Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

[turkey22]

Current Prop T 9.75 X 9.5 P
14' Polar Kraft V Bottom
Currently a new used boat to me but would like for it to come up faster...and get on plane period with passengers. I know their is motor settings where I can pull a pin and adjust...Know I could also look at prop change...I admit I am clueless on which options etc I have...What do you suggest?
It does have a small Hydrofoil on it.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

Are you talking about a Polar Kraft (with a K) boat?

Regardless, put the tilt pin in the second hole(closer to the transom). The hydrofoil should help it get on plane faster if you have the tilt pin in the correct hole(not too far out).

After visiting the Polar Kraft site again and viewing the different models, that appears to be like the PK classic model that weighs 776 lbs plus motor = 933. By the time you add people/gear and gas, you've got a fairly heavy weight for a 25 to push. I'd bet the boat is rated for about 50 HP.

How old is your motor?

 

[turkey22]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

Yes Polar Kraft
It is a 2007 Mercury 4 Stroke

 

[steelespike]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

Small 4 strokes do require some care in setup for a good hole shot. If its a bare bones boat move the gas forward of the middle seat.
When adding passengers try to balance the load neither too much near the stern nor too much forward.
You could try one in the bow seat if it seems bow heavy once up have them carefully move back one seat.
If they are going to be moving around on plane a pfd is a good idea.
Would be good to do a lightly loaded wot test run and get us the max. gps speed. we should be able to get a rough idea
how well your setup is working. Is the foil about even with the bottom of the transom?

 

[turkey22]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

Adjust trim angle for boat to ride near paralell to water surface when on plane and well ballanced boat. You could boost that 25 into a 30 HP, will need to change ECU, but that should be bit costly...

For best engine/transom optimization check to see that water flow at plane passes slightly under upper water deflector plate. Check vid , that's at less than 3/4 throttle : Tohatsu 20hp w/ 3/4" shim and proper trim - YouTube

Check wot rpm with you alone, and lightly loaded boat with tach. Probably will be near max rpm wot factory stated for that engine.

Happy Boating

 

[steelespike]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

you surely wouldn't expect it to plane well if you all are sitting where the seats are now.
As a test put 2 people on the edge of the casting deck.
At least for a test put the tank against the casting deck.
If it struggles in the 3rd hole try the second. Make any changes one at a time and test.
If you change the trim setting you may have to arrange the weight.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

It doesn't matter where the pin is hole locked as long as you achieve with well ballanced boat planing with its hull near paralell to water level, bear in mind that all transom's angle are not built same, usually second-third works best, but that's with well engine/transom height seated for near top rpm and best prop thrust.

Happy Boating

 

[turkey22]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

I appreciate all the help and feed back!

Here is what I am up against...I have a front deck storage I have put my anchors up in that box.

I use the boat with my wife and child mostly...

It take a longer time to plane out than I like...

Was wondering if prop or tilt pin would be of help...

Would a four blade prop even be worth looking into for this boat?

 

[steelespike]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

What is to long to plane seconds or minutes?
Sure a pin change could help, just try it. I feel your passenger should at least try sitting on the casting deck.
You probably already have the gas and battery at the transom,then yourself and the wife and child
thats probably over 400 lbs in the a stern.Then add to that the weight of the motor. Even if it planed well the handling would be at the very least odd.
A prop could help But you need to optimize your setup first.

 

[jestor68]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

Given that your motor is 7 years old and has likely lost some of it's get up and go, I think you should try the 10 X 8 prop.

The aforementioned suggestions concerning weight distribution not withstanding; you really need a larger motor, since it appears you're running with about 1/2 of the boat's rated power.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

Are you giving full throttle when trying to plane from a dead stop ? If not do it but with well trimmed and ballanced boat. If as stated you're running about 1/2 of its max rated HP capacity, that's another story.

Happy Boating

 

[turkey22]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

40hp Max Rating

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

40hp Max Rating

Ok, that's for max passengers capacity probably max 6 ? If with less passengers and lightly loaded boat a 25 HP should plane easily with no issues. What's the wot rpm achievedd with you alone and lightly loaded boat ? Probably you need a prop maximization, but by how much ?

Happy Boating

 

[turkey22]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

Ok, that's for max passengers capacity probably max 6 ? If with less passengers and lightly loaded boat a 25 HP should plane easily with no issues. What's the wot rpm achievedd with you alone and lightly loaded boat ? Probably you need a prop maximization, but by how much ?

Happy Boating

I am guessing I need to figure out how to get a reading of my WOT RPM...
One issue I am having is answers vs opinions...I will try several things...only issue with prop is if I buy it I own it...not found anyone that will let me try one and if not happy return it...So I am going to check into Cabela's...QU219012 online item number...may try it and if not happy return it...they said they would...but locally no marina is able to work with me like this...

The boat will come up and plane with one person...not as quick as I would like but it will...

Why I want to plane...safety! With family in boat I want to come up on plane withing a decent distance...currently just to long for my preference...

I am thinking my first option may be to remove the tilt pin and lower the motor one setting...

Seems I call one marina and get a suggestion and then another to get complete opposite opinion...Very appreciative of the support from this group!

 

[steelespike]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

So what is the deal?Have you tried moving the passengers for a better balance.
If you insist on a prop get a Merc Spitfire In the same pitch or closest.
Do your research on the internet I saw private test of a Spitfire on a 90 hp.
Original prop a 3 bld. Merc 13 1/4 X 17" replaced with a Spitfire 13 X 17" 4 bld.
TTP ( time to plane) was 3.5 with a 38.6 top speed,Spitfire was a full second faster TTP, and 38.8 top speed.
I think it's pretty amazing improving on a 3.5 second TTP.Close to amazing increasing top end.
This prop should improve your hole shot while saving your top end.
You should check your rpm before making a change.
An induction tach is reasonable and easy to install.
A lightly loaded rpm and gps speed test will help decide if you can go with the same size Spitfire.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

Before you invest blindly on a new prop, you must determine your max rpm numbers acvhieved at wot with you alone and lightly loaded boat. For that you need to buy a induction tach (Tiny Tach-Hardline) around $ 50 and check that. Seems you're underpropped running a 25 on a boat that's rated for a 40 HP. Will need to know by how much, rpm metering is a excact science.

It's useless to play with trim positions. The posted vid was from a guy that had near same planing issues as you. As recommended raised the engine on transom accordingly, now boating happily after. To start with, bear in mind that your horse is a rebedged same Tohatsu 4 stroke model, and that brand along all other rrebadged Tohatsu need to be seated at the sweet engine/transom height in order to work as expected.

Happy Boating

 

[turkey22]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

 

[turkey22]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

 

[turkey22]

Re: Need Prop Help or Setting Suggestion 14' V 25hp 4 Stroke Mercury

I have owned this boat for just a short while.

The motor if you see where the paint is worn off did loosen and shift at some point. Picture shown...

Do these pictures show any height and mounting/location/position issues?

I'm do respect all of the help.