Question: Power poles on 2007 Skeeter 20i with 36v Ultrex ? ? ?
I am picking up my 2007 Skeeter 20i in 2 weeks. Pictures of the battery compartment show it full of 4 batteries, oil tank and a 4 bank battery charger.
I would like to add 2 Power Poles but do not see room for the 2 PP Pumps required. I have been looking for Talons which do NOT require pumps in the boat but would prefer Power Poles.
If you have a Skeeter with 2 power poles + 4 batteries . . where did you find space for the 2 PP Pumps.
Thanks for any help !
Jerry Magnuson
Mesquite, Nevada
I have an 09 20i and my pumps are in the rear, port side storage compartment.
Just pointing something out - when the i series boats came out, anchor poles, 36v trolling motors, and Ultrex's were not a thing and that hull is not designed for it. Expect about a 10mph hit adding poles, and a 36v ultrex. I think the Skeeter i Boat transom is pretty solid, but I'd definitely think twice before adding poles to older, lower tier, boats with weaker transoms. I experienced the performance hit first hand on my '07 20i, and that was the leading reason I bought a new boat.
my kid has an '07 21i and runs 73-74mph; he also has his pumps in port side back box, and not trying to start an argument BUT i'm not sure i have EVER heard anyone refer to the i class as a lower tier boat, most people including myself wish they would return the i boats
Originally Posted by Mattsuey
Never said the i-Class was a lower tier, I was referring to adding things on the transom on lower tier boats, like the SX's (didn't really want to name them). SX's aren't even rated for jackplates.
Me and a buddy have added PP to 5 or 6 boats and we use the back storage compartment as well. I attach both pumps to a piece of 1' board and velcro or screw the board to the bottom of the storage. This way you take up less than half of the space and can easily get to your pumps. I can send a pic if you want to PM your number or email.
Scott Smith
Blanchard, OK
2014 FX 20 Yamaha 250 SHO
My 2009 iclass has a 1/2” thick piece of aluminum on each side of the transom that runs on a 45 degree to the bottom of the hull. I also had my pumps in the compartment, once I re-powered with a sho I moved the pumps in the back and mounted them to the aluminum transom supports. I agree that is pretty busy back there, and you really have to plan out anything you do back there. I actually got 2 sheets pieces of aluminum and cut them and bent them and put a small unnoticeable angle on them and put stand off’s
under them and mounted the 2 batteries on each side. I was tired of the livewell overflow slit next to the lids draining right on top of the batteries. But at least now I’m directing the water to run into the bilge area.
Oh and I didn’t lose any performance adding the poles.. You just have to make sure that they aren’t dragging in the water. Skeeter boats like weight in the back. But I also have all lithium batteries. I also thought the boat would an awesome gain after dropping the AGM’s. Not the case. Boat actually had more lift with the heavier batteries.
This is what happens to a lot of people after switching to lithiums. You low bow lift....slows the boat down.
A 36v lithium battery would solve all those problems.
10mph is kinda stretching it though. I have a 2003 TZX190 with a 2023 SHO 150. I added dual power pole blades and an Ultrex and lost about 1/2 of a mile per hour…around 9-1/2 less than you are suggesting. Haha.
Sorry, but only losing 1/2 mph after adding dual poles and an Ultrex (even if it wasn’t the 36v version), on a 150 on top of that, seems more unbelievable… unless you were not fully optimized on your full speed to begin with. You will lose more than that just adding a second person in the boat.
A lot of my loss was recoverable, a simple prop change got back 5 mph, but I could never quite get that other 5mph, comparing full load to full load. I was pretty optimzed prior though, getting 75.5mph on a full load - I think those are the setups that get penealized the most.
Last edited by JJohnSind; 04-13-2024 at 09:35 AM.
I have a 2008 20i with everything you mentioned. My pumps were mounted in the battery compartment under a tall aluminum shelf. My 4 bank MK PC 460 was mounted on top of the shelf. I have since upgraded to Ionic lithium batteries, one 36V and one 12V, which gives me plenty of room to see and service everything. I couldn’t before with the fixed tray. The only performance hit I took was low end porpoising. I can’t trim up as much at low speed. I bought a Bob’s hydraulic plate to address that and will mount it soon.
I also removed the big charger and went with a Stealth1 and NOCO single bank charger. Works great!
Last edited by 84rickygreen; 04-16-2024 at 07:34 AM.
I forgot to add that I went from four lead acid 31’s to two Ionic 50’s and one Ionic 125….net was about 1/2-1 mph lost during the change. The pumps and poles were nowhere near as big of a factor as it was going from a Maxxis to an Ultrex. The extra weight on the very front and the added wind resistance are likely the real creators of the loss.
Sometimes people underestimate the effect of wind resistance. All those graphs, extra transducers and 360 on trolling motor, and power poles, I’m sure all contribute to performance hits. I noticed that Allison has a fairing in front of the motor. They’ve got efficient speed figured out, so I’m sure it makes a difference.
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