TOPIC: Need suggestions.

We need help or suggestions.

We have a 1959 Herters Flying Fish, with a 1991 40 h.p. Mercury outboard motor on it. Also have a 12-gallon plastic gas tank in the back, along with a battery, and the normal safety gear.

With two people in the front and two in the rear seats, the boat sits in the water with the two motor well drains approx. 1/2" out of the water. Is this too much weight in the boat, or in the back?

Also, with a Sabre boat, at high speed, water comes in over the transom. Does this mean that the motor is sitting too deep in the water? Should we raise the motor? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Every boat sits in the water at different heights - dependent on design, load weight, load placement, etc. It's only a problem if a safety issue presents itself.

As far as the water over the transom, not uncommon with a Merc that's riding deep as the motor leg tends to funnel water up between the clamp brackets when its sitting to low on the transom. Raising the motor ought to do away with that... If you know you don't have a long-shaft-motor-on-a-short-shaft-boat issue, then go incrementally - I've used a wooden yard stick cut into 12-inch strips to act as shims. Lift the motor, insert shim, re-clamp motor, test. Repeat until either the water issue goes away or the motor's performance drops off. Also keep an eye on your waterpump output as you don't want to overheat the motor.

Four adults, and 12 gallons of gas in the rear is quite alot for such a small boat. The Merc should be lighter than an original outboard of that era.
IMO.. you are probably overloading the boat.

A photo of the motor-height on the Sabre would help... but you have probably correctly diagnosed the problem. This is a common cause.

i agree....

my 15' has a 12 gal , Merc 500 w/ power trim, plus batteries at thte back.....
with 2 people its not bad but when my kids are in its hard to go slow in it due to it nosing the fron up.....under WOT it planes out an goes....

perhaps I should look into a smaller tank too?.....but 12 is nice for vacation cruising the lake.