Posts: 3504
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya!!
If my research is correct the maximum rpm for your motor is 5800 so you are not too far off on your top end if your estimate is correct.
The tempest is a great prop for lifting the bow, but with the weight of your boat being almost 2000 pounds alone, I have a feeling your rpm number might be a little low on estimate, and I also think having a bit more "whole boat" lift might be a good move as well.
I think the previous post hit it...a 4 blade prop might be in order. The Quicksilver Q4 or Mercury Revolution 4 (same props, just under different brand) I feel would be a solid choice in a 17 pitch. This will do 2 major things for you. First, the 4th blade will help lift the overall boat out of the water further (so you might be able to raise the motor another hole or two off the transom) and you will gain some RPM which will help your motor stay in the top portion of your rpm range, whille giving you a much much stronger low end kick upon hole shot. Overall if you didn't move your motor mounting position up at all, I would suspect you would see an increase in rpm to that 5800 mark (+400 RPM for going 17 pitch, -200 rpm going to a 4th blade....approximates here). If you are a touch low on RPM's at your motor height and you can move your motor up a couple holes, this could turn into a fantastic running rig that will just float along at cruising speed, while still giving you the grunt to get the boat moving. And...you might not lose much top end speed at all...
Steve |
