Posts: 3514
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
Sounds like that rev 4 is a good prop for your boat!!
Couple of thoughts here:
First, with many props, if you cannot get it to a higher rpm, it will not trim well without letting go. I have that happen with my current prop (OMC raker) where if I am not at a high enough rpm level, the the prop will not hold and it definitely lets go in a corner. At full rpm, it will stay hooked up and with just a little trim down for cornering, it will hold there as well.
On the day you had your wife and child with, the more weight in the rear actually helps the motor out for trimming the bow. The extra weight in the rear moves the whole center of gravity of the boat toward the motor. Thus, the bow acts as if it is lighter.
On the enertia, what was your normal load?
Now...on to the rev 4:
First and foremost, it sounds like it is hooked up quite well. But...depending on where the motor is mounted, you might be able to gain another 200 rpms or so.
In most cases, motors are mounted in the second hole up off the transom, which is a good placement for aluminum props and overall handling and speed. Most people don't do anything more with their boats after they have it and think that is how it should perform. In your case, you are playing with things and have found a prop that is doing well.
If memory serves me, that particular boat is fairly heavy and the gas tank is toward the front. If my memory is on, that explains why so many people went to a HI 5 with them, as the high 5 allows for excellent handling and lift overall, but it does sacrifice speed as it is not optimized for that purpose.
Here is what I would be considering: If your motor is in the lowest mounting position or one up, try raising the motor to the highest hole. If the motor is all the way flat on the transom and you go to the top, you might see a gain of upwards of 300 rpms. That would get you to 5400 - 5500, and if you have been running in these hot temps the midwest is having, you might see even more when things cool down. The high temp and humidity rob the motor of HP.
Steve |
