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Message 15 of 15
Posted by member Roger Beese on Tuesday 26 July 2011
Hi Alan
Yes you are correct I bought it from Tewkesbury Marina where the owner of the boat worked I have been very pleased with it and have now moved to Cardiff Bay(3 years)after a good 3years at TM where the staff and fellow boaters made one feel at home My 75 hp engine and new NFB helm has improved my very limited time in the Bristol Channel
I am just getting used to the trim tabs and the 75 combination but so far so good planing 12/13k with max 20k I am content with that I have only tried mid and bottom setting of trim tab at present on the bottom setting for the above levels You are welcome in Cardiff Bay Yacht club any time
Roger
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Message 14 of 15
Posted by member Roger Beese on Friday 29 April 2011
Hi Steve Thanks for the comments
How is the motoring?
ForeverJ is going well still has a lot of surplus wieght on board but managing 20 knts with smart trim tabs on the bay today "The Wedding Day"
Happy now on the plane at 14 /15 knts and a Max speed at 5600rpm
Smooth ride and noise possibly lower than on 50hp Honda when on plane
Roger Beese
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Message 13 of 15
Posted by member Alan on Friday 29 April 2011
Hi Roger, I don't know how long you have owend your boat...? you may of only had it a few year, but while reading the comments on here about trimtabs which I am looking to fit to mine at some point, when I noticed your boat was called 'forever J...! I was wondering if your boat was the same smart looking boat I very nearly bought when looking for mine back in june of 2000...? we went down to Walton marine at upton on seven to view 4 hardy pilots that their had for sale, and the choice came down to 2 boats, 1 called 'forever J'with a honda 50hp fitted and the boat which we ended up buying, which is a 1997 se model, any way hope you don't think am being nosey. regards Alan.
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Message 12 of 15
Posted by member Steve Hook on Monday 25 April 2011
Hi Roger...... great to hear that you now have your pilot going well. All the best. Steve Hook
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Message 11 of 15
Posted by member Roger Beese on Thursday 21 April 2011
Hi Dominic
Honda 75 now fitted to Forever J and smart tabs 19 knots max at 5800revs adjustment of tabs ongoing but now a nice ride to Watchet and back to Cardiff
Regards Roger
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Message 10 of 15
Posted by member Dominic And Nicola on Wednesday 26 November 2008
Hi Roger
FYI.
The Honda 90 is exactly the same size block as the Honda 75. Its the same weight too. Its fits the Hardy Pilot 93/94 model o/b well fine. It will retract certainly enough to allow the prop to clear the water when at rest.
The 90 Just differs in terms of alternator, carb unit, fuel delivery kit and a few other small bits and bobs.
The only isssue is that the 90 technically exceeds Hardy's own max o/b power rating for the Pilot. This may/may not have insurance implications.
Seems this max power rating was advise long predating the current crop of much lighter outboards (compared to earlier 2 and 4 strokes on which it was based).
So its anyones guess basically.
However, saying all that there are many happy Hardy Pilot owners out there with 90's on the back having only praise for this combo.
I'm v. happy with the 75 but sometimes when taking 4 heavy adults at sea that extra few hp would be very handy. I should add, 75 is plenty if you only envisage you and your wife aboard most times.
It will, with the right prop and trim tabs, comfortably allow you to cruise at circa 20 knots.
Best
Dominic.
(transom measurements to follow!)
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Message 9 of 15
Posted by member Dominic And Nicola Gribbin on Monday 24 November 2008
Hi Roger
Ref.Honda 75 4 stroke.
Frankly forget anything much smaller as you just won't get the performance or safety margin it affords. We had a Honda 50hp on our Pilot many moons ago. For anything other than river use it was underpowered in my opinion (for coastal use).
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Message 8 of 15
Posted by member Roger Beese on Monday 24 November 2008
Hi Thanks again Dominic
I will use the 50 4 stroke in the confines of the bay and after more conversations with you and other Hardy owners gain experiance and then look for a 75 or 90(if it fits )ie well size and price
Roger
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Message 7 of 15
Posted by member Roger Beese on Thursday 20 November 2008
Hi Dominic
Are the above last comments of yours in referance to Honda 50 or 75
or other
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Message 6 of 15
Posted by member Dominic And Nicola on Thursday 9 October 2008
We have had our lectros on our Pilot for some 4 years now and they have been faultless, through many sea conditions.
They massively improve the weight distribution sensitivity of the Pilot and make for considerably more confident cruising.
One soon gets the 'feel' of the independant adjustment...invaluable for compensating for more (or less) weighty passengers.
As soon as they kick in the boat becomes a pretty rock solid platform. You can even walk across the wheel house whilst underway without the boat careering off the plane.
Dominic.
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Message 5 of 15
Posted by member Michael Herridge on Tuesday 7 October 2008
So I guess the consensus is 'not bad for the money but could be better'.
We've had 16/17 knots at full throttle with the Suzuki 50 (with fins)and a virtually empty boat. I'm not really expecting to improve on that, rather just lift up a tad earlier...but the stability thing is food for thought, particularly across a following sea.
Many thanks
Michael
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Message 4 of 15
Posted by member Andy Mcmullan on Tuesday 30 September 2008
Hi Damian
Looks like you beat me to it. I must have been writing my reply just as you were writing yours. It was me you were talking to on Strangford Lough last week. I had your comments on Lectro tabs in mind when I was writing the above.
We really enjoyed our trip to the Light Ship, found the facilities to be excellent and appreciated the warm welcome to your club. It was also great to get some Hardy tips from yourself.
As I said above, the SX tabs are a good budget solution. The Pilot is pretty sensitive to weight distribution so the independant adjustment of the lectro tabs would be ideal. As Damian says, 'balance at the touch of the button' would be a great feature.
Ths Smart Tabs website lists fitment options for boats up to 22 feet and 150hp for the SX tabs. The plates are all the same size with the options being with the resistance of the actuators themselves.
There is a previous thread on the site that covers this topic that would be worth a read..
http://www.hardy-owner.org.uk/forum/bh1081109592.htm
Cheers
Andy
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Message 3 of 15
Posted by member Michael Herridge on Monday 29 September 2008
I've decided to go down the Smart Tabs route with our 20' Pilot (Suzuki 50 4 stroke). Has anyone done the same and if so what sized tab did you use?
How did it work out?
Michael
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Message 2 of 15
Posted by member Damian on Monday 29 September 2008
I saw a FP20 a few days ago in Strangford Lough with Smart Tabs fitted and the owner didn't rate them too well... something about the feeling of not being in control of the boat. This one had a Yamaha 80 fourstroke.
I would doubt if fitting trim tabs to your boat will make much of a difference. My experience being on a River Pilot 20 with a Merc 40 fourstroke producing 8-9kts at WOT with a squatting stern.
On a FP20 with Johnston 60 twostroke,however there was a big difference in performance before fitting Lectro tabs and after fitting them... planing at lower speeds and balance at the touch of a button. I have a set of Smart Tabs I intended to fit to a Shetland and I think this size of boat and RIBs are the intended market.Hopefully someone else will chip in with their views, maybe the owner of that Hardy I saw but hope that helps without being too blunt.
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Message 1 of 15
Posted by member Andy Mcmullan on Monday 29 September 2008
Hi Michael
I fitted Smart Tabs SX model with 60lbs acuators to my Pilot this summer. They certainly do a good job keeping the bow down. I have lost a couple of knots top speed and have a bit of a rooster tail going on so I am considering exchanging the actuators for 40lbs units. I am not concerned about top speed, just the efficency of teh hull through the water.
I have a 80hp Yamaha 4 stroke which weighs about 167 Kg. Your motor will likely be a good bit lighter than this. I have my tabs adjusted down to the last hole. The instructions say that the top speed will increase when the tabs are tuned right. They do not seem to hold the boat on the plane at lower RPM's but definitely make it easier to get the boat on the plane.
I may not get to try the new actuators till next season though, if I even bother. I will report back when I have any info.
I think they are a good budget solution but I think that Pilot is so sensitive to uneven weight distribution, port to starboard, that the Lectro tabs might be better as you can correct the boats lean by working them indepenantly. They are pricey though at £400.
If you do fit Smart Tabs be careful not to drill your holes too close to the bottom of the transom. It would be better to lift the bottom of the tab up a few mm's. I ended up flaking off some gel coat as the hole was too close to the edge.
Another plus is that they are maintenance free, sort of. The SX are plastic and supposed to not get any weed growing on them. Mine are covered.
Let me know if you need any further info.
Cheers
Andy
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