Has anyone used the whale tail hydrofoil?

KrazyKarl

KrazyKarl

Member
Jun 26, 2022
58
Boat Info
1999 190CC Sea Ray
Engines
4.3L Alpha (190 PHP) MCM stern drive
I have a fairly small boat & I was thinking of putting one on my boat to help get it up on plane. Does it cause any extra wear on any of the outdrive parts or drive train?
Is there anything I should watch out for??
 
Depends on so many variables. Motor height, HP, proper installation, type of boat. If smart tabs are an option they will offer better performance. If it is a dinghy there are tab options as well.
 
KrazyKarl said:
I have a fairly small boat & I was thinking of putting one on my boat to help get it up on plane. Does it cause any extra wear on any of the outdrive parts or drive train?
Is there anything I should watch out for??
Click to expand...
Not a lot of details here on your boat size, motor type, or HP. Assuming it’s a smaller outboard (or dinghy), my first advice is always to try a four blade prop. You’ll get up on plane quicker and hold plane at slower speeds/rpm’s.
 
tc410 said:
Not a lot of details here on your boat size, motor type, or HP. Assuming it’s a smaller outboard (or dinghy), my first advice is always to try a four blade prop. You’ll get up on plane quicker and hold plane at slower speeds/rpm’s.
Click to expand...
His info. is listed below his avatar as it should be?
:

KrazyKarl​

Member​

Jun 26, 202251Boat Info1999 190CC Sea RayEngines4.3L Alpha (190 PHP) MCM stern drive
 
I bought a Boston Whaler 13' for a runabout several years ago that had a Whaletail on the motor.

I was very happy with it and don't think I'd ever seen a boat jump up on plane so fast.
 
four blade prop or smart tabs
 
On my dinghy, I installed trim tabs and that helped a lot with stability.
 
His boat info is in his avatar as Mitch pointed out. But I believe some people can't see it if they're using a phone... although I've found turning my phone sideways makes it viewable.

Karl, a whale tail may help... or it may cause performance issues like ventilation of the prop. You never know till you try - it's different with every boat.

However, as noted above, Smart Tabs are the way to go. Much, MUCH better than a whale tail and Smart Tabs WILL give you an amzing hole shot and calm the bow in choppy seas.
 
Boy, this is the question of the century. You will probably get as many negative comments as you get positive ones. Unfortunately, the negative comments will be the most nasty.

First of all, there are stingrays, whale tales and the like. The original "foil" was the Doel Fin. It wasn't simply a piece of flat stock, nor did it stick out behind the AV plate. It was aerodynamically designed and was mounted alongside the AV plate.

Back in about 1985 I tried one. Partly because I had planing issues, and partly because "Trailer Boat's" Magazine did a story on them.

What I ended up with was faster planing, better mid range fuel economy and overall super performance.

My newest boats are a Whaler and a SeaRay SPX. I only ran each boat once, and then installed a DoelFin. The performance, speed and economy improvement was awesome.

I WON'T own a BOAT WITHOUT ONE. Except possibly a small tinny that is overpowered.

I admit an I/O may ONLY see hole shot improvements, but if you have an OB and raise it up one notch you won't believe the results.

Products come and go. The test of time is whether they are still marketed 40+ years later. I agree SmartTabs are a viable option. You have to decide whether 39 bucks is too much to spend, along with 4 small holes in your AV plate, or drilling 12 holes in your transom.

A final thought is directed at the cons. I live in weedy waters. Haven't picked up a weed yet since 1985. Breakage of the AV plate is because they weren't installed per the (freaking) Owner's Manual.
 
Lazy Daze said:
His boat info is in his avatar as Mitch pointed out. But I believe some people can't see it if they're using a phone... although I've found turning my phone sideways makes it viewable.

Karl, a whale tail may help... or it may cause performance issues like ventilation of the prop. You never know till you try - it's different with every boat.

However, as noted above, Smart Tabs are the way to go. Much, MUCH better than a whale tail and Smart Tabs WILL give you an amzing hole shot and calm the bow in choppy seas.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the polite and non-sarcastic explanation @Lazy Daze As you so kindly pointed out, details don’t show correctly on the iPhone. I mean, why should they? It’s only 2024 after all!
 
tc410 said:
Thanks for the polite and non-sarcastic explanation @Lazy Daze As you so kindly pointed out, details don’t show correctly on the iPhone. I mean, why should they? It’s only 2024 after all!
Click to expand...
Not sure if you are still considering this - I used a whale tail on my 1991 Sea Ray 170/ 3.0 (under powered) boat. Certainly helped get it on plane at the expense of a little top end. Worked great until it broke my cavitation plate.

I repaired the plate and then used a 4 blade lower pitch prop to accomplish the same thing
 
tc410 said:
Thanks for the polite and non-sarcastic explanation @Lazy Daze As you so kindly pointed out, details don’t show correctly on the iPhone. I mean, why should they? It’s only 2024 after all!
Click to expand...
Turn your phone sideways

02BBBDB8-BCB8-4E0D-BAA0-3FC560B10E41.png
 
Scott06 said:
Not sure if you are still considering this - I used a whale tail on my 1991 Sea Ray 170/ 3.0 (under powered) boat. Certainly helped get it on plane at the expense of a little top end. Worked great until it broke my cavitation plate.

I repaired the plate and then used a 4 blade lower pitch prop to accomplish the same thing
Click to expand...
Broken cavitation plates are the most common complaint. This is caused by hitting something, using it as a step, and most commonly, vibration because the bolts were not tightened to specs.
 
Years ago I had an old 16' checkmate enticer with a mercury 115 on it. My biggest problem was porpoise and I didn't know squat about trimming. I probably still don't know much but anyway I put a stingray on it. The results were astounding. It jumped up and was as smooth as I could ask.

I have a friend with a 28' cruiser, twin v6s and he swears by the fins he has mounted. I was always a little leery of the stress on such a big boat but he loves them.

And I still miss that old checkmate.
 
Many say it's merely a bandaid, and that if you have a boat problem you should fix it right. Well, that's true in a way.

My old woodie is light weight and underpowered, yet it has a classic hull design. A DoelFin would not serve any purpose. OTOH, today's boats are heavy and way overpowered with heavy engines back there, and that's why they need fixing.

Altogether, I have had a "fin" on 6 boats, with overall cumulative usage of about 60 years. Never had a single issue.

It's also true that 4-blade props can solve some of the issues (at a high cost), and trim tabs can solve most all issues (drill 12 holes in your hull). At $39 for a DoelFin, it's not only cost effective, but the four holes needed don't bother anything.

My only regret is that I didn't buy stock in Mr. Doelsher's company 40 years ago.
 
Scott215 said:
Buy ftc lol
Click to expand...
If you mean FTCI it's stock is almost worthless now. It NEVER went up, it was a constant downhill....

If that's not it, let us know what it is.
 
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