920 XP Boat Handling, has anyone else experienced....

[blb1968]

Hey guys, still learning my new boat.... but have figured something that seems to be quite unique. So I am getting really good performance by myself with livewells empty or full, seems to be about 1 MPH difference. However with a passenger I am losing close to another 2 MPH. That just seems to me to be a lot. (200 lb person give or take). Also with second person boat does not turn well to the left, wants to hop. Does not do this with just myself. With all the reading on boat loading, etc I do have some heavier plastics in the back passenger box (load which in the old boat I carried in front center or front right rod locker).

I intend to go back to my old method of carrying load and see if anything changes just to see.

Current Performance numbers:
3/4 tank gas, no poles, 1 person livewells empty, 85 deg water: 5775-5800/74.5-75 MPH.
Same w/ livewells full: 73.5
Same w/ livewells full and Two people: 71-71.5 (Note with two people, very little difference with livewells full or empty).

Thoughts/Comments?

[bassmasterffej]

Flash your SHO to a 300 and get the speed back...

[DREWTICK]

what is the prop to pad height and which prop did you end up getting?, need to get those RPMs up

[blb1968]

Still with the Stock 26 T2. PTP about 2.75 inches. Going to run 25 T1 that has been worked next weekend, will then have something to compare against.
Thoughts on my comments about weight distribution and performance that I am seeing?

[DREWTICK]

that stock 26 is a little much for summer, 2 mph loss for a 200lb passenger is about right but with a 25 the weight wont affect it as much, do you know what boat the 25 was setup for? it could still be all wrong but defiantly worth trying it out.

[blb1968]

Don't know about what boat, just know I have ran it before on my skeeter zx20 and it was pretty good, so who knows but at least I will have something to compare it against.

Should I expect the RPMs to come up in the fall? From what I understand the answer should be NO, but the performance will come up just simply from the cooling water and air temps. Am I correct? I am wanting to know from a point of IF I decide to have a prop worked I want to ensure I am telling them the correct information.

[blb1968]

Don't intend to flash motor. My understanding is that voids the warranty.

[DREWTICK]

They will usually gain a few rpms in the cooler months but the SHO isn't affected as much by the heat as some 2 strokes,
If you get Mark to do your prop he will want to know
What boat and engine
Best speed at WOT and at what rpms
Prop to pad measurements
And what you expect out of it,

[Fishin is life]

Mines a mercury, but im losing 4-5mph by putting a passenger in the boat. Had my 921 at 73.8 by myself the other day and couldnt get 70 a couple days later with a passenger

[Wicked920]

My 920 with a ProXS will run 73.8 loaded with a partner and a tourney load, I hit right at 75 by myself and 1/2 tank or so of fuel. I do have poles and I've heard they cost you a MPH or two.

[MN Phoenix]

that stock 26 is a little much for summer, 2 mph loss for a 200lb passenger is about right but with a 25 the weight wont affect it as much, do you know what boat the 25 was setup for? it could still be all wrong but defiantly worth trying it out.

I think Drew is spot on. Helps midrange but should not hurt top end when loaded.

[OldTimer57]

well-tuned boats (setup) will lose 1-1.5mph per hundred pounds of weight added. Not much you can do. If the setup is not optimal, you might tweak and gain some speed. But when you add a 200 pound passenger, 2-3mph is about right. After tweaking my bass cat for a couple of months, back in February by myself I reached a peak of 78.5 with perfect water, and ran 77.5-78.5 regularly by myself. Add my son and dog (200 pounds, and we could not quite break 75. Ran 74.5 pretty consistently and we did manage 74.9 on an ideal day. Weight sucks. No idea how big your live well is, but if it holds 30 gallons, multiply by 8.3 pounds per gallon. Over 240 pounds. 2-3 mph lost. Difference between 20 gallons of gas and 50 gallons is almost 200 pounds (gas weighs just over 6 pounds per gallon). There's 2-3 mph also.

And it can be much worse. I had a hot-rodded Astro in the 90's that would break 85 with a 28" chopper (small-eared version). Add a 250 pound passenger and speed dropped to under 70 and prop slip went through the roof. That's an unusual case, to be sure, but the closer you get to optimal, the more you will probably lose. Really better to tweak the setup with the passenger aboard if that is how you normally run. Then just watch the tach by yourself to stay off the rev limiter with a lighter load. Or switch props.

[Fidgetcranker]

well-tuned boats (setup) will lose 1-1.5mph per hundred pounds of weight added. Really better to tweak the setup with the passenger aboard if that is how you normally run. Then just watch the tach by yourself to stay off the rev limiter with a lighter load. Or switch props.

^^^ +1

[DREWTICK]

A boat setup to run light with a higher pitch prop will suffer the most with the added weight, a 25T1 may be 3mph slower than the 26 but under a heavy load the 25 will not show as much loss in speed and the low to mid range will be much better.
if you plan to carry a passenger a lot and a tournament load and live in SC you will be very happy with a 25 T1 or T2 thats BP&b for your boat and as stated above , setup for a load and tweaked.Keep that 26 for those few months we have when its not above 90 or just for showing off when you are running light.

[blb1968]

Cool, taking in for 20 hour service and a few minor warranty items tomorrow. will be running 25T1 this coming weekend for a comparison. Looking forward to seeing what the difference might be. One interesting note from yesterday when I was running with a friend of mine who is a pretty big fella.....

First run of the morning about 70.5 5725 ish RPMs. Not unexpected at this point.... however at another point in the day just experimenting just kept raising the trim, got to about 5800 and was up to 71.5. May have learned something else yesterday. Just still learning..... way more sensitive boat that what I was use to with Skeeter which is fine, just have to learn the little nuisances with the boat and how it is loaded.

What I really need to do is figure out how to fill comfortable not carrying the kitchen sink....

This time of year though it is junk fishing...... however you can get a few bites is what you do down here on the Sav River Chain in SC. There are times when I am sure I could unload 50 pounds of stuff easy.... But that is just not how I am wired.

[blb1968]

Thanks again for all the help along the way.

No regrets at all with the Phoenix!!!!! Everyone who has been in the boat so far and has seen the boat loves it! Most important of all, is that I love it....

[blb1968]

So I tried a 25T2. Summary. Actually slower by myself in the boat vs. with my 26T2. Would turn more RPMs, got the boat a little further out of the water; but in the end slower. Mid range was real good. Best I could do was 74.5 at about 5850 RPM. Still need to try it with a second person in the boat, but I did fill the PORT livewell. Think I will stick with my 26T2. Little slower hole shot, but a little quicker on top end. Probably will end up buying a spare that I can get worked to essentially at 25.5. I think that would be about perfect. Still only 30 hours on motor. I here that somewhere between now and about 50 hours the motor should loosen up a bit. I here all you guys talk about turning 5900-5950 with the Sho to be maxed out, but I am just flat out not seeing that come to fruition for my setup. All jokes aside, about 5750-5800 on my 26T2 has been my best performance. 74.9, by myself; full gas, port livewell full. Thoughts?

[DREWTICK]

are you still at 2.75" P2P ? if so raise it up, most of us are running higher than that, the 25 T2 should easily turn 6K+

[blb1968]

Yeah, something close to that (2.75). Have manual jack plate as high as it will go in the motor mounts that it currently is set up with. may look and see if I have any room left at all. Thanks.

[DREWTICK]

my atlas was maxed out and I had to move the engine up one hole.