Posts: 3480
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | ranger618 - 1/1/2017 7:07 PM
I'm not trying to be argumentative just posting my experiences.
My current boat is a Skeeter MX 1825 DC/WT with a Yamaha F-150 and 13-1/4 dia 19 pitch Reliance prop.
Top speed so far is 48.6 mph at 5940 rpm trimmed back about 80%. and good hole shot.
Due to good past experience I added a SE sport 400 hydrofoil. Top speed, rpm and trim stayed the same. But hole shot is a little faster with less bow rise and the minimum on plane speed dropped from about 22 to about 18.
My last boat, a Ranger 618 tiller with 90 4-stroke Suzuki. I had similar results. No change in top speed, 35 mph at 6000 rpm. But a noticeably quicker hole shot with less bow rise and a lower on plane speed.
Also several friends have had similar results.
What you mention here makes sense as my gut instinct would say the hydrofoil was not even in the water at top speed, and probably skimming the top at a minimum speed. With hole shot, the fin forces the bow down more to help pop the stern out of the water... trailing edge cup does the same thing without having to drill holes through the anti-ventilation plate reducing value.
Depending on what prop was on the boat, the same characteristics could be obtained with more efficiency and better handling to boot, by raising the motor off the transom more, having a prop that has better cup and rake, and most definitely one with vent holes. It is amazing the amount of engineering goes into these things.
This is definitely not meant to cut down others experience, as every boat is unique in and of itself, even if two boats are made from the same form (fiberglas).
Steve
|
