At the end of my rope!

[whipper]

Woodsman as you see your just like the rest of us. No one drives an Allison for the first time and drives them straight as an arrow without seat time. Its how you utilize that seat time which determines how soon you'll be driving her like there never was such a thing as chine walk.:beer:

Believe me that day will come. You'll look back and wonder what the fuss was all about as you go from 0-90 like it was nothing as level and straight as your doing 30!!

In the top right theres some really good other threads from some years back with great video instruction. You might want to do a search and read some of them also.

{And go out of your way}} to take Roy Suicidally or Tom SStom on there offer to come fish and boat with you. What you can learn in a afternoon of boating with a experienced Alli driver will take you over a year to learn on your own!!!!! It will take you around 3 weeks of trying to get it after some on board instruction and observation with them driving her and you watching and listening. Then one day it will all just happen. Just like that. One day you'll be washing the side decals and the next day you'll be flying her straight. Its a funny thing that.

The riding a bike example is the best one. I heard it like this and it makes sense to me. When the very first time you rode a bike as a youngster. I mean the very fist time. With your hands on the bars you were wobbling the wheel back and forth trying stay balanced so ya don't fall over{wash The decals} Then in time you could fly down a hill and the handle bars were straight as an arrow right. Heck you could get so good as to not even use your hands anymore. Well an Allison is like that. At first you try to hard and when the chine is coming you over steer {back and forth} just like the first time on a bike. But in time you'll be like a seasoned veteran same as you were riding a bike flying with only little corrections so small you don't even realize your doing it.

Hears a link to another chine walk thread and theres a video on there you should watch on the first page. http://forum.allisonowners.com/showthread.php?t=5627&highlight=chine+walk

 

[suicidealli]

i really dont think it is chine walking IMO. i think it is trying to get up on the pad. most ally's start to wiggle about 60-65 when they get on the pad. brenda use to drive the ss to 63 then it got the wiggles she would let out. i would sit next to her with 1 hand on the wheel correcting the wheel so she could get the feel of it. i would have her buzz it up to 80 or so, and tell her i was going to let go of the wheel. she would do ok for a bit then the wiggles came, and i would grab the wheel and correct it.. that is best way i know how to teach someone how to drive one.

 

[Waterdigger]

What everyone said plus 3 ov yo favorite beers. Hang n there you'll make it!

 

[whipper]

i really dont think it is chine walking IMO. i think it is trying to get up on the pad. most ally's start to wiggle about 60-65 when they get on the pad. brenda use to drive the ss to 63 then it got the wiggles she would let out. i would sit next to her with 1 hand on the wheel correcting the wheel so she could get the feel of it. i would have her buzz it up to 80 or so, and tell her i was going to let go of the wheel. she would do ok for a bit then the wiggles came, and i would grab the wheel and correct it.. that is best way i know how to teach someone how to drive one.

Remind me not to get you to show me how to golf swing grabing my clubs with you behind me would feel...well like the wiggles.

My wife drives like that. The first time i let her drive she ran to 65 with her foot right to the floor had no idea. She got to the wiggles and was laughing and yahoing like a crazy women while the kids were in the back yelling at her crying.

It was hilarious!! I wish i had that on film.

 

[SLOmofo]

Remind me not to get you to show me how to golf swing grabing my clubs with you behind me would feel...well like the wiggles.

My wife drives like that. The first time i let her drive she ran to 65 with her foot right to the floor had no idea. She got to the wiggles and was laughing and yahoing like a crazy women while the kids were in the back yelling at her crying.

It was hilarious!! I wish i had that on film.

So do we. But if you had posted it you probably would be paying child support.

 

[Texan]

So do we. But if you had posted it you probably would be paying child support.

Not chit! My wife drove mine for the first time this year and had the motor buried that I ate my buddy out telling him that he was going to let her drive it, he ought to at least trimmed it out so it at least looked good.........

 

[suicidealli]

i cant tell the bad story on my woman!!!!!!! i might have to sleep on the couch for a week! lol

roy

 

[patches]

I've seen one person drive one wide open within less than 5 minutes of getting in it. It was an XB2002 with a 260

 

[Dave Hensley]

I hate to be a contrarion as I agree with much of what has been said but...the first Allison I drove was an XTB 21 and it took about 5 minutes to get friendly with it. It did have to go back to Darris to have a lip put on the first strake up on the port side because it wanted to wallow around at 60, a good cruising speed. Set up is everything. I jumped in a buddies XB2002 with a 300 Drag and went 105 first crack. But that boat had been upside down in Louisville more than it was ever in the water. I think set up is 80% and feel is the rest. The feel is in your butt. That is the closest body part to pad. Think about what that pad looks like and imagine what it takes to keep the boat balanced at speed with an ever changing surface to run on. Steering input to the left will never hurt if you are in big water. A slight left hand bend will help get the feel but if the boat is way off on set up it will be for naught. Take the boat to the nearest Allison guru and have them check set back, engine height, steering slack, lower unit condition, prop etc. Where are the batteries located? How much junk are you caring and where is it stowed? Take it all out and put 75 pounds of ballast in the front of the rod locker. THE FRONT not just in the locker. The XTB likes way more trim than other models. Don't be afraid of the trim button. I expected to blow mine out every time I tried something new. Hook up your kill switch, put on a helmet and a good vest and run it up to where it has been jerking you around. Trim it up some more and steer left. Just a little pressure left. If that doesn't get you past where you been spend your gas money taking it to find help.

 

[suicidealli]

i agree set up is key!!!!!!!!!!!!!! one that isnt set up very well, and your first time is a mess. that is how it was for me.

 

[woodsman]

oh yeah guys, my wife couldnt even get the tb to the trailer after i backed it in. I had to swim out and get it!!

 

[woodsman]

Woodsman as you see your just like the rest of us. No one drives an Allison for the first time and drives them straight as an arrow without seat time. Its how you utilize that seat time which determines how soon you'll be driving her like there never was such a thing as chine walk.:beer:

Believe me that day will come. You'll look back and wonder what the fuss was all about as you go from 0-90 like it was nothing as level and straight as your doing 30!!

In the top right theres some really good other threads from some years back with great video instruction. You might want to do a search and read some of them also.

{And go out of your way}} to take Roy Suicidally or Tom SStom on there offer to come fish and boat with you. What you can learn in a afternoon of boating with a experienced Alli driver will take you over a year to learn on your own!!!!! It will take you around 3 weeks of trying to get it after some on board instruction and observation with them driving her and you watching and listening. Then one day it will all just happen. Just like that. One day you'll be washing the side decals and the next day you'll be flying her straight. Its a funny thing that.

The riding a bike example is the best one. I heard it like this and it makes sense to me. When the very first time you rode a bike as a youngster. I mean the very fist time. With your hands on the bars you were wobbling the wheel back and forth trying stay balanced so ya don't fall over{wash The decals} Then in time you could fly down a hill and the handle bars were straight as an arrow right. Heck you could get so good as to not even use your hands anymore. Well an Allison is like that. At first you try to hard and when the chine is coming you over steer {back and forth} just like the first time on a bike. But in time you'll be like a seasoned veteran same as you were riding a bike flying with only little corrections so small you don't even realize your doing it.

Hears a link to another chine walk thread and theres a video on there you should watch on the first page. http://forum.allisonowners.com/showthread.php?t=5627&highlight=chine+walk

well i watched the video you put on there for the alli brother and i must say. Thats how mine walks at about 62-64/65. i get intimifated after trying to stabalize it and back off back down to 55. i just cant stand it, im like the song: I cant drive 55!..lol Hopefully me and Roy or Tom can get together and fish or something and they can watch me and tell me what im doin and school me some to.:very happy

 

[whipper]

well i watched the video you put on there for the alli brother and i must say. Thats how mine walks at about 62-64/65. i get intimifated after trying to stabalize it and back off back down to 55. i just cant stand it, im like the song: I cant drive 55!..lol Hopefully me and Roy or Tom can get together and fish or something and they can watch me and tell me what im doin and school me some to.

They could show ya exactly what your doing wrong woodsman. Thats why everyone always say its best to take a Alli guy with you for a day. Its always best to back off like you do. Once Chinning starts its only going to get worse. {{{In an Allison the trick is never to let it begin in the first place}}}. Some manufactures hull ya can jolt it back but in so simple with an Allison. Best not even to think ya can at this stage in the game just back off and try again once it starts.

How ya do that. Well deive to 60-65mph. Only use as much trim as it takes to get there!! Youll feel the boat almost to bow down and sorta plowing. Then bump the trim once then twice maybe even three times or more? Youll feel the hull free up. Thats the second your in no other boat but an Allison. Thats when you really need to know what your doing. Then is when you will start the ballancing act buy steering the hull like riding a bike trying to use ONLY enough motion to keep her from moving at all. Youll gain almost 10mph and be at 70-75 almost instantly when youve made that 3 or so bumps freeing the hull when you start from 60-65. If you cant make her fly straight with wheel in put back off and try again. Repete untill you can trim from 60-65 and fly with no bow movment to 75. When you can do that every speed past there is just more trim as the foot will should already be down as far as it goes even at 75 you see.

So, Bring to 65 with foot down. Holt there for a second untill your ready with a stable hull. Then be ready as you trim some more to free the hull youll need to {wiggle the wheel} back and forth ever so slight to {fly} her even. If your not back off repete. you will get it eventually doing this.

I was like you. I was thinking man will i ever get it but guys asured me keep trying you will. Then one day at the end of the day i had it for a moment!!!! I was thats it I felt it!! But I had to go. i couldnt wait untill the next day to go try again. I was sure I had it. First run wasnt to bad i accually could go OK very little wiggle but backed off. Next run up to 65 trim trim trim. I had it I was flying down the lake at 80mph and was to afraid to back off now from what everyone said about backing off becomes the hard part now!!:very happy i slowly backed off and once i was were ive been backing off forever at 60-65 I know i could settler her down faster now. That was what happen with me. Just keep at it IT WILL COME !!!

The funny thing is just happens also. Just like that. one min its the same old crap then BAM ya got it!! And like riding a bike ya never loose it. That is also the truth. You never get worse only better once ya got it. It becomes so second nature ya wonder how you possable ever had any trouble figuring it out.

its always funny when once ya know how it looks so easy like your just flooring it and able to run WOT like the boat does it its self. then ya let a friend try!! They get to 65+ chine walk like you did then say thats enough holly crap how did ya do that.

 

[whipper]

Hears a video poor Quality but watch how little the motor moves when your balanced good. The steering input im doing isnt even visable at the motor. thats how little ya need when you hulls balanced right. I am counter steering but very little to 90mph. Belive me this wasnt always the case.:big grin Its very tiny little wiggle motions no steering like rocking back and forth. If ya look at the side of the motor youll see tiny little corections very slight. Some times you wont need any after a few little ones then the odd little wiggle as ya feel you need to to keep her level on your run. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odWsMAbRqpY

 

[woodsman]

That's a very helpful video. You barely can see it move. I seen it trim more than side to side. I think a pic or video of me running would help me see better the way my boat is in the water as im going. Im concentrating to hard to think about it..lol

 

[patches]

I didn't watch the vid but I'm sure you can see why my main piece of advice is don't overdrive the boat. I really think that is most peoples problem when they first start. It should be more pressure than big movements. A steady left hand pressure will do wonders

 

[whipper]

That's a very helpful video. You barely can see it move. I seen it trim more than side to side. I think a pic or video of me running would help me see better the way my boat is in the water as im going. Im concentrating to hard to think about it..lol

Yep. Go ride a bike at 20-30mph and wiggle wheel to balance yourself as much as your doing now in your boat and youll flop over also.

easy trimming method: Raise the motor to the desired engine hight,say 1/2 inch below and leave it there forever for now.

Mash the peddle to the floor and as your hull starts to crest dont hold the trim but bump it as many times as it takes pretty fast to keep the bow off the water as you get going on plain. Youll feel the bow in the water if your to slow on the trim and that will cause the hull to feel heavy in the bow untill ya get enough bumps on the trim with your foot mashed to free up the hull.
As you accelerate just stay in the throatle foot mashed.
You might need to give it one or two more bumps on the way to 60 to keep her freed up. You notice at 60 the acceleration starting to slow down. Thats ok. Once your at 63-65 holding the foot down make one bump on the trim. Then one more. Then another and youll {feel} the hole hull lift up and get lighter all of a sudden. Thats the hull getting up on the pad. Youll accually feel it now you know what your looking for.

This is the only time you need to start {driving the Allison} Anyone can get to that point. Its what happens on the pad thats the tricky parT.

So this is the point were little steering inputs keep ya level and not walking back and forth. The very split second the hull feels like it wants to wiggle as you make that one bump on the trim that is the final one to get you up on the pad is when ya start and will always need the little tiny corrections to keep it steady the whole run above 70.

That 3 or so bumps from 63ish as she climbs up out of the water you look at the speedo as see an instant almost 10mph. Thats what happens when your running such a dry less wetted surface. thats the beuity of Allisons over almost any other hull on the planet. The whole hulls shape and pad shape are the best ther is for high speeds from freeing up the whole hull and making her ride in an optimal stance for cutting threw the wind and water.

So again when ya try this and you never {cought it} right away when ya got up on the pad at 65-70 then ya might as well just back down now and bump back as many times as you bumped up at 63 bring her back to 63 hold her steady knowing theres good water with no wakes in front of you and start bumping the 3 or 4 times again to get up on the pad and try and catch it right wasy again and again and again. You see a clearer pitcher of what ya have to do now Ill bet.:banghead

it takes a long post to explain everything in detail. Sorry about that but im sure your starting to understand more now the forcess at work and {HOW} you need to spend your time practicing.

We all went threw this. Well exept maybe a few chosen ones. Those guys are probably the the guys that smoked weed all day at school and still got A,s also.

Most of us go threw the prosses.

One more thing on Balanceing the hull as this will make life way easier also. The guys with the XB03,s can fill ya in more on this but its pretty standard for each hull based on your weight. For instance this is my GS not your XB so yours will be differant the guys will fill ya in on what they do,. im 220. I need two shot bags of 25lbs each in the oposite side to offset my weight at the helm. With this amount of wieght there is very little balance issues. If i took one weight out I would have to steer way more than I do with two as an example. With the correct amount of weight to offset you you can almost not even have to steer to balance because the hull is perfictly balanced already!!!!! Soooo Part of the problem you might be having is though ya feel your hull seems balanced at idel it may not be balanced enough or two much? So if ya give your weight {sorry for being personal if thats an issue} but then some one whith an XB03 that weighs the same can tell you what and were they have weight to off set for balance on there XB03. Then at least that takes that equation out of the picture then its just the driving part youll have to concentrate on knowing your setup is the same as someones whos you know is perfictly balanced. :beer:

 

[BigCountryx]

Just wait till you break 80 the first time, I know it was around 82 that I realized what it is like to FLY and Allison... Flies like it's on a string there. It seems easier to drive my XB03 at that speed than it does at 70 if you can believe that. Can't wait until I get to feel the next level, at whatever speed that happens, lol.

 

[SLOmofo]

I stole this off S+F. It's long and they don't speak the same language but....
at 10:35 is how most new drivers feel in an Allison.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aik1WDUclRw

I don't know which is funnier the speaker or the boat.

 

[ROBERT CROSS]

Now THAT was incredible ...:help

Bob