Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

[paczowski123]

Well to begin i am new to slalom skiing. I have just now gotten down my deep water starts and i have done so on a really old cypress garden wooden ski (what came with my boat when i bought it). However, a friend of mine recently got rid of his boat and has given me two of his skis to try as i would like to buy one. however, i CANNOT get up on either of them. I tried probably 30 times today and either sank or was pulled over sideways etc. My boat is a 18.5 ft bayliner with a 4.3 mercruiser 190hp. At first i though maybe that there was too much weight in the boat so i dropped two people at the beach and tried being pulled by just a driver and it still didnt work! I know these skis he gave me are narrower, and thinner, but should it really be that much harder to start? why am i able to get up on that old ratty wooden one, but not one of these two he gave me?

Would changing my prop help any by providing me with better out of the hole power? if so any recommendations on replacements? I weight about 195lbs. I beleive the prop is a 23P (at least that is what is stamped on it) and the boat also has a sting ray hydrofoil stabilizer on it. So do yall feel its simply me? or could the boat maybe not have enough umph to rip me outta the water with these narrower graphite style skis?

 

[jimmbo]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Put an 18 in on there and it should pull your arms out of their sockets. Perhaps the ski is too small for you. It might be perfect for a Scrawny 140 pounder. Have you considered learning the shallow water standing start? However the deep water start is important when you wipe out.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Too much prop in my opinion. I would be starting there.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

I would also ask how big the skis are that your friend gave you. @195lbs, anything shorter than about 67" is going to start being difficult to deep water start on. Life vest style, baggy swim trunks, etc all contribute to adding significant drag as well. I've gotten up many times on a 67" slalom from a combo set behind a 115 Merc on a bass boat, and many times behind the same 190HP 4.3L you are dealing with.

My Cypress Gardens slalom is pretty darn long (70"+), so getting up on it is easy as pie, but it doesn't handle like modern skis. FWIW, my new slalom is a HO Triumph 69" and I'm at 6'-220lbs.

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

What method are you using to get up? I have the same 190 hp in a Caravelle with a 3 blade 19p ss mirage. I'm 6'3" 250lbs and drag my left foot to get up. No way i could get up with a 23p and/or both feet in. I bet your old ski is a flat bottom and the newer ski is not.. big difference there to.

 

[paczowski123]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Yes the ski is 67" At least the obrien revenge i have been trying to get up on i beleive the connely he gave me is a little bigger but its also a left foot forward boot and although i have tried both feet forward i feel as though the RFF is going to be more comfortable so id like to try and go with the revenge. But like one of you mentioned a whole lot smaller than the cypress garden dinosaur i learned on. Someone recommended me to the amita solas 19"X4.25 prop 4 blade as a good improvement to my out of the hole power. Does this sound like something i should look into?

I am going out today and am going to try the dragging of one foot method i have never tried that before.

 

[joewithaboat]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Yes the ski is 67" At least the obrien revenge i have been trying to get up on i beleive the connely he gave me is a little bigger but its also a left foot forward boot and although i have tried both feet forward i feel as though the RFF is going to be more comfortable so id like to try and go with the revenge. But like one of you mentioned a whole lot smaller than the cypress garden dinosaur i learned on. Someone recommended me to the amita solas 19"X4.25 prop 4 blade as a good improvement to my out of the hole power. Does this sound like something i should look into?

I am going out today and am going to try the dragging of one foot method i have never tried that before.

Try it, it takes a little getting used to. Keep about 6 inches of the ski out of the water and put your forward leg against your chest while pointing your other leg and foot straight back. It can be a little tough to get your second foot in the ski after you are up if it is a double boot ski. The one i use is not, just a slip on rear loop.

 

[haulnazz15]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Well, I would recommend perfecting your deep water starts before spending money on a prop just yet. Stick with one ski for now, no matter which foot forward you use. On a side note, you may be able to swap the bindings, or find a cheap RFF binding if you prefer the other ski currently set up as a LFF. Another thing that really helps on deep water starts is a deep-V ski handle/rope. You can put the tip of the ski in the "v" of the rope when starting out which keeps the ski straight. As you stand up begin to plane out, the rope comes away from the ski tip and you're up. Again, much cheaper than a $200+ prop.

 

[jkust]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

I've got the same engine but my sig boat is maybe 700lbs heavier (depending on the year of your 185) plus holds a bunch more gas so a much larger load on the 4.3. I'm 184 lbs with a 21 pitch aluminum and get up every time on one ski with a full load of passengers. I've always done the arch one leg into the water method since the 80's when boats were way underpowered when I was a little kid compared to today. The 21 doesn't get me up instantly and likely a less experienced skier would have a bit of a challenge for a second or two. A 19" prop would make a huge difference but I'm the only one who can deep water salalom starto no need. I also use an old school Ski Master ski from the 80's.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Again, much cheaper than a $200+ prop.

Prop for a mercruiser alpha is more like $100

23 seems like a lot for that boat, factory would normally be a 21.

I used to run a 14.25x21 on my 3.0L 195 and could get up without much trouble. Recently switched to a 14.25x19 4 blade solas amita and it made a noticible difference. The solas runs about $110 shipped if you look around a bit.

 

[paczowski123]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

The prop recommended is only $98. So its not too harsh on the wallet, and if it would make my boat more capable of being a ski boat then i would definitely do it, it would make teaching people easier as well. My friend mentioned the ropes as one of yall did, i will also look into that as well. But my main question is, do you think the 4 blade 19X4.25 prop would help? Do yall have any recommendations on any other props?

 

[paczowski123]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Prop for a mercruiser alpha is more like $100

23 seems like a lot for that boat, factory would normally be a 21.

I used to run a 14.25x21 on my 3.0L 195 and could get up without much trouble. Recently switched to a 14.25x19 4 blade solas amita and it made a noticible difference. The solas runs about $110 shipped if you look around a bit.

Yes that is the prop that was recommended to me, It is $98 in the props section on the top of this webpage. Like i say i dont mind throwing the cash if it will truly help.

 

[jkust]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Yes that is the prop that was recommended to me, It is $98 in the props section on the top of this webpage. Like i say i dont mind throwing the cash if it will truly help.

I don't know I like top speed too and a 19 is going to over rev with ease. Again my boat compared to yours (they are the same size boat) is like having an extra four 200lb people in your boat in addition to the normal load of passengers and to me the 21 should give you the balanced performance. If I could drop 800lbs off the build weigh of my boat, the 21 would rip my arms off when salalom deep water starting. After a certain point, you may find a collection of props of different pitches is handy.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

I don't know I like top speed too and a 19 is going to over rev with ease. Again my boat compared to yours (they are the same size boat) is like having an extra four 200lb people in your boat in addition to the normal load of passengers and to me the 21 should give you the balanced performance. If I could drop 800lbs off the build weigh of my boat, the 21 would rip my arms off when salalom deep water starting. After a certain point, you may find a collection of props of different pitches is handy.

Rememeber that when switching from a 3 blade to a 4 blade that dropping 1 pitch is considered equal, its not like switching from a 21 3 blade to a 19 3 blade. If you wanted a 20 4 blade you could use a merc prop which is available in a 20 4 blade

 

[jkust]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

I don't think the 4 blades are near 98$.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

I don't think the 4 blades are near 98$.

Sure they are, I just bought 2 of them. $98 + shipping from iBoats
http://boatpropellers.iboats.com/Solas-Amita-Propellers/1513-143-19/?*******=736582447

I bought mine elsewhere for $110 each shipped

 

[jkust]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Sure they are, I just bought 2 of them. $98 + shipping from iBoats
http://boatpropellers.iboats.com/Solas-Amita-Propellers/1513-143-19/?*******=736582447

I bought mine elsewhere for $110 each shipped

Is that the one you mentioned has the hub built in?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Is that the one you mentioned has the hub built in?

Yup

 

[paczowski123]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

Rememeber that when switching from a 3 blade to a 4 blade that dropping 1 pitch is considered equal, its not like switching from a 21 3 blade to a 19 3 blade. If you wanted a 20 4 blade you could use a merc prop which is available in a 20 4 blade

I'm confused so are u saying the 21 4 blade is not going to change much and recommending the 19"? If the 19" is going to give Be beat overall performance on starts then for sure I'd choose that one and be easy with high throttle applications. But if a 21" 4 blade will give me improved performance while still maintaining revs I'd go with that if possible just to not have to worry about drivers over revving the boat?

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Is it Me, Or is the boat underpowered?

I'm confused so are u saying the 21 4 blade is not going to change much and recommending the 19"? If the 19" is going to give Be beat overall performance on starts then for sure I'd choose that one and be easy with high throttle applications. But if a 21" 4 blade will give me improved performance while still maintaining revs I'd go with that if possible just to not have to worry about drivers over revving the boat?

21 4 blade is supposed to be equivilant to a 22 3 blade

Best bet is to post up in the prop forum with all the info requested in the sticky thread. There are a couple guys there who really seem to know their stuff.