It is a viper but I'm not 100% sure on the pitch. I tried it out again today. It was pretty rough in the bay so I didn't really pay attention to any numbers.

At one point I backed it down to about 20 mph and that's when I missed the 4 blade. It seems like my boat was dryer and handled rough conditions better with the 4b.

I think I'm going to just order a 4b x 15 and call it a day?

On the BRP props, I think the Viper is a high speed prop that most of the dealers seem to be pushing, but for a 3B prop, the Rebel has a lot more blade area and acts somewhat like a 4B with lots of stern lift, sort of like the Merc Mirage. I tried a 15.25 X 17P Mirage 3+, but it wasn't as good as my 4B 14.125 x 20 Apollo, and I couldn't reach optimum rpm with either one at max load. My 15x15 4B PowerTech is a better heavy load prop than either of them. Would like to try a 15P Rebel, but it supposedly has very low slippage and acts like it has more pitch than advertised, so not sure I could turn it to optimum RPM.

I dont understand how you can turn a 4B 14.125 x 20 and I cant turn 4B 14.5 x 17?

I COULDN'T turn the big Apollo prop either! Only got about 5200 rpm (but 49.9 mph!) with a light load, and only 4600 with my typical cruising load! It would be a great prop if I was running 3.3L 225 HP E-Tec, but that's another 100 lbs on the transom, WAAY too much for the 20' hull!

Well I just ordered the 4B 14.25 x 15. I wont be able to test it for a couple of weeks because I am having the floors redone and the interior repainted. I am also having hoes drilled to raise the motor about an inch.

Mad props!

Hey deadrise, I like your location. We actually bought the building in Princeton where the factory was located. There were still tons of old brochures and rolls of grey puddy. I don't know if that was potter puddy because I don't know exactly what potty puddy looks like.

We bought it to make a private jail but that didn't work out so we had to get creative.

Speaking of a Moesly signature, I'd rather have it on my boat than on toilet paper!

Attached pics show Carl autographing the instrument panel cover from my Seafari. He's also an accomplished painter . . . the last picture of "The Reef" is one he painted! Truly a man of many talents, only a guy who has "been there, done that" could include such beautiful detail! Now we know why he could design boats with such beautiful lines!

Very cool stuff. Moesly looks like a nice guy.

We pulled the console because Im having some the floor replaced and raised. We noticed that the tank is all the way back, I want to move it all the forward about 18" . I plan on moving the battery from the rear of the console to the front of the console and the oil tank from the transom to the front of the console.

Does anyone have any idea how moving all that weight forward will affect the ride of the boat? Will it affect prop selection? Planing speeds? MPG?

it would take me 5 years to paint something like that and it would look like crap when I was finished :)

strick

That black scepter is absolutely beautiful.

Its blue!:D

I'm color blind. Lol. That boat makes me want to look for a sceptor.it would probably be more comfortable with the kids. Might be too tall for my indoor storage though.

Both Carl and wife Jeanne are indeed very nice, modest and down to earth folks. When you first meet him, you'd have no clue that Carl has 13,000 flight hours in virtually everything the USAF flew in WWII, or about his many other adventures, until he starts relating some of his stories, that is! He's really an amazingly talented guy who has done just about everything, truly a Renaissance man! His "Pilot's Story" book is a great read!

Moving weight forward is nearly always a good idea, especially on a CC. When it gets rough, I move my 70 qt cooler up into the step down aft of the cabin door to improve the ride. It should reduce your min planing speed, but I wouldn't think it would affect your prop choice if you don't change the total amount of weight. In flat water, it might reduce top end a bit because you might not be able to get as much of the hull out of the water.

Speaking of flat water, Carla told a story about one of the offshore races her dad entered with a 21, where the race was actually postponed for a day or so because the seas were absolutely flat! They normally raced in very rough conditions and the boats were balanced for that, but Carl concluded it would still be flat on race day, so the night before the race he moved gas tanks, batteries, etc. further aft to re-balance for flat seas. He also replaced Frank Brown, his 250 lb mechanic/crew with his wife Jeanne! He did very well in the race, not only winning the outboard class, but also beating a lot of the bigger 1000 hp inboards in the process!

I have a lot of respect for people from that era. Thier work ethic was outstanding and really made this country what it is.

The Sceptre 20 actually has a lower profile than any of the 20's at 5'8" to the top of the windshield.

The Sceptre 20 actually has a lower profile than any of the 20's at 5'8" to the top of the windshield. And I believe he has a 140 hp zuke rather than a 200...

What happened to the pics of the scepter?

Yea that boat and pics of it made the decision to get one easy for me once one popped up near me for cheep. I will be using it solely to pull the kids in when they want to go tube-in or knee boarding.

j

I tried a new prop today. 4 blade 15 pitch. Top speed 40knots at 5500rpm. Cruising at 30knots I was burning 8 gpr. With the 4 blade the boat seems to ride smoother and dryer.

I don't understand why other members are hitting 50 mph with their etec 150's. The boat actually burned less fuel and was faster when it was over propped.

Sounds like that prop is a good match if you were running with a normal load. What brand and diameter prop are you running? I'll bet you can also hang on plane at lower speed with that 4B prop!

I had the same experience, getting about 5 mpg and running almost 50 mph with my 14.125 x 20P Michigan Apollo with a light load, but it's way too much prop for the load I usually carry. I read a technical article today about displacement hulls also getting better mileage when they're overpropped. The reason is that engines are generally more efficient when they're heavily loaded running lower rpm, but you'll pay for it in reduced durability, with more carbon build-up on 2-strokes and shorter exhaust valve life on 4-strokes. Given the price on new motors these days, I've opted to trade a little performance for more durability!

Yes it planned at around 12 knots. The boat feels great now. I think my motor is still to low but Im going to leave things alone for awhile.