Hey guys, I'm new to the forum. I bought a ZT260 this summer and frankly I don't know how to drive it. The boat is making about 650hp right now. I've never owned a big, fast boat before. I opened it up like the second time I took it out and it got super squirrely, scared my friends to death and frankly scared me a bit too. How fast do you guys run a ZT260? I think the mistake I made was on the trim tabs and the engine trim. I had both all the way up. How should I be using those at high speeds? After that day I didn't get the boat over maybe 50-60 mph.
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Questions about ZT260
- Thread starter jmarcum
- Start date
corey331
Well-known member
The best thing will be seat time honestly. Every boat is a little different. Go out by yourself or with a buddy, wear a good life jacket and ATTACH YOUR KILL LANYARD!! Then just play a little. I will say, if you have your trim all the way up, that's going to be way too much.
anotherrunner83
Active member
Good on you for asking for advice! I would recommend trim tabs down and the outdrive all the way down starting out. This will keep a lot of the hull in the water and be much more stable. Then, bring the tabs up and feel the difference. You will feel the boat "free up" with small changes. Then put the tabs back down and bring the trim up and feel the difference. Then move the tabs up to zero and bring the trim up. You will have to learn what feels "right" for you.
corey331
Well-known member
"Safe" is the judgement of the driver. If you are concerned, slow down. Also, don't worry about hitting speed numbers just yet. Just get used to driving it. Once it starts to walk on ya a little bit, start giving it some steering input to straighten it out. I've never been in a zt260, but just about every other fast Checkmate I've been in, once it hits 75 or so, that's when the "driving" really starts.
And yes, in my earlier post I was referring to the drive trim. As far as the trim tabs go, my guess is your boat will be happiest somewhere between neutral and all the way up. My 253 runs best with the tabs all the way up, but that will change when I install my k-planes I'm sure. But like it was previously stated, you'll just have to play with it and see, every boat is different.
Also, what prop are you running? The prop can have a HUGE effect of the handling of a boat. Just another thing to think about.
anotherrunner83
Active member
As stated above, "safe" is driver judgement. Rough is also relative. What some folks call chop could be rough to another. What is this "incident" that you refer to? Chine walk, did the boat veer off course, lose control of the wheel, etc.? Do you have hydraulic steering?
Also, if you are in "rough" water, I wouldn't be trimmed to the sky. If you do, you will likely feel the stern of the boat jumping around on you, and that's a feeling that I don't like.
Also, if you are in "rough" water, I wouldn't be trimmed to the sky. If you do, you will likely feel the stern of the boat jumping around on you, and that's a feeling that I don't like.
The boat just got really wild, threw the passenger out of his seat. Not really sure how to describe it, I felt like we were not so out of control by my two passengers strongly disagreed. I guess I'd say the boat just got really wobbly side to side and bouncy up and down, but I was still able to steer it just fine. My friend was saying that I didn't have enough of the boat in the water.
I've never owned a boat anything like this before, my last boat was an underpowered 21' Mariah. With that boat, I just trimmed the motor all the way and run full throttle and it was fine. LOL I see now this boat is going to work a bit differently.
As far as what prop am I running, I honestly have not looked at it yet. It feels okay though. Planes out really well and it's easy to keep on plane even at slow speeds. I haven't felt it on the top end because the carb is WAY too small so I can't run it hard anyway, I intend to fuel inject it before spring.
I've never owned a boat anything like this before, my last boat was an underpowered 21' Mariah. With that boat, I just trimmed the motor all the way and run full throttle and it was fine. LOL I see now this boat is going to work a bit differently.
As far as what prop am I running, I honestly have not looked at it yet. It feels okay though. Planes out really well and it's easy to keep on plane even at slow speeds. I haven't felt it on the top end because the carb is WAY too small so I can't run it hard anyway, I intend to fuel inject it before spring.
PA-Checkmate
Active member
You got way more power than my 270 Convincor which took most of last summer to figure out how to begin driving it. No more porpoise/bounce at any speed for load. Take your time...
Do you have Hydraulic Steering?
First of all everything stated in the previous posts are 100% accurate.
1) Do you have Hydraulic Steering? If not have it installed or install it yourself if you are capable. Kunkel Marine in Ontario Ohio did mine and Jason Kunkel knows Checkmate’s.
2). What prop? 3 Blade, 4 Blade, 5 Blade? As stated by others the prop makes a huge difference.
3) Learn to drive the boat at 50 and the. 60 before you run the boat at 70. My wife with tell you from riding in mine, 50 is smooth, 60 is fun, 70 is wild, 80 she is scared ****less and 85 and above she thinks she is going to die!!
4) Use your lanyard and a very good well fitted vest when you take it out for speed runs. Run with your tabs up and slowly bring the drive trim up at around 3,500 RPMs. When you raise the trim do it a very small amounts and feel the bow start to come out of the water. Drive her like that then take her to 4,000 RPMs. When you get comfortable increase the RPMs again but control it don’t just put the throttle down and raise the trim.
I am running very similar power in a 24’ Stiletto Open Bow and can tell you when I hit 85 my stern lifts and she starts to bow steer, not fun but you can drive thru it. When you have guests the weight distribution will change how she handles. Use the same method to get the feel for the boat.
My boat will run 70 in 3 foot chop better then at 35. Get quantity seat time in your boat before finding out what she will do top end. As I was told a Checkmate is not a point and shoot hull you need to learn to drive it.
First of all everything stated in the previous posts are 100% accurate.
1) Do you have Hydraulic Steering? If not have it installed or install it yourself if you are capable. Kunkel Marine in Ontario Ohio did mine and Jason Kunkel knows Checkmate’s.
2). What prop? 3 Blade, 4 Blade, 5 Blade? As stated by others the prop makes a huge difference.
3) Learn to drive the boat at 50 and the. 60 before you run the boat at 70. My wife with tell you from riding in mine, 50 is smooth, 60 is fun, 70 is wild, 80 she is scared ****less and 85 and above she thinks she is going to die!!
4) Use your lanyard and a very good well fitted vest when you take it out for speed runs. Run with your tabs up and slowly bring the drive trim up at around 3,500 RPMs. When you raise the trim do it a very small amounts and feel the bow start to come out of the water. Drive her like that then take her to 4,000 RPMs. When you get comfortable increase the RPMs again but control it don’t just put the throttle down and raise the trim.
I am running very similar power in a 24’ Stiletto Open Bow and can tell you when I hit 85 my stern lifts and she starts to bow steer, not fun but you can drive thru it. When you have guests the weight distribution will change how she handles. Use the same method to get the feel for the boat.
My boat will run 70 in 3 foot chop better then at 35. Get quantity seat time in your boat before finding out what she will do top end. As I was told a Checkmate is not a point and shoot hull you need to learn to drive it.