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Posts: 412
Location: Waukesha, WI | I am going to swing by the boat dealer to grab a prop to try. It's coming time when I'll have the livewell full for storing suckers and darker earlier every day so I'll be at 10MPH. I can't plane out with three people in the cockpit and the livewell empty until I hit about 20MPH. What I'm wondering is if I drop from the 21 SS Tempest Plus to maybe a 19 four or five blade stainless, might this be the direction to try first? I've seen the hydrofoils mentioned as one option, but I'd rather give up top end speed for planing at slower speeds with more weight aft.
I did try Mercury's prop selector, and it is all over the map from 15 pitch to 20.
Any insight is much appreciated of course. Thanks! Mike
Edited by ESfishOX 9/12/2008 12:46 PM
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | I could be wrong on this but I think planing is a factor of weight in the boat vs. surface area and shape of the hull, so changing props will do nothing at all to effect getting on plane at lower speeds. A lower pitch should get the boat up to planing speed faster but I doubt that speed itself will change. Once you get on plane a four or five blade just may be able to let you slow down a little more than a three blade and stay on plane, but again, I think the speed you need to hit to get on plane initially will remain the same. I don't ever remember being in a fishing boat that could plane at less than what I guestimated to be 20 mph. |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | I could run 14 mph on plane w/ my alumacraft bassboat...but it was very lightweight. A hydrofoil is much cheaper than a prop so I would try that first. It will probably help even if you get a 4 or 5 blade. |
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Posts: 412
Location: Waukesha, WI | thanks for the responses and sorry for the long delay. I've done some searching, and I need to confirm the drive sleeve adapter is the correct length. Hopefully, it will improve matters. The hydrofoil would probably prevent the boat from fitting in the garage it's that close of a fit. I can trade the prop in for some credit if I find a better one too. Thanks. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Lowering the pitch of the prop will decrease to-plane time considerably. If you are taching on the nose perfect, you can drop from a 21 to a 19 and not red line. You should get out of the hole much better and much faster with a load in the rear of the rig. A Hi 5 specializes in just that, if you are running a V6 I'd really recommend the blade. Start with the small vents, and go to medium if you come out of the hole slower than you like before making a decision on the pitch. |
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Posts: 412
Location: Waukesha, WI | Thanks Steve. I was hoping for feedback on the Hi 5. I took the Tempest Plus in for some "tuning." I put a 21 Black Max on and ran with that today. I was fishing solo, and it was quite a different experience. I shifted the load around a bit between storage lockers. The to-plane time is great with the 21 Tempest and Black Max on a 150HP Verado. Do you think the Hi 5 would hold plane better than another prop, eg get on plane and reduce RPM? 21 Black Max had the RPMs right at 6000. I will have to pay more attention to RPMs when I get the Tempest + prop back Thursday. |
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Posts: 32958
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Yes. the High 5 has a couple baldes in the water all the time, so it will hold you on plane at a slower speed and punch you up on plane in less time. |
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Posts: 412
Location: Waukesha, WI | I bought some friends that weigh less........er, uh, just kidding. I'm checking to see if I can try a High 5. Black Max has nothing on the Tempest +. The Black Max I bought to be an aluminum "break me on unfamiliar territory" spare is OK, but it blows out after it is trimmed up so any turn or reduction in RPM seems to warrant being trimmed down prior. To be or not to be Tempest + or High 5; that is the question. Thanks for the input gentlemen. Mike |
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Posts: 332
Location: Neenah, WI | I second the High 5 Will plane super quick you will lose a little top end but you will save gas.
SAINT |
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prop to plane at slower speeds