Xpress 18ft cc tunnel 07

[Hung Up]

Looking at a 07 xpress 18 ft cc with tunnel and 2010 Yamaha 70 four stroke. Going to add a bobs hydraulic jack plate. I fill shoals and flats. Will this boat run fairly shallow with this setup? Which jack plate would you suggest?

Thanks

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Xpress 18ft cc tunnel 07

Hydraulic jack plates are usually over $900 ...... be cautious of the setback or you could risk having to change steering cables and set up. I would probably stay with the smaller set back

 

[Hung Up]

Re: Xpress 18ft cc tunnel 07

Thanks for the reply. I will keep that in mind. What inch lift do you suppose I need?

 

[dan02gt]

Re: Xpress 18ft cc tunnel 07

Jack plates are measured in inches of setback not lift. Go with a 6" on that boat.

 

[mrdancer]

Re: Xpress 18ft cc tunnel 07

Bob's is a good plate, and lotsa people have had good luck with CMC also. If you're looking to save some weight, take a look at jackedupjackplates.

The biggest key to performance with a pocket tunnel hull like that is the prop. You want a prop that has a large surface blade area (usually swept blades) with lotsa cupping, generally a four-blade.

I've had good luck with Baumann props, and PT Props also make some good tunnel props.

 

[Hung Up]

Re: Xpress 18ft cc tunnel 07

Thanks. Where is the best place to buy these props? Maybe a used one.

Thanks

 

[mrdancer]

Re: Xpress 18ft cc tunnel 07

Thanks. Where is the best place to buy these props? Maybe a used one.

Thanks

I always just called Baumann (number is on their website baumannprops.com). Explain to them what you have and they will recommend you a prop, send one out to you, you test it, if you need to tweak it one way or the other you send it back to them and they tweak it at no charge and send it back to you until you're happy with it. I'm sure PTProps does the same thing, and they have a worksheet on their website that you fill out to determine what prop you need. It will be good to have info such as your engine make/model/year, boat size/weight, current prop (size & pitch) and max throttle rpm.

The props I got were $360 for a three-blade and $480 for a four-blade. They are expensive, but will work extremely well for your particular application. I found no difference in holeshot or top speed between the 3-blade and 4-blade, but the 4-blade did give me a little better grip in the corners and maybe let me stay on plane at a little slower speed.

You can also check propellor shops in your area. Not sure where you are located, but Texas has a number of prop shops along the coast that specialize in tunnel props. Look for ones that have been around a while, talk to other local boaters that run tunnels, do some homework/legwork and you should be able to find a good shop not too far from you - they would likely have used props at a significant cost savings.