Posts: 3514
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
I would say you were adequately loaded but I'm betting you are over pitched by about 2 inches or so. That would explain to me why the whale tail was installed because my gut says the previous owner could not keep the boat on plane at lower speeds, thus needed the extra lift in the rear to keep the stern up.
If you are up to it, I would say try this:
Put just you and your gear in the boat, and top the tank off. Remove the whale tail and go for a spin. See what your numbers are at that point (RPM's, top speed, etc.). If you are below 5500 on your RPM's, I would say you are over pitched. My gut says you will see 5100 or so on your own and another MPH or two.
the key to a good set up is the ability to get up on plane quickly, keep it there under moderate RPM, and still maintain decent top end. It is a balancing act, and one that usually involves some compromise. If you want handling and hole shot, you sacrifice speed. If you want speed, you sacrifice handling and in most cases hole shot.
There are ways to get hole shot up. It is usually done with props that are vented. Mercury has an entire line of props that allow you to adjust the amount of venting, but I am unsure right off the top of my head whether or not the prop sizes you would be looking at have that option. What venting will do is allow exhaust gasses to reach the prop fins, essentially ventilating the prop in the water. This increases RPM's quickly, which at one point, the exhaust will be fast enough it bypasses the vent holes, and up the boat pops on plane. The draw back, though...harder to keep the boat on plane at lower speeds where exhaust gasses start to reach the prop fins again.
See what happens with just you. I'll help if I can.
Steve |
