Quote:
Originally Posted by kevin.ri
I curently have a standard Aluminum prop... I ideally would like a little more stern lift as I fish new england waters when its can get sloppy quick... the better on plane at lower speed seems ideal to me, since I fish a lot of reefs where I need quick planing bouncing between spots. Im thinking the 17in pitch but at the same time wonder if I should just drop to the 15in pitch. Either would be better just have to pull the trigger. What I really want is a 23ft Seacraft to come up for sale with an outboard that I can afford to go up for sale locally. Wishful thinking.
thanks for the insight.
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It sounds to me like a good stern lifting 4B prop is what you want, probably a 15" pitch. (With the extra blade, prop slippage will be less, so you don't need as much pitch.) After you confirm motor height is correct, I'd contact a good prop shop to see what they recommend and how much they'd want to repitch your current 19" prop to 17", as that's a cheap way to get it dialed in. Once you get the WOT revs up to at least 5500 with the max load you plan to carry (check my sticky post on prop testing), then you can keep it for a spare, and the WOT speed/rpm info will help you pick the right size 4B prop.
For reference, Capt. Terry has tested several props on his transom-mounted 150 HO E-TEC on his 20' Seafari and got the following WOT digital rpm/GPS speed numbers (with AV plate on top of water, mounted 1.5" above keel):
4B SS PowerTech OFS4, 15x15: 5340/38 mph
4B SS BRP Cyclone, 14.5x15"P: 5280/40.8 mph
Michigan Vortex 4B Al, 14.0x18"P: 5390/38.3 mph
Merc Black Diamond 3B Al, 14.5x17"P: 5420/41.1 mph
Merc Enertia 3B SS, 14.5x17P: 5530/42.4
Terry's Seafari is heavier than your cc model and he carries about 50 gal of gas, so you should be to at least match his numbers or spin the same props a bit faster, depending on your fuel load and weight of crew and gear. Note: when running Merc props on an E-TEC, make sure you run the correct spacer or it may damage the prop shaft!