Came here to find a wiring diagram I made, figured I’d update the post, lots has changed! She’s been fished HARD, been gator hunting HARD, duck hunting, you name it; she’s done it and done it well.
That last sentence in the last post was key…I now have a cracked chine (I think; it’s a common problem with the older hulls) and am taking on a very small amount of water on starboard side outboard of the stringer…bilge pump runs about 20 seconds every hour. I was hoping to get that tackled this winter but didn’t…so it’s gonna stay how it is until next winter and Ben and I will get her off the trailer and patch her up good as new.
I did have a water leak over the off-season (haven’t used much - work sucks) and every bit of rain that hit the bow went UNDER the front of the console and kept the insides wet for about 4 months. Now it’s all “old” looking and musty.
I’m working on her now and guess I’ll just re-rig it again next year.
My ONLY complaint - the Awlgrip cracks…and an old hand built boat like this flexes…and everywhere it flexes, the Awlgrip doesn’t; and has made little spider cracks in a lot of areas. Guess they’re like Cindy Crawford’s mole(s).
Now my family is growing and I need a bigger boat…who wants a Bentz Craft? (I kid…a little)
Successfully found a crack…or two…
Boat will be flipped in the winter and repaired and strengthened…and repainted…
Spent a few months trying to prop the boat right, and couldn’t get it to do as expected. Finally on advise of a Yamaha mechanic friend, I swapped the CDI from my Dad’s 90 to mine…it’s a new boat. Now I get to prop it and actually get some results out of it!
Also got some updates and improvements done - had too many switches before for things I didn’t really “need,” so I consolidated and had a new switch panel made. I designed it and supplied my machinist friend with some material - he drew the file and cut it for me and it turned out awesome! The etched Contura switches from New Wire Marine are great! My Lowrance SonicHub I was running died a year or so ago so I’ve been without tunes for a while, so in this new found abundance of space I put in a Fusion MS-RA55 unit I picked up on Craig’s List - it sounds awesome and fits the space well - but I think I’m going to add a small amplifier for a bit more volume so I can hear it at speed. I also abandoned the pod idea for the Simrad and flush mounted it - the angle isn’t too bad to see while seated and is perfect when standing (If I’m unsure of where I am or where I’m going I’m usually standing anyway…).
Sucks you’re having to re-do a lot of the stuff but I bet you get it done much quicker and easier now that you’ve done it once already! There was an old job site saying a buddy of mine used to always say… “you know it’ll be done nice, because it’s been done twice” … a little cliché I know, but you get the point! Keep us updated on the progress! I’ve really enjoyed your build and the boat is pretty sweet!
Sucks you’re having to re-do a lot of the stuff but I bet you get it done much quicker and easier now that you’ve done it once already! There was an old job site saying a buddy of mine used to always say… “you know it’ll be done nice, because it’s been done twice” … a little cliché I know, but you get the point! Keep us updated on the progress! I’ve really enjoyed your build and the boat is pretty sweet!
Thanks man! As far as the boat goes as a whole it’s been AWESOME. It has performed well. In hindsight I should have reinforced the areas when it was stripped down, but it wasn’t cracked and I knew it lived a rough life so I figured it would be good to go. Oh well, I get to do it now and it’ll last forever…
I think I’ve settled on a prop - and of course it’s a Mercury Racing Vengeance 18P. Has a good mix of speed and holeshot for me; jumps out of the hole even loaded, and gets to 50ish quickly without pushing the motor too hard, and holds a corner well. I’ll try one or two more before I decided, but this one seems to be the one!
Believe it or not these boats are VERY stable at speed. The variable deadrise and the arch shaped outboard edges of the hull keep it very stable on the pad. Once it’s up - it’ll FLY! If you ever get the chance to ride in/on one - DO IT.
My Mom’s boat (same hull/cap - #3 of 3) same motor with a Michigan Wheel Ballistic 13 3/8x19P prop ran 58 ish with me and a friend with no fuel and no gear in it.
There’s a 15’ center console in Rockville with a 150 Mariner on it that cruises at 72. Top speed is unknown.
There’s a young fella with one of the Ulmer boats, the “■■■■■■■■” they called it, that has a 115HP V4 Yamaha 2 stroke on it - he’s approaching sixty MPH now also still playing with props.
Remember, the hull was reportedly designed and modeled after an Allison-Craft hull, and back in the day you know those guys had these little boats dialed in for sure.
Here’s a pic of a 13’ tiller with a 50HP on it. IIRC it broke 40 mph. Notice how just the pad and the corners of the transom are touching the water.
that’s a 16 with a 90 2-stroke big tiller. Owner was disappointed with performance until he raised the motor a little and reprop’d. I don’t remember top speed, but, when she was dialed in, there was half that much hull touching the water. I got to run her once. At speed with a tiller, she was exciting.
My 14’ with a Yamaha 25 4-stroke (heavy) does almost 30mph and does what Bentz owners refer to as ‘hanging’. The hulls have gentle hook in the last 18" of the pad. When you’re running in the low to mid 20s, they behave like any other hull, a little bow high. But, as you near 30 and more and more of the hull comes out of the water, that hook has more and more effect. The bow drops to level and that’s where it stays. As you go faster, that hook just lifts the entire hull and she’s hangin’. From about 30mph up they don’t change attitude anymore. They just go. Robert Bentz had some voodoo figured into that hull shape.
17’ Henry O Hornet w/ Johnson 88 spl
26’ Palmer Scott project hull
14’ Bentz-Craft w/ Yamaha 25
that’s a 16 with a 90 2-stroke big tiller. Owner was disappointed with performance until he raised the motor a little and reprop’d. I don’t remember top speed, but, when she was dialed in, there was half that much hull touching the water. I got to run her once. At speed with a tiller, she was exciting.
My 14’ with a Yamaha 25 4-stroke (heavy) does almost 30mph and does what Bentz owners refer to as ‘hanging’. The hulls have gentle hook in the last 18" of the pad. When you’re running in the low to mid 20s, they behave like any other hull, a little bow high. But, as you near 30 and more and more of the hull comes out of the water, that hook has more and more effect. The bow drops to level and that’s where it stays. As you go faster, that hook just lifts the entire hull and she’s hangin’. From about 30mph up they don’t change attitude anymore. They just go. Robert Bentz had some voodoo figured into that hull shape.
17’ Henry O Hornet w/ Johnson 88 spl
26’ Palmer Scott project hull
14’ Bentz-Craft w/ Yamaha 25
Good to know about that pic. It was sent to me with some bad information I see!
You’re right on the money about the performance - it’s voodoo I tell ya! People doubt and doubt and then they get in one and it’s over, from that point forward they want one.
THAT FLAT BACK YOU ARE REFERRING TO BELONGS TO MY SON.
HE STARTED WITH A STOCK 90 2 STROKE, AND 51MPH
WE HOT RODDED THE 90 AND HE SAW 55 MPH
HE PUT THE STOCK 2 STROKE 115 AND HE IS AT 57MPH
IT REALLY IS AMAZING TO SEE HOW STABLE THOSE BOATS ARE AT SPEED
THIS PICTURE IS WITH THE 90 RUNNING RIGHT AT 55MPH
UNFORTUNATELY, ITS ALL BEEN DONE NOW, BUT MY OTHER SON IS COMPLETELY REDOING A 19 KEYWEST SPORTSMAN, AND WE ARE GONNA TRY AND DOCUMENT THE PROGRESS ON THAT ONE.
well, after some EXTREMELY scary chine walking rides, the Bentz with the 115SHO had to make some major changes.
we had a jack plate with a max HP rating of 115, and the thing was flexing so much under load that it was causing severe instability above 55mph.
we removed the jack plate completely, and installed a 24 pitch solid hub chopper prop.
he is now running 60 mph, but is hitting the rev limiter hard at 6300rpms.
he decided the Bentz wasnt enough boat, and has put the 90 2 stroke back on it and put it up for sale.
as soon as it sells, he is buying a 20’ seacraft to completely redo.
we will document that process and start a new post
well, after some EXTREMELY scary chine walking rides, the Bentz with the 115SHO had to make some major changes.
we had a jack plate with a max HP rating of 115, and the thing was flexing so much under load that it was causing severe instability above 55mph.
we removed the jack plate completely, and installed a 24 pitch solid hub chopper prop.
he is now running 60 mph, but is hitting the rev limiter hard at 6300rpms.
he decided the Bentz wasnt enough boat, and has put the 90 2 stroke back on it and put it up for sale.
as soon as it sells, he is buying a 20’ seacraft to completely redo.
we will document that process and start a new post
THAT FLAT BACK YOU ARE REFERRING TO BELONGS TO MY SON.
HE STARTED WITH A STOCK 90 2 STROKE, AND 51MPH
WE HOT RODDED THE 90 AND HE SAW 55 MPH
HE PUT THE STOCK 2 STROKE 115 AND HE IS AT 57MPH
IT REALLY IS AMAZING TO SEE HOW STABLE THOSE BOATS ARE AT SPEED
THIS PICTURE IS WITH THE 90 RUNNING RIGHT AT 55MPH
