An 18 fter with a Yamaha OR a 4 stroke?
An 18 fter with a Yamaha OR a 4 stroke?
I’m running a 2019 model 296 (19’3”) with a mercury 150HP Pro XS 4 stroke
2019 Charger 296
2019 ProXS 4S
Went from Charger to Ranger to Tracker i wouldn't suggest a tin boat to anyone unless it's a pad hull.
Miss my 186 steady 65mph loaded 68 light rock solid to fish from and handled rough water like bigger boats.
It performs really well. I was going to swap motors and go with the 200 HP but after running it with the 150 HP I really didn’t see a reason to fuss with it. The boat jumps right on pad regardless of how much weight I have in it and will run 56-57 MPH wether I load it light or keep it completely full... Right after the break-in period and before I loaded it down (batteries, graphs, gear and Ghost TM) I could run 60 MPH. I’d like to get the extra 5ish MPH but like I said, I didn’t think it was worth the fuss. The 150 merc 4S is pretty impressive IMO. The performance seems to be there and it’s really easy on fuel. The boat handles well, is very responsive and provides a stable fishing platform even when there’s a 300 lbr on the back deck. The cockpit feels forward so at first, the big water on windy days was intimidating bc it was easy to forget it’s a 19’+ boat. It didn’t take long to build confidence and I can say it handles it very well. I’ve been very pleased with it.
2019 Charger 296
2019 ProXS 4S
They sold over 3500 195 (basically a 296 new version) and that hull has proven to be great .Guys just loved that boat for obvious reasons.
Good to hear you’re happy with it! Upper 50s is plenty fast 99% of the time. The 296 is a great boat.