Thanks for the compliment. Always a work in progress.
I went with SM 1000 by Supermarine. http://supermarinepaint.com/marinepa...allon-3p10.htm
Primed two coats of their epoxy primer. Should have used the etching primer which would have sanded easier. I went with the gloss finish topcoat and wanted to sand the primer down to 220 grit. What a bitch. Spent two days rolling around on that creeper sanding with a pneumatic random orbit and went through two boxes of sanding discs. I may be getting too old for that, plus you can't drink beer on your back while wearing a respirator so the mundane nature of the job is intensified.
The paint is warranted for 10 years of continuous submersion. I sprayed it with a pressure pot and a Sata gun but the paint has a high solids content and I had problems atomizing it with the 1.3 mm tip. I would think a 2mm tip setup would work better. If I had more of their thinner I would have diluted 20% and it would have flowed better. I also added their optional activator and found out it will cause the paint to start to set in the pot and lines overnight even in 50 degree temps. :(
Turned out fine in the end and if later on I chose to wet sand and buff it will look as good if not better than factory jelcoat.

[IMG]http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/...ps39197835.jpg[/IMG]

you are creating my dream boat. keep the pics and performance posts coming

Sweet setup looking great and good luck!!

Hey seasick, I have a 2000 sea craft and I have a brand new f300 on its way. I was wondering if you ever got the engine dialed in and, if so, what the performance numbers on the 19 inch prop are after the adjustments you indicated previously that you were going to make? I have been debating whether the 19 pitch is the correct size. Thanx in advance. Your boat looks great, btw…………...

Propping
 

Not yet. Boat is still on the stands. Putting it back on the trailer Saturday and splashing it Sunday. I am going to run a 4 blade Merc Vensura that I have which will give me a little better idea before I start spending money on trial props from Prop Gods. Will post updates.

That's a bad ass engine

Update
 

After playing with a few props I settled on a Yamaha Saltwater Series 2 with SDS. 15 1/2" x 17p. With my configuration I needed more of a bow lift than a stern lift prop. Much better #'s than anything so far. Now turning 5800, 47 mph at 2.1 mpg. This was with 4 persons, 75 gal fuel and running dead into a 15 knot wind and about a 1' chop. With two persons and calm conditions I feel like I could coax 6000 and around 50 mph out of it. 35 to 36 mph yields 2.7 mpg. Optimum cruise was 3800, 30 mph and 3mpg.:) Drop to 27 mph and saw 3.1 to 3.2 mpg but boat feels much more responsive at 30+. Hole shot is almost as good as when I was running the twin 150's. Only other thing I may do is to have just a tad more cup put on the tips to see if that allows me to run the motor a little higher. Can't quite run the jack plate high enough to get the ventilation plate level with the top of the water before prop starts to slip.
The SDS is a nice bonus. Although it is not entirely silent gear engagement it is real close. With the Mercs I would cringe every time I threw them in gear. I could just visualize teeth being sheared off the gears. I have owned 7 different Mercs and never got used to that.

Final numbers are in. I had 30 thousands added to the cup on the prop. It holds much better on the elevated settings on the jack plate but I don't see much difference in performance with the higher settings. Ran it light for the first time today and there is not a whole lot of difference in performance loaded or light. The boat continues to impress me every time I have the chance to take it out. A 250 4.2 offshore would probably give close to the same performance turning a 17p prop but would have less of a hole shot and would not be able to handle the increased cup which helped a lot. I was able to turn up 5900 rpm which resulted in 49.6 mph on the gps. 1.9 mpg. This was running with a 1' + chop in the bay. Rock solid ride for the minute that I kept it there. The boat really cruises best at 36 mph giving 2.9 mpg. I am really pleased with this motor.
http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9406b8b1.jpg

Those are "sick" numbers, I'd use my boat more often if I could get almost 3 mpg instead of 1.5 mpg, which is on it's best day running down hill with wind at my back!!! I can do simple math.....that's half the cost for gas on a day's fishing trip. Great job!!

I just bought the f300 and took delivery of it in March. I have watched this thread closely. I tried a number of props and settled on the 18 inch pitch prop (saltwater series). This prop is so new that the dealer did not even know it existed. Anyhow, I discovered it on the net. It helped that my neighbor has the exact same engine with a number of props to play with (he is a fishing guide). The 18 pitch has a diameter of 15 1/4" …. I get 51/52 mph at 5800 rpms. The rev limiter will kick in at about 5900 -6000 rpms. there is no reason to exceed 5900…….. I have a 2000 sea craft with t-top. I don't recall the gas consumption at wide open…. At 3700 rpms I get 31 mph and I am at 3.1 mpg. ……….This is all with about 80 gallons of gas on the boat and two people and light gear. I just thought I would share…..