Boat Speed

[BSF]

[font "Calibri"][/font]UPDATE: I took my boat into the dealer, they thought a different prop would take car of the problem. This is the results:[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]Original Prop 11.88(D) X 11(P), At Strawberry best performance was 10 MPH and 3800 RPM's.[/font]
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[font "Calibri"][/font]New Prop 12.25(D) X 9(P), At Utah Lake best performance was 22 MPH and 5800 RPM's, and the boat was able to get up on plane.[/font]
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[font "Calibri"][/font]I'm happy with the results, but still need to take it upto the high elevation of Strawberry to get a true comparison.[/font]
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[font "Calibri"][/font]I bought a 2003 Tracker Pro Guide V-16 with the side console this past spring. I have had it out four times, and suspect it should go faster than it does. Any idea what may need to be done to correct the problem? This is my first boat and I should have taken it for a test drive first. The reason I didn’t was because:[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]I purchased it from a dealer that said it past their 20 point inspection and everything worked great.[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]The motor looked like new and I had them check to see how many hours were on the motor. They tested it and said 70.[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]They did say that the previous owner traded it in for a boat that would go faster.[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]The motor is a 2003 40 HP EFI FourStroke. When I ran it at Strawberry on a morning with very calm water, only myself (190 lbs.) in the boat, some gear, and around 15 gallons of gas in the tank. This was the best it would do: 10 MPH GPS and 3800 RPM’s.[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]I found a test on-line dated 2013 for the same boat and motor (different year), under similar conditions. The only exception I could see was, their prop was 10.5” diameter with a 13 pitch, and mine is 10.875” diameter with an 11 pitch. This was their results:[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]1000 RPM = 3.3 MPH[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]2000 RPM = 5.5 MPH[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]3000 RPM = 7.6 MPH[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]3500 RPM = 11.7 MPH[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]4000 RPM = 18.1 MPH[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]4500 RPM = 22.7 MPH[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]5000 RPM = 24.8 MPH[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]5500 RPM = 28.4 MPH[/font]
[font "Calibri"][/font]The test above seems to be what would be expected, but I can’t break the 3800 RPM, 10 MPH GPS mark. Also, the motor sounds and runs very smooth. It starts right up. It trolls very well when idling in gear at 2.0 to 2.5 MPH, RPM’s under 1000. Any idea what might be going on?[/font]
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[font "Calibri"][/font]Thanks, Brian[/font]
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[wiperhunter2]

Is Strawberry the only lake you have had this boat on? If not, what other lake have you had it on and did you experience the same problem? There are several things it could be depending on your answer to my questions.
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[BSF]

WH2,
I have had the boat on Strawberry three times and Scofield once, and I had the same problem. Do you think it has something to do with the elevation?
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[wiperhunter2]

Yea, that is likely the problem but to be sure, try it at a lower elevation lake. To get the motor to run faster, you might have to get a different prop when running it at a higher elevation. Have you called the dealer where you bought the boat?
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[BSF]

I will give it a try at a lower elevation, but I may not be able to get it out for a few weeks. Is it a common practice to change prop's when you go from a lower elev. to a higher elevation? I will have to call the dealer where I purchased the boat to see what he has to say. It would be nice if I could talk to the previous owner that had bought it new in 2003, to see if he knows what it could be.
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[wiperhunter2]

A lot of folks will switch props when they go to higher elevation for peak performance but there really is no need unless you want to go at max speed all the time. Most boats with larger motors will lose some top end speed but it isn't enough to worry about. My 90 horse motor will drop from 37 mph to 27 mph at the Berry. The numbers you listed for the boat you were comparing yours to sounds a little high but it depends on the elevation that he was at, when he was recording them. What concerned me about the readings you got on your boat was the RPM, I don't understand why it was so low. Are you sure you had the lever all the way forward? IMO, you still should have been able to get your max RPM, 5,500. If the problem is your not getting max RPM then the dealer will need to look at it because something is out of adjustment.
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[BSF]

I had the throttle lever all the way forward, from straight up to 90 degrees forward. Maybe the cable/linkage could be adjusted. Is there a good reliable mechanic out there that works on outboard motors. I will also talk to the dealer. Thanks again for your help.
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[wiperhunter2]

If you have had this issue since you bought the boat, I would expect the dealer should correct the problem for free, as long as you don't let it drag on any longer. If they tell you they won't look at it for free, send Greezer a PM and I'm sure he can look at it and figure it out, if there is a problem. He worked on my old boat, when it was having a similar problem.
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[Lundman]

just maybe... some V-Hulls cut through the water better with some weight in the front - when I fish with my Grandson I would add a 40 pound sandbag to the bow to make the boat ride level. It increased my speed and allowed you to get on plane much faster. Some boaters move the battery to the front for the same reason.
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[BSF]

Lundman, I have not been able to get it up on plane. I have tried trimming the motor IN and OUT with no change in how it rides on the water. I thought it was because I could only go 10 MPH, and the 20 plus gallon gas tank in the back is 3/4 full.
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[BSF]

Actually my gas tank may hold over 30 gallons, it measures 24" wide, 48" long, and 7" deep. That would be over 250 pounds of gas when full.
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[WiperMac]

[font "Calibri"]Where your motor is EFI I think elevation would have little effect on your overall and performance when compared to a carbureted engine. As mentioned before it sounds like you need to get weight at the front of your boat to help plane you out. Even at full throttle your motor won’t rev out if you can’t get on plane. Just my thoughts. [/font]
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[BSF]

I have talked with the dealer I purchased the boat from, he thinks that a smaller diameter propeller may increase the RPM's. He said to bring it in and they will look it over at no charge, if it does require parts I will be charged for them, that sounds reasonable to me so I will do that.

The prop that is on my boat is 11 pitch X 11.875 dia.
My spare is 10 pitch X 11.25 dia.
The prop that was used for an on-line review on the same boat and motor as mine, except five years newer had a 13 pitch X 10.5 dia.
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[wiperhunter2]

Well that is good but too bad they did not know about this problem before you bought it, IMO it is all on them and you should not pay a dime. For future reference it is always a good idea to take a boat for a test drive before buying it, unless it is a brand new boat. For the speed and RPM of the motor and prop you are comparing yours to, does it tell you the elevation where this test was done? If it was done at sea level, that could explain the difference. Do you know for sure that this boat came with a 40 HP motor? It is hard to believe the last owner of the boat did not know about this problem, unless he did know about it and that is why he sold it. It seems likely that me that someone messed with the adjustment on the motor and that is why it isn't running right but hopefully the dealer can figure it out and get it running right without any cost to you. Good luck.
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[BSF]

I took another look at the article and the test on the boat I'm comparing mine to was done at sea level. I will update this post if the dealer is able to find out what is causing the problem.
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