Need help proping a 88 Startos 201. Evinrude 200 HP

[REBRANGER]

I have a 19' Stratos, 201, 88 model, with a 200 hp Evinrude HP. With a 14.5 x 22 Raker 3 blade, with three (3) 3/16"air holes. The motor cavitation plate is 1/2" below pad, it runs about 55 mph Gps at 5500 rpm. However, the hole shot is slow, takes about a 1/2 to a minute to get on plane (bow very high, hard to see) with trim all the way down (in). Live wells empty, 1/2 tank (12 gals) gas on left side, right side 1/2 tank (12 gal), 4 bats (200#'s), 2 avg (175#) folks, fishing gear in front lockers (150#s),
Jack plate is set at 1.5 inches, with about a 6" setback. Pad height about 9 inches. Water pressure runs about 10 - 15 psi on plane, 5 at idle, new kit. .
My question is this:
I have two extra 4 blades that came with the boat. One is a 13 3/4 x 25 Ballistic, No. 435036, Attwod (no holes) & the other is a 13 1/4 x 27 Shooter, no holes, Attwood, (No. 431719). What prop, 3 or 4 blade, do I run to get a quicker plane and maintain my top end. I usually run about 4000 to 4500, 40 - 45 mph GPS, rarely go WOT.
I'm looking for economy (gas mileage) and quicker hole shot (to get on plane).

[mdtritn21]

Measure your prop to pad then set it at 3 1/2" below to start with and see what the 22" raker will do. A 24" raker would be what I'd run but with all those batteries I'd try the 22" first. http://www.bbcboards.net/champion-bo...ne-harper.html

[REBRANGER]

Revise the measurements, jack plate is a 4 inch setback, not 6". Pad height is 14.5 inches, from floor to bottom of hull, not the transom step, hieght of prop shaft is 7 inches off floor, so is "Pad hiegth" 7.5 inches? Transom has a "step", thus I could have measured from wrong place. Jack plate is up 1" acording to measurement on side of plate. I haven't moved it. It was that way when I bought it. Also note that I'm running in very warm (90 degree) water. Thanks

[rchavis]

Your boat is 20' 1'' and set the motor at 3.50 below pad . You need the holes to be more hole (vents) help with your hole shot ? With your motor you will always have a littler problem with hole shot . These boats need the torgue of the 3L motor to get them out the hole with a load . The 22P may be a good prop for the summer time . But the 24P is the over all prop in the cooler months .
I have the same boat with a Mercury 2.5 200 HP motor . With a 6 inch plate set @ 3.50 below pad . Good water pressure and gps around 68 mph @6000 rpms with a 25P Tempest plus and I drop down to a 24P in the summer time . It start to chine walk bad around 65to 67mph .....there is still so more in her .
If you can get your hands on a Tempest try it , but you will have to have the Mercury to OMC hub kit .
Also I just thought of the OMC motors like to run a tad lower than the Mercury and Yam motors. I would start around 4'' below pad and move up a 1/4 '' until you lose speed water pressur e then drop it back down a 1/4 '' .

[REBRANGER]

Near as I can figure, its 14.5 " high to bottom of boat, prop shaft is 7 inches off floor, thus 7.5 inches prop shaft to Pad,


right??? Doesn't that sound a little (like 3.5 inches) too deep?
With the Raker, 14.5 x 22 @ 5500 rpm I get about 55 mph GPS. Trimming up helps a little.
With the Ballistic , 13.75 x 25 @ 5500 rpm, I get 60 + mph GPS. Trimming up helps a whole lot!
With the SHooter, 13.25 x 27 @ 5000 rpm, I get about 50 mph GPS. Trimming up doesn't help much.
SO what's your advice? Raise the motor up? Cut air holes in the Shooter & / or the Ballistic?
Sell 'em & get a better suited prop?

[mdtritn21]

Mark the side of the plate so you know where you started then raise the motor so the prop shaft is 4" under first then run it and see what happens since that plate is only 4". Don't move the motor and change props and give it more venting just do one thing at a time and see what happens. That way if it improves then you do one more thing but if it screws up worse you know what to change back. I'd also look for a 24" raker or a 25" renegade prop. What year is that 200 motor.

[REBRANGER]

My 'Rude is a 89 model, with new 225 power heads & reeds, I'm pretty sure the lower gear case is stock, so I think it should have 1.86 gears. There's a L model & a M model. According to the online slip calculator, there's 11% slip with the 22 & 26% slip with the 27.
So here's what I am getting:
Raker 14.5 x 22 with 3/16 air holes @ 5500 rpm = 55 mph, gps, fair hole shot
Ballistic 13.75 x 25 @ 5500 rpm = 60+ mph, gps, not much (poor) hole shot, bogs. Even tho it has a 4" hub, feels like it needs more slip to get on power curve / band
Shooter 13.25 x 27 @ 5000 rpm = 50 mph, gps, fair hole shot

I thought about getting the Ballistic re pitched to a 24, but my prop man here in Huntsville, The Prop SHop, says they're so thin that he's scared to mess with it.

[ol man river]

Near as I can figure, its 14.5 " high to bottom of boat, prop shaft is 7 inches off floor, thus 7.5 inches prop shaft to Pad,

http://www.bbcboards.net/bass-boat-s...-prop-pad.html

[REBRANGER]

Yep that the way I measured it, way back in Feb. But I never jacked it up. I am advised the ideal setting may be around 3 to 3.25 inches, which would mean moving the motor & jackplate up 4 inches. I have been hesitant to make that drastic of a change as its seems to run & handle well enough now, BUT the grass is coming on strong on Lake Guntersville & there are 2 Frog tourneys coming up, SO I think I'll go on & jack it up and try it,
Thanks OlMan

[rchavis]

Could you post some pics of your set-up. It will also help ?

[mactlman]

i run my 2000 20ss with 2000 200hp ficht at 3-3.25 below pad with my 25 renegade or 26 raker. somewhere about 3-3.5 seems to be where the stratos boats all want to be

[mdtritn21]

The thing you don't have is a 6" or 8" plate and with that little set back I'd try it at 4" under. You have an older model boat and a motor that will turn 6000 rpms as long as it's got good water pressure.

[REBRANGER]

Thanks that gives me a starting point. To raise it 3.5 inches I'm gonna run out of room (threads) on jack plate adjustment, so to get it 3 or 3.25" above pad, I'll have to move the motor transom brackets up! Chore! Think I'll try it at 4' first
tryin to get pics uploaded

[REBRANGER]

prop shaft to floor 3.jpgpad height from floor 3.jpgmotor bracket above jack plate.jpgjack plate hieght.jpgstratos jack plate setback meas (2).jpg

[REBRANGER]

props
gap between prop housing.jpg4 blade edge.jpg4 blade cup at tip.jpg4 blade rear no.jpg3 blade air hole.jpg

[mdtritn21]

Stand back and shoot a picture of the boat, motor and trailer from the back and from the side where your doing the measuring with the lower unit level and pad showing. Is the floor under the boat level? If the floor is level then you measure from pad to floor and then from prop shaft to floor and the difference is how far your under pad.

[rchavis]

Note.....You look close to 3.5 below or higher by the pic. I have the same plate ,but a 6 inch one by DI Turbo . Like said above me .Have the boat level with the trailer jack ...then level the motor with the trim ...with a lever on the caviton plate . Then Get some one to help you with the lever on the pad ..middle of the boat across the side of the motor . You want the prop shaft around 4 '' below the pad . Just eye the shaft on the bullet part of the lower unit are all the way across ?

[rchavis]

That is a 27P prop and is going to be to much prop for your boat and motor ? I would try the Raker 22P as the heat of the summer on now . Just watch your RPMs and dont go over what the motor is rcommmend ?

[rchavis]

Looking at the pics again the motor looks like it is still trim up some and not level . As is the level in the other pic of the lower unit? You want the level to come level from the pad across the lower unit then get a measurement ? You may need some one to help hold the level , so you can get the measurement ? You all most there .
Also flip the level up so you can see the bead and get the reading from the top of it .

[REBRANGER]

Thanks, I re-did my measuring & sure 'nuf it wasn't level! Leveled it & it was 5" below pad instead of 7"!! DUH! I had to let the trailer tongue jack all the way down to get the bottom level!
So I raised it to 4.5" below pad & will try that. Reckon I ought to go on & go 4" now rather than try to do it on the water? LOL