OUTBOARDS AND STERN DRIVES BENEFIT FROM HYDROFOIL

Boats with outboards or sterndrives have at least one thing in common—the engines and outdrives make them stern-heavy. This directly affects planing speeds, handling and fuel consumption. To help boaters improve these areas of performance, Davis Instruments offers the Doel-Fin, recognized for over 25 years as the original hydrofoil.

The Doel-Fin is designed to produce maximum lift at the stern, which reduces drag. This allows boats with small engines to accelerate with less bow rise, increasing visibility and helping the craft plane at lower rpm. It also minimizes stern suction that craft with bigger engines must overcome, which helps them plane at lower speeds as well.

The hydrofoil consists of two pieces of molded, high-strength plastic that mount one on each side of the cavitation plate above the propeller and flex independently to absorb shock. This improves stability in turns, even for boats with well-designed hulls. Skiers appreciate the faster out-of-the-hole speeds, and wakeboarders enjoy not having to endure the constant throttle adjustments necessary to keep the boat on plane.
Reduced drag, lower planing speeds and smoother overall running add up to significant fuel savings, in many cases up to 30%. These considerable savings can mean the Doel-Fin, with a suggested retail price of $29.95 a set, may pay for itself after just a few outings.

From Davis Instruments, 3465 Diablo Ave., Hayward, CA 94545. Email: info@davisnet.com.