Posts: 3488
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
The high 5 props are definitely designed for hole shot and handling, along with holding the boat on plane for slower mid range cruising.
My suggestion: Get out of the 5 blade and into a prop that will have a decent amount of rake, good cup and most definitely steel. Both boats should perform well for all around use, while getting good hole shot and decent top end.
In both cases, I would look for a mercury tempest in a 23 pitch as a starting point. The fins will be a bit larger than what you have on the high 5's, and the prop will also have vent holes that have different plugs for differing sized vent holes to tweak to your preferences. The fins are also well cupped so you get decent hook-up while obtaining higher speeds.
One really nice aspect about these props is you may be able to increase your motor height off the transom more which will do two things: increase speed, and it may help lift more of the boat overall out of the water, without losing a huge amount of handling.
No matter what you do when you start playing with props and height, you are compromising one aspect for another (speed versus handling) and it is up to the owner to decide what is best for his/her preferences.
If you have the option, some dealers have a blue-prop demo program where they will let you try different props to see what works best for your particular boat. Being that you both have the same rig, you may find the same prop works, but you also may find two different props that work best for your particular hull. Each hull will act differently so it is not always cut and dry. Try a few props, take notes and see which prop works best. Then, once you have that decided, start playing with motor height.
As for a good resource for used props: Craigslist and ebay. I have purchased many props off ebay and in most cases, I am out little if any money (basically shipping cost). If the prop doesn't work, you usually can get your money back out of it. Makes for an easy way to try different things without it being too hard on the pocketbook.
Good luck with the search!!
Steve |
