts to chine walk and it gets ahead of you slow down and start again. Take the time to become one with the boat. Wax on, wax off. Baby steps.
Use the search tab and read what others before you were told.

 

[resqu-u]

Don't be to hard on yourself. At the end of my first summer I was just getting comfortable in the 80's. I rode with the owner at 92 and looked at 97.2 on the GPS recall while buying my XB03. My first trip out alone I couldn't make it to 65 without washing the logo's. I've found setting my trim, stainless marine, and then looking straight ahead helped me the most. I have the ride glide steering and I like the feel of it. She likes a gentle left input most of the time with a little right correction. Just remember that things get a little more feisty the faster you get going. Thought I sucked my seat cushion up my shorts while taking it in the 70's. Be safe and have fun! I prefer a 3 blade to 4 also. Robbie Sanderson recommended a lightning ET. I haven't run one, I like Mazco RE's but would like to...

 

[woodsman]

To answer the level question, it is level at sitting still. As for the getting another allies runner to help that's out of the question. Im the only alli cat around my parts. But looking at the bow may be my problem. The steering on my ride is great, good and tight. But I do look at the bow to try and balance the boat at speed. I was told from the seller of the boat these boat are very hard to learn, I see what he means. I thought if it had a steering wheel I could drive it but oh no...lol

 

[h2oskiier30]

What boat...what 26p quicksilver prop...side or center steer...etc? More information will be helpful.

Do not despair...you are simply going through the learning curve that every first time Allison owner goes through in learning how to drive his boat. I wanted to sell my first xb03 for the entire first month I owned it.

 

[patches]

Left hand pressure and don't overdrive it. Takes very little steering movement to counter the chinewalk.

 

[rmills280]

unless theres a setup issue it sounds like over trim over correction to me. be conservative with trim and a very small movement of wheel and it should be good.

 

[xb03fs]

It took most of my first summer to get mine aired out and I burned a lot of gas...
Basically I have found get the boat balanced before you leave the dock, error on the side of a little more weight on the left side of the boat.

The steering movements if you have hydraulic steering are not much movement but applying more or less pressure counterclockwise and few times releasing the pressure when you need to.

I found it easier when learning to drive it by applying slighly more than needed presure counterclockwise and having the boat drifting to the left slighly (like 50 yards left over the course of a mile or so) rather than trying to go perfectly straight. This does scrub a little speed off, but once you get the hang of it it straight and even turns to the right become easy. The whole first year I have to look perfectly straight to be able to stay on the pad. Look at the water ahead not the bow. It was just this year that I got comfortable looking side to side and even looking back to see what rooster tail is doing..

For a long time I thought I was trimming the boat plenty until I had some videos taken and well lets say the boat was still pretty wet. At that point I went from upper 70's to mid 80s'

Again BALANCE the boat, it makes it so much easier..I now find myself stopping to move a prop or tackle bag when I want to really air her out. Moving a tackle bag when you feel its needed can in my case go from making 82 feeling uncomfortable (leaning) to making 84 seem easy

Also it seems a good rule of thumb I read somewhere on this site once you master the chinewalking is...providing the boat is balanced well A left lean can mean two things..more trim or more engine height, a right lean means too much trim or too much engine height. I have hydraulic jackplate so it is easy to change my height for load and conditions. I also drive with my GPS ie that if I hit the trim a bit and speed does not increase I do not try to bump it again. I have used these rules of thumb and not hooked.

 

[Texan]

I too was very disgusted with the performance early on. It wasn't 'tilll I had an experienced driver sitting next to me to show me how to handle the hull/engine and suggest set up. a half hour later I was running up into the 80's with no problem and since then have been blowing and going. Very often people buy these boats and get frustrated because they continually wash the run rails. Seat time is important, but often the best solution is to get a Alli pilot to sit next to them and to provide their experience and advice. Don't be ashamed to ask someone close to you for help. Most will be happy to help. The Alli family is very willing and able to provide advice, but most often it is best to have a living breathing body in the seat to the side or in back to provide the best advice. Set up is one thing, but having an experienced pilot in the boat with you will do more in a morning than pouring over hours and hours of posts here or elsewhere.

Reach out and I am positive that somebody will respond gladly to your call for help. Were I closer, I would certainly be happy to come sit next to you.

 

[woodsman]

Its a xtb21,with a 26p quicksilver(small shaft skinny prop) that's all I know about the prop, with a 2.5 200, was told it was a 260. That's a ll the info I know to give.
Over correction could be it and over trim could be it.

 

[woodsman]

Guys I can not begin to explain how much I appreciate your advice. I too wish some if you lived closer. But I do have a few friends with bullets, maybe they could help.

 

[Texan]

Not to get into a poo-poo argument with the Bullet folks, Alli's drive a WHOLE lot different. I drove a proto-type Bullet at the APC rally this past July and could run it up into the 80's with a stock lower unit on a bad *** 250. Your center of gravity on an Alli is so much lower than in a Bullet that you really need an experienced Alli pilot sitting next to you.

I'll prolly catch some chit over my comments, but these are simply my .02.

 

[ROBERT CROSS]

Woodsman,

This was our second Season with our GSE, after last year I thought I'd NEVER get above 60.
I followed others advise,(thanx TBuck), and took my time.
Have no other Ally's around here so first hand help wasn't an option. Our rig came with a 30 Lightning that I never even tried 'til this year, promptly sold it.
For me it was undriveable, and didn't match the load we run with.
Todd set the boat up when we got it, 28p QIV OT, and plate marked for pad running, so I knew any concerns I was having were my own lack of confidence.

This past season everything just seemed to fall into place.
Less is more.
VERY SMALL adjustments in steering and trim seemed to work best. One advantage I have up here is "big water", when flat we can run 10mi without interference, with plenty of opportunity for the necessary adjustments. Now running 75+, and looking forward to another 10mph next Season.
Maybe then I will consider myself an Ally ex-spurt, with dry pants.:embarassed

Advise from another newbie...don't get discouraged, be patient and follow the experienced advise on this board.

Bob

 

[suicidealli]

im in when can we meet! call me 513-207-2131
we can meet at cumberland. great time of year to run. not much boat traffic.


roy

 

[h2oskiier30]

Best advice I can give is, respect the trim, but don't be scared of it. You will never get it up on the pad without enough trim. If you're washing sides, you're not on the pad yet.

If you're not balanced correctly, you'll never be able to learn to drive it.

 

[XXXR2001]

Guys I can not begin to explain how much I appreciate your advice. I too wish some if you lived closer. But I do have a few friends with bullets, maybe they could help.

What part of Kentucky to you live in?

 

[suicidealli]

i think he is in the southern central part of ky.