First off, I am a complete rookie when it comes to boats. The boat I have now is new to me and this is my first spring with it. I appreciate folks taking time out of their day to answer questions on these boards and help rookies like myself out.
I have a 1988 Stratos fish and ski with a 90HP Evinrude, the boat has a 4person/570 lb limit.
The current prop is a 14x19 aluminum, not sure on the make.
If I am in the boat by myself with minimum gear (batteries, tank of gas, cooler) the boat performs well, it gets up on plan in good time and I run about 5000 rpm when wide open, don't know speed the speedometer is broken but it is moving as fast as I would feel conformable on the water, I usually throttle it back some and rarely run wide open with just me in the boat.
If I am in the boat with my wife, kid, and gear (getting close to the 570lb limit) the boat really struggles to get on plane even with the weight distributed pretty good from front to back. when it does get on plane i run about 4000 rpm wide open, don't know speed the speedometer is broken. If we are all in the boat I pretty much have to run it wide open to stay up on plane.
I would like to keep my current prop for when I am out fishing or tooling around the lake myself. But think I need to get a smaller pitched prop for cruising with the family and possibly pulling a tube (never tried pulling a tube yet).
What suggestions do you have for getting the boat planed up quicker and not dragging so much with passengers? I was thinking a different prop to start with, but their maybe other things I can do.
I have a 1988 Stratos fish and ski with a 90HP Evinrude, the boat has a 4person/570 lb limit.
The current prop is a 14x19 aluminum, not sure on the make.
If I am in the boat by myself with minimum gear (batteries, tank of gas, cooler) the boat performs well, it gets up on plan in good time and I run about 5000 rpm when wide open, don't know speed the speedometer is broken but it is moving as fast as I would feel conformable on the water, I usually throttle it back some and rarely run wide open with just me in the boat.
If I am in the boat with my wife, kid, and gear (getting close to the 570lb limit) the boat really struggles to get on plane even with the weight distributed pretty good from front to back. when it does get on plane i run about 4000 rpm wide open, don't know speed the speedometer is broken. If we are all in the boat I pretty much have to run it wide open to stay up on plane.
I would like to keep my current prop for when I am out fishing or tooling around the lake myself. But think I need to get a smaller pitched prop for cruising with the family and possibly pulling a tube (never tried pulling a tube yet).
What suggestions do you have for getting the boat planed up quicker and not dragging so much with passengers? I was thinking a different prop to start with, but their maybe other things I can do.