Allison skid planer is magical with 115hp

[BigRWater]

When we went from Mariner 225 on XB 2003 down to the newer Mercury 115 we had trouble planing as more people got on the boat and tackle boxes etc. We tried various props & pitches with unsatisfactory results. The Allison Skid Planer out performs Allison's claims. With the 25 inch and 26 inch Mercury props I have, the boat pops right up and out of the water.
The Skid Planer also allows me to go slower when I am mapping the river resulting in more detail and almost no errors.
I have been reluctant to drill new holes in my beautiful old '98 XB 2003. I have already installed 2 transducers on it. The mega Side Imaging transducer is right in the center of the skid planer.
I get a good enough to very good hole shot with the various props I've tried.
With very little control effort, I have almost no water up the back of the boat when I set the boat down at the end of a run!
I went from troubled to satisfaction with this Allison skid planer.

 

[Steve B]

I never thought of mounting the transducer on the skid planner.
I recently bought a 2001 XB2003 and am going to install new electronics on the boat soon.
This is way better than drilling holes in the hull, my boat is like new and I would hate to drill holes in her.
Please send me a picture on the transducer mounted

 

[2littletime]

Allison offers a machined derlin block that bolts to the bottom of the skid planner and the the transducer bolts to it. Keeps the ridges of the planer from interfering with the side scan beams.

 

[SLOmofo]

Not an Allison but.

 

[BigRWater]

I never thought of mounting the transducer on the skid planner.
I recently bought a 2001 XB2003 and am going to install new electronics on the boat soon.
This is way better than drilling holes in the hull, my boat is like new and I would hate to drill holes in her.
Please send me a picture on the transducer mounted

 

[BigRWater]

I'll take one this morning. Currently I have all Humminbird equipment on my Allison. I have a Lowrance hds live that I will be adding... ...I will speak to Allison before I add it.

 

[BigRWater]

Allison offers a machined derlin block that bolts to the bottom of the skid planner and the the transducer bolts to it. Keeps the ridges of the planer from interfering with the side scan beams.

I am going to get one of the blocks & try it. I'm considering trying a Humminbird paddle wheel on the wing just past the ridge. There is no other good place to put one.

 

[BigRWater]

Not an Allison but.View attachment 15442View attachment 15443View attachment 15444View attachment 15445

Is this your boat? I like the looks of that. I also love the looks of the displacement blocks (float materials in motor mounts). What is material and how well is it holding up?

 

[BigRWater]

I never thought of mounting the transducer on the skid planner.
I recently bought a 2001 XB2003 and am going to install new electronics on the boat soon.
This is way better than drilling holes in the hull, my boat is like new and I would hate to drill holes in her.
Please send me a picture on the transducer mounted

If you are going to mount a Lowrance, be sure and look at the other mounting on this thread by SLOmofo.

 

[2littletime]

I am going to get one of the blocks & try it. I'm considering trying a Humminbird paddle wheel on the wing just past the ridge. There is no other good place to put one.

Why a paddle wheel? For speed? GPS doesn’t have speed?

 

[BigRWater]

Why a paddle wheel? For speed? GPS doesn’t have speed?

Paddle wheel allows some measurement of river currents, better understanding of eddies and other anomalies, when you are not on plane. Depending on how electric power is needed, determines how much water drives the turbines. Spill over the dam is regulated by stakeholder agreements first, needs 2nd. Then there is the wind? Sometimes you gotta move over 20 feet to find the fish.

 

[Steve B]

Thanks for the pictures.
Definitely going to mount my transponders on the planner board.

 

[2littletime]

Paddle wheel allows some measurement of river currents, better understanding of eddies and other anomalies, when you are not on plane. Depending on how electric power is needed, determines how much water drives the turbines. Spill over the dam is regulated by stakeholder agreements first, needs 2nd. Then there is the wind? Sometimes you gotta move over 20 feet to find the fish.

Interesting.