I whacked my prop on some rocks while loading when the lake was low. I’m going to replace it but using this as a chance to re-evaluate if I have the right prop.
Boat - Crestliner VT 18 (Aluminum Mod V hull)
Motor - Mercury 115 Pro XS; 2.07 gear ratio
Current Prop - Black Max 17P Aluminum
Speed - 42-43 (gps)
RPM - 6100-6200 (on board analog tach); if I trim any more the RPMs jump to about 6400 but the speed drops to 39-40 and the boat feels like it bogs down.
Setup - Motor is in the middle hole.
This is my first boat, so I don’t have much to compare it to in terms of hole shot and handling. They feel fine. I’m not looking to move the motor any, but if I could eek out a few extra MPH that’d be great.
Note that when the boat was new we also tried a Spitfire X7 19P and the boat didn’t like that prop. We couldn’t get it turn it faster than 5100 RPMs (that was with the dealer trying various motor heights). That said; since then we’ve added some trim tabs because I was also having a porpoising issue which is now resolved. I’ve also since swapped a Maxxum for an Ultrex which is heavier.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks guys!