Re: how fast does your ArsitoCraft go?
sweet, more feedback. thanks Matt.
wow, ya got a new engine in your boat. way to go. it'll be interesting if ya gain more speed as time goes by as the new engine gets broke in. maybe even more than me. my compression is only ok, not great and i wonder if i had better compression if i'd go faster..
your just on the verge of being where ya want to be imho. i think i'd approach the prop first. i know it's bad to lug an engine in general and my guess would be it's worse to do to a new engine that's not broke in yet. ya need to find out what pitch ya got. on the props i've had, the pitch is stamped on the prop hub on the end of the prop or stamped into the outside dia. of the hub and painted over. some i hear don't have a number on them, why i don't know.
anyways, when i got my nineteen it had a alum. fan blade (for lack of a better description) type prop, 21p. i got about what your getting. 3800-3900 trimmed up pretty high (to high out/up even). seemed a little low to me so i got the 19p prop. guesstimated i'd get +400 rpm. and i did. put me right where i wanted to be. i went alum. do to the o ring groove in our lower drive shafts. while there's no guarantee i'll break a blade if i hit something, if i had ss i would think the o ring groove would be the weak point. i don't wanna buy a lower so i went with alum. there's composite too.
so is your bottom pretty rough with gel coat cracks? simulating bottom growth? or just cracked and only cracks for disfigureation? if the latter is true. ya may not be as bad off as ya think. while there's some controversy over bottom smoothness, it appears to me that a slightly rough bottom surface may even be beneficial to speed. a super smooth surface may have more adhesion to the surface of the water while a slightly rough surface tends to introduce a little air. less friction between the water and the boat. i used to be into pwc and remember reading that some of the race guys would drag their skis along the sand on shore. thus, etching the bottom surface. they claimed better speeds that i highly polished, waxed surface. anyways, you'll have to decide if it's a detriment or a benefit. obviously real rough surface, like barnacles and other marine growth inhibit speed and wot. you'll have to decide where your at with that.
if your boat is like mine. speed and rpm's seem very close together. ie. if i'm at 2500, i'm doing about 25 mph. gps. if i'm doing 3100, i'm going about 31. granted, a speedo's on boats are sometime inaccurate, your about in the ball park i think. 3800 @ 35-40 mph. split the difference on the speed and your right there. 3800 @ 37.5 mph. get your self that gps and go check it out again. you'll like having a gps anyways. they've got many uses on a boat anyways. confirm you speed and go for the prop change. ya could even do what marvinjansen did. got himself a composite multi pitch prop. he changes pitch at his desire. he likes it he says. edit, fwiw, i like my 19p alum flo-torqueII prop also. it suits me. i suppose the possibilities are endless as to what to do.
as for the tight wheel at the helm under speed. i don't know. have ya greased the steering? not sure of proper terminology, but i grease that solid rod that connects to the linkage to steer the boat. i've looked for a grease zerk but not found one. i do know that it's good to grease your steering cable end however it gets done. fwiw, my steering gets tight too. ya gotta hold on to the wheel at high speed. but it does still steer. it just takes effort. hard to describe how much i guess.
way to go.
AristoCraft comes through again. got yerself an oem aft curtain. most folks don't have that kinda support for their around 40 year old boats. my guess is you'll love that cover. when ya need to go full enclosed, ya need to go full enclosed. the difference is night and day. we can boat in colder, windier, rainier weather w/o discomfort that folks that don't have the capability to go full enclosed. hope ya enjoy yours as much as i've enjoyed mine.
