I have looked at other forums but cant find a good topic that really relates to my situation, so I come to the OB looking for some advice from those with experience related to jack plates. Got rid of my surface drive motor and have gone back to the good ol' outboard, and I am trying to determine if I can really get any benefit out of adding a jack plate to my current set up. 1444 Alweld flat bottom (std. transom) w/ 25 HP 4-stroke short shaft motor. Cav plate on the motor sits about an inch maybe a little more below the hull.

Being that the cav plate is already close to the bottom of the hull, what should I expect to gain by adding a jack plate? The set back distance of the one I had been eyeing is ~4". I recall there being a rule of thumb for distance set back from transom vs. height of cav plate, but I cant recall exactly what that was.

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Posted by dragboatscott

Member since Mar 2007

423 posts

Posted on 12/16/20 at 3:02 pm to Rob Perillo

There's really no rule of thumb but the further you go back the higher you can go, to an extent. The main thing being your engine water pressure. You would definitely benefit from a jack plate. That 4" setback plate would probably let you come up 3" or 4" from where you are now. Just keep and eye on your water. It'll be faster and will act differently but you won't really know until you do it. At the very least, you'll get more shallow water and snag clearance!

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Posted by armsdealer

Member since Feb 2016

12272 posts

Posted on 12/16/20 at 5:17 pm to Rob Perillo

I think a jack plate is a necessity in the marsh.

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Posted by KJNTiger

Madisonville

Member since Jun 2020

8 posts

Posted on 12/16/20 at 7:50 pm to armsdealer

Agreed I use mine almost every time I’m in my boat

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Posted by Rob Perillo

Member since Feb 2017

495 posts

Posted on 12/17/20 at 7:40 am to dragboatscott

No doubt! I thought it was something like 1" of lift above the bottom of the boat for every 1" of setback but I was not sure. I think that I have one picked out that I am going to pull the trigger on.

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Posted by bluemoons

the marsh

Member since Oct 2012

5830 posts

Posted on 12/17/20 at 9:16 am to Rob Perillo

I've got an Atlas micro on my duck boat. It's an 1852 with an F60. The boat/motor/jack plate combo is pretty ridiculous and I can run pretty much anywhere I could with the pro drive I previously had on the boat.

I would call Atlas and talk with them about it. That's a small boat for even a micro. Not saying it can't be done - I've seen jack plates on 1444's and 1448's. I would just check with them about potential performance gains prior to buying and installing. Generally, the jack plate will help you idle shallower, run shallower, and allow you to dial in the cohesion between your boat and your motor that you wouldn't be able to do otherwise.

This post was edited on 12/17/20 at 9:18 am

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Posted by reggo75

Iowa, LA

Member since Jan 2016

1433 posts

Posted on 12/17/20 at 11:17 am to Rob Perillo

I changed motors on my 1548 Alweld this past summer. I did find some info and if I remember correctly. They were recommending 1/4" lift per Inch of Setback but it is always different with each hull, jackplate, and motor combo.

They recommended lifting 1/4" at a time until the motor starts cavitating. Then drop back down 1/4" to the previous setting and leave it there. Make sure you check it while making moderate turns as well.

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