boat identification.please help!!!

[chappers69]

anyone know what ive just bought??-help most appretiated!-paul

[Ike]

too hard to tell from that photo. Take some front, rear and side vuews. Does it have a Hull identification Number on the transom? it should be in th eupper right corner looking from behind the boat, and be a twelve digit number similar to this ABC12345L495 or if made before 1984 ABC12345M75L. The first three letter identify the builder which you can look up at http://www.uscgboating.org/recalls/mic_database.htm

[chappers69]

hi my friend,-the only numbers are sp10216 or may be spi 0216,-i will add some pics of it before starting the re-furb.best regards and thanks.-paul

[Ike]

Never seen this particular boat. From the side and front it looks like a small outboard hydroplane but the hull is a deep vee. I suspect it was built for racing, maybe a drag boat. Yes, they drag race boats too. But there appears to be a fin on the port side, so it could be a regular oval racer in one of the outboard classes. They always go counterclockwise, that is turn to the left, so the fin is on the inboard side of the turn to improve tracking and prevent sliding.

[Ike]

As usual I forgot to look at your profile. Is that Plymouth, as in UK? They didn't start using Hull Identification Numbers until the late 90's so.

[chappers69]

hello mate,-yes,-its plymouth uk.-i think you are 100% when you say it was raced in anti clockwise due to the fin,-there isnt 1 on the other side.-if i put another fin on the other side to stop me sliding on right hand turns,-would this affect handling in any way? also it was a longshaft setup and ive converted it to shortshaft.-ive been told they used to race them with 40 and 50hp,but ive just put a 65 ptt suzuki on it.-when you say they drag race this type,-do you mean having an inboard setup?-paul

[Ike]

Not inboard. Outboard. There are both inboard and outboard, but the smaller ones are usually outboard. Another fin would probably help right turns. Deep vees tend to lean a lot into the turns. I hope your short shaft is long enough to get the cavitation plate below the deepest part of the transom. Otherwise you may cause the prop to suck a lot of air.

[chappers69]

hi thanks for reply,-i cut out 5" and the cavitation plate is about 10mm below the lowest part of the hull,-do these type of boat flip or roll easy?-its the narrowest boat ive had with the biggest engine as well,-ive had lots of 13-16 foot boats with 5 and 6ft beams and they corner very well.-just a bit worried that this 1 might roll at speed