# Sponson impact on turning?



## hferrell87 (Jan 28, 2013)

My boat turns on a dime and does well turning with or without speed. Where are you located? If be happy to take you out and show you the works...


----------



## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

On plane I am fine. Off plane I turn a little wider. I would not let turning affect your decision. 

Sponsons do two things. Bring the boat on plane faster and at lower speeds. (they also prevent the bow from rising in big waves which is the only major drawback) They also decrease draft at the transom by bringing the motor foward. It balances the boat a little better.

The main thing to weigh when getting sponsons is "Do I want to sacrafice the ability to get my bow up in 3' waves to gain the ability to get on plane faster and with less speed." 

For me the answer was yes, but everyone fishes differently.


----------



## swampfox (May 9, 2007)

We'll my old Lostmen had huge sponsons. And it sucked in tight turning at slow speed. Like docking at GladesHaven. I couldn't get that SOB to turn fer shiat  I even got afew hecklers from the shrimp wranglers at the bait shop.  but as far as fishing in creeks or on the flats. It was a non issue. That's the negative with sponsons. Under power it actually makes the boat grip more in turns. Take the HB Whiprays for example. They are known to slide in turns. You have to be on the tabs and throttle to work around it. But when they added sponsons to the Whipray to make the Professional. It improved the handling dramatically. You can't get one of those to spin out in a turn. Much like my Lostmen. Plus they carry the wieight better. The main draw back for me. Is that they just ruin a boats looks. A boat spinning on a dime while poling isn't something I find myself needing. Never understood the hype on spinning easy


----------



## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

My 17.8 grips in turns while on plane like no other boat I have been in. It is extremely grippy on plane and would run a winding creek without any problems. On pole it spins pretty easy no complaints there either. The sponsons help offset the added weight of the 4 strokes while at rest or on the pole. At idle speed around the dock it's not the most nimble of boats but I dont really care about its idle speed handling.


----------



## mxbeebop (Mar 22, 2013)

My Caimen grips hard in corners its pretty fun. I think the inside sponson grips the water when at an angle.


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

My boat has Sponsons and it help keep that big 4 stroke level, hold to bait wells and is something I stand on to pee. Just say'en 

Turning or loading is no problem nor is poling


----------



## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

Love the look of a skiff with sponsons. Helps with fitting a garage if needed. I think it might effect backing, especially turning while backing. I prefer them. Had them on all my flats boats.


----------



## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

I've got two roughly similar boats, one with sponsons (float pods around here) one without. They both turn and handle about the same.


----------



## Thomas1 (Oct 20, 2011)

If you have 2 boats the same length- one with sponsons and one without - the one with sponsons will draft more. The sponson boat has more material (weight) and less surface for bouyancy. If you are talking about a 16 waterman to an 18 waterman with 2' sponsons, then yes, it helps with the motor weight, but your boat is a 16 with sponsons added on to call it an 18. They turn about the same under power, but not under pole or low speeds - they don't perform well there. With the giant trim tabs people run on these boats the added help to get on plane is a wash. They will help you fit in the garage, but really have no other benefit. The salesman will tell you otherwise though.


----------



## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

Not sure about that statement. If you have two 18 ft boats side by side the boat with sponsons will have the motor further forward. The sponsons will hang out past the transom even with the motor to help displace the weight. The boat without sponsons has the motor further back in the balance point and  no surface area past the transom to help displace the weight of the motor. I would think the sponson boat would draft less with all other factors such as motor weight being equal. The weight of the material for the sponsons seems negligible since they provide additional displacement and are typically hollow or foam filled.

A non sponson boat should pivot easier while poling however I think the placement of the poling platform and design play into this equation to some extent. That's why you see platforms that are swept forward, vertical as well as swept back 
A boat that pivots / spins overly easy while poling isnt always a great trait. That tendancy to pivot at the slightest touch will also work against you when you are trying to pole straight for any sort of distance. Any sort of wind or current will magnify that characteristic making it more of a challenge to track straight which results in extra work for the person poling.


----------



## brew1891 (Dec 10, 2006)

I have owned a 16 Waterman and now have an 18 Guide. Have been on a Vantage too many times to count. I can speak from experience on this one. 

On plane it's not a big deal. The regular Vantage has huge sponsons and can do a damn 180 so sharp it'll throw you out. Some designs of course turn better than others. 

Slow speed is a whole other story. Sponson boats do not back up as well or turn as well forward compared to a non-sponson design. Some sponson boats are better than others. Sponson shape plays a part. 

A sponson boat doesn't spin as well on the pole. But it really is negligible for most people. Some Keys guides swear by the non-sponson design for Tarpon fishing.


----------



## Thomas1 (Oct 20, 2011)

> Not sure about that statement. If you have two 18 ft boats side by side the boat with sponsons will have the motor further forward. The sponsons will hang out past the transom even with the motor to help displace the weight. The boat without sponsons has the motor further back in the balance point and  no surface area past the transom to help displace the weight of the motor. I would think the sponson boat would draft less with all other factors such as motor weight being equal. The weight of the material for the sponsons seems negligible since they provide additional displacement and are typically hollow or foam filled.


If you take a section out of a hull it will draft more if the weight is equal. Moving the motor forward changes the center of balance, not the draft. Also, there is more square feet of fiberglass used to make an indention in the transom instead of a flat transom, which makes the hull weigh more prior to adding any rigging. It's not the weight of the sponsons, it's the weight of the motorwell area. So you end up with a heavier boat that has lost some of its bouyancy.


----------



## MariettaMike (Jun 14, 2012)

Thanks for the responses on turning. Looks like the consensus is sponsons improve turning on plane, with negligible effects off plane unless the beam of the boat is really wide.


----------



## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

> > Not sure about that statement. If you have two 18 ft boats side by side the boat with sponsons will have the motor further forward. The sponsons will hang out past the transom even with the motor to help displace the weight. The boat without sponsons has the motor further back in the balance point and  no surface area past the transom to help displace the weight of the motor. I would think the sponson boat would draft less with all other factors such as motor weight being equal. The weight of the material for the sponsons seems negligible since they provide additional displacement and are typically hollow or foam filled.
> 
> 
> If you take a section out of a hull it will draft more if the weight is equal. Moving the motor forward changes the center of balance, not the draft. Also, there is more square feet of fiberglass used to make an indention in the transom instead of a flat transom, which makes the hull weigh more prior to adding any rigging. It's not the weight of the sponsons, it's the weight of the motorwell area. So you end up with a heavier boat that has lost some of its bouyancy.


I would not say the above is the rule. Moving a motor forward may help draft since most boats sag since so much weight is on the stern. So moving weight towards the balance point might lessen draft. Again not the rule, but sponsons might not weigh more than a smooth transom. Many smooth transom boats have some type of core material al the way across. Where as my boat only has extra thick material where the motor is. The sponson are just like hull sides. So weight of these two designs might be very close. There is not rule. Depends on design and materials.


----------



## Ginclear (Aug 11, 2013)

Our 18 Waterman holds in powered turns like it's on rails.We can't make it slide.
We sometimes run winding mangrove creeks of variable depths and edged with reefs
jacked up and tabbed down at planing speeds with precision. No slipping and no sliding.
We do have a minimal tunnel (2/14" deep X 13"wide X 2' long).I honestly don't know if 
this hurts or helps. I think that the key slot helps with bite and balance on the turns.
The skiff responds naturally to the pole. That is to say, it goes where you aim it. And it
will behave in a wind. Any direction. Many times we have poled after a fish as it turned
regardless of the wind direction.

Our 16 Waterman also turns without sliding. No key slot, of course, and no jackplate, tiller
steering, 25 2s Merc. However, we have a friend who did a 360 in a mangrove creek in his
16 Waterman and ended up ass backward in the mangroves. He runs a 40 4s Merc with a
jackplate. Don't know how fast he was going when he slid out, but we now power down a
little and lean the skiff just before a sharp turn and then power up through the turn . Just to
be safe. Seems to work as we still have not slid the 16. Now this skiff is an ultralight (325 lbs)
no liner, no side deck 2000 model. Poles very, very well and spins easily in light winds. So it
is our go to skiff in low wind and low tide days. If the wind gets up above 12mph, we start
wishing we were in the 18. The 16 gets hard to pole in the wind. Is that a factor of no key slot?
The weight? The length? All three? All I do know is that the 18 never gets hard to pole.
Of course, it won't pole in 4 1/2" with the 2 of us aboard like the 16 will, either.


----------



## Creek Runner (Sep 1, 2011)

16' whip turns on rails

17.8 pro turns nicely but not as nice as the 16' whip

My Marquesa turns on rails, and much better than the old design Marquesa. 

Just my .02, now everyone can tell me I'm wrong.


----------



## captain._nate (Jun 22, 2012)

i had an ecc vantage and a vantage vhp. the vantage carved like it was on rails and the vhp wasnt too shabby either. from what i understand sponsons will make the boat slightly harder to spin on the pole.


----------



## fishtrapper (Jun 6, 2009)

I owned a Caimen for several years.

The caimen will turn so sharp at speed you will not even believe that the boat can turn that sharp. When the boat is moving at slow speed it is not the best turning boat in the world....but you get use to it and learn tricks on how to make the boat turn better.

I will give up the slow speed turning every day for all of the advantages the sponsons provide


----------



## flytyn (Aug 21, 2012)

I had a Caimen with sponsons, and under speed turns great. I used mine a lot flyfishing tarpon on the beachside bars. It does not spin quick enough when you need to make quick moves. I had a dolphin superskiff and now a 16 Whip both without sponsons and both the easiest skiffs to spin quickly when on the pole.  If you are going to do a lot of poling and need to be able to spin without much effort I'd stay away from sponsons. Just my experience. If you are not poling a lot go for it.


----------



## cosgrcs (Mar 11, 2012)

Having owned a 16' whip and now a marquesa I can tell you that the whip skids way more in the bends. At low speed it is negligible but on plane you better watch out. Talk to anyone who has ever owned or run a 16 and they will tell you it hates turning left without skidding. The Marquesa is way better but IMO the 17.8 pro is the best turning skiff I have driven. With all this being said I still love driving the old 16 whips, it's like a go cart or 911 that can bite you but keep you interested. The skidding in combination with the bow steering will def keep you on your toes.


----------



## [email protected] (Nov 6, 2013)

^^^ Very true. I compare my 16 waterman to a shifter cart all the time. It's a blast to drive but you have to get used to it. I prefer to slide it in turn now but it is not an exact sience. I have had her get away from me more than a couple times.


----------



## Godzuki86 (Nov 30, 2013)

> 16' whip turns on rails
> 
> 17.8 pro turns nicely but not as nice as the 16' whip
> 
> ...


Creek, That is all non-factual information. 








;D


----------



## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

Turning characteristics of a hull depend a lot more on deadrise, motor height, hp, prop, and skeg then they do on sponsons. I can raise the jackplate on my tunnel hull until only an inch or two of the skeg is below the keel. In this configuration the boat likes to go sideways almost as much as frontways. If I lower the motor until the AC plate is skimming the surface, the boat rides and turns smoothly and stably.


----------

