Best prop for pulling tubes

[willie6979]

I have a 08 22ft four winns with a 5.7 volvo. Looking to get out of the hole and on plain faster. Currently the prop I have is a 3 blade 14.75x19. I have small children so all I do is pull tubes and rarely wide open across the lake. Don't know anything about selecting the right prop for me, any help would be greatly appreciated..

 

[Maclin]

First guess is the 19p should be about right for compromise between low end pull and top speed, but really need some more info. What is the top RPM achieved with typical load at WOT? What is the speed at that point? What is the brand of the prop? Aluminum or Stainless Steel?

 

[Scott Danforth]

with small children, you will be pulling the tube at 20mph. your current prop would be fine for that. if you start pulling slalom skiers, then you may want to drop down to a 17P 4-blade

 

[QBhoy]

Agree with both of the above....one would imagine a 19" would suit this well. Does it not feel right with the 19" ?

 

[willie6979]

The prop I have is a stainless steel Volvo penta. As for the other info, I'll check it next time I have it out. The boat does fine with this prop it's just sluggish getting on plane. WOT range according to book is 4600-5000 rpm

 

[youmansjason]

I'd recommend going to a 4-blade prop. If you go with a 4-blade Stainless Steel, you'll likely need to drop down to a 17" pitch.

The 4-blade makes a huge difference in being able to get up on plane more quickly, and will hold on plane at lower speeds (such as with towing small children).

 

[ahicks]

The prop I have is a stainless steel Volvo penta. As for the other info, I'll check it next time I have it out. The boat does fine with this prop it's just sluggish getting on plane. WOT range according to book is 4600-5000 rpm

2 things come to mind here fr me. First is the fact that getting a 22' boat on plane is going to be sluggish. There's not a lot you can do about the size and weight of your boat.

Second, if you want max pulling performance to minimize time to plane, normally you would select a prop that allows the engine to turn at max rated rpm (5000). Without knowing what rpm you are turning now, making much in the way of a useful suggestion is nearly impossible. So first step in getting max performance is getting the top rpm the boat is capable of as it sits.

Last, my feeling is it's very difficult to justify the expense of stainless steel props when discussing boats at this performance level. Stay with the alum.