Got to run the boat briefly last weekend. 3 people, about 110 gal of fuel, no ice or tackle. Mirage Plus is not the prop for this setup. Calculated slip at 26% at fast cruise and jack plate at 2" with 50" motor trim. Need more bite. Next up will be a 17p 4 blade Rev 4. Did see 3mpg but it was at 25mph cruise. That is about 10 mph slower than I want to cruise when running the bays or Intracoastal but it is about right for 3 to 4' in the GOM. One interesting note was that it got on plane quicker with the jackplate set at 2" than it did with the plate all the way down.
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WOT with 2" on the plate and 50% motor trim. A little water in the air:
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The stern does sit higher in the water than it did with the twin 150's. 200 lbs less on the transom made a lot of difference even with the 6" setback. Here is a pic of the boat when I purchased it with the old bottom paint on it. Waterline was at the worn off area just below the top of bottom paint.
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How she floats now:
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And another:
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One of the best modifications I made was to move the steering wheel to port side instead of the factory centered position. Now a second person can sit on the leaning post without constantly being in the way.
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Will be awhile before another update. I am in the process of removing the last of the bottom paint and replacing it with a gloss blue silicone impregnated super slick paint. Never did like ablative bottom paint on a trailered boat. Also adding center bunks to the trailer to help protect the new paint.
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