You guys will keel haul me but I need to know what you think

[Caseyjoe]

Any ideas where I should start Hicks?

 

[ahicks]

Because I entered this pretty much blind as well, I did a lot of reading and studying prop charts from both the engine and prop manf's. Then I took a WAG/Wild Axx Guess based on my findings, ending up with a 13 3/4 x13. Lightly loaded (no furniture) the prop is just a hair small. Target rpm was 6k, and we ended up at 6.3k running 25-26 mph. Normally, I would have kept that prop for a spare and gone with the next size bigger to get the rpms down under 6k. Here though, I need to see what it does when I finally get my furniture. Thinking that extra weight may bring me right where I want to be. I did end up with a Honda OEM prop I bought new for less than 100. shipped. Point being you need to shop around. A local dealer tried to charge me twice that much....

So a guess on a 225hp engine? Geesh! I don't want to make a call that's going to cost you a lot of money if I'm wrong. I will share the fact my studying could not justify a stainless prop. With more than twice the power though? I'm not sure that would hold true any longer. I think I would do my experimenting with alum props at first though, and when I got close, maybe go SS at that point.

 

[ondarvr]

Start with the prop you have, make sure everything works, then go from there, it'll be closer than a guess now.

 

[Caseyjoe]

That's what I had planned to do ondarvr. Just got a little worried it will be a waste to even try it out if it has no power at all and I'm stuck running 4 mph on my test run.

 

[ahicks]

So, enough talk. When do we get to see/hear about your results?

 

[Caseyjoe]

Would post the motor running if you like. I plan to try to get it in the water next week if I can. Just trying to get it put together first. It has a torn to shreds top. Wife has the seats out but about ready to put those back. I gotta get my lights on it and try to get it somewhat legal. Also gotta insure the thing. And I haven't gotten my registration sticker back yet.

 

[Caseyjoe]

O and the fuel tank has nasty gas in it. I'll get that thing off and clean today.

 

[Caseyjoe]

Just got tank off. Had to take the rails loose. Would it not make more sense to maybe put the screws on the other side where people can reach them??

 

[MH Hawker]

:laugh: that would be much to easy, and if you have the gray fuel line ditch it use auto fuel line, while its not UV rated it will last several years

 

[Caseyjoe]

It's also difficult to get ALL the nasty old fuel out. The top where any holes are is actually concave a bit so the fuel runs around the holes. Got almost all out now just hoping the tiny bit left will evaporate. Would it kill them to put a drain on these things? I guess most people don't have to take their tanks off.

 

[Caseyjoe]

O well. It's all part of the fun of buying a neglected boat. All my dogs are rescues except one. Now I feel like my ship is a rescue as well.

 

[Caseyjoe]

Actually now that I think about it all of my dogs are rescues. I saw kids throwing a minature shih tzu and being so mean they were going to kill it. So I went to their mom and gave her a hundred for it. Just because you paid for it don't mean it's not a rescue.

 

[MH Hawker]

i just recently got a pup and is he ever a hand full

 

[Caseyjoe]

Nice. I had a black pug once. They're awesome. Used to wake me up every morning snorting.

 

[Caseyjoe]

I see you have camping chairs on there. I tried to get my wife to use those. I figured if we didn't need them we could set them aside and have the whole deck as a dance floor.

 

[ondarvr]

We used camping chairs, it worked very well, got the comfortable ones with a little folding table on one arm, this allowed us to adjust easily for whatever we were going to do. Gave us more room for the BBQ too.

 

[Pusher]

Good lucking pup..errr... Pug.

I have nothing to add but I might be following your lead on props next year as I'm doing 20mph on a 50hp Evinrude with a 17' runabout.

If you take one approach or another based on a table I'd like to know how it works out for you.


Btw.... I'm currently in a $50 reclining patio chair.....almost as comfortable as a lazy boy.

 

[MH Hawker]

the front 8 x 8 is clear of any mounted stuff so i can sit up a tent for over nights and the chairs are for fishing

 

[MH Hawker]

I see you have camping chairs on there. I tried to get my wife to use those. I figured if we didn't need them we could set them aside and have the whole deck as a dance floor.

i am am on a old 9.9 lake and we have toons going back to 1963 so many have been striped down with new floors and carpet and that's it seating is camping chairs, with big black plastic tool boxes for storage, and a full size grill strapped to a rail, works great

 

[ahicks]

Many years using portable chairs here as well - on a mid size lake with some pretty good size wakes from passing boats on occasion. Our all time favorite chair is the plastic Adirondack chair, white ones to be specific (so they don't get hot!). They can be a pain in the butt to get out of after a longer cruise (for various reasons), but they have a low center of gravity and do not tip easily at all - something you can't count on from most other designs. Bonus is they stack well when not in use.