Help propping a 300 suzuki

[willmosley]

Did you see a significant increase in economy with the Bravo 1? My buddy just redid an older potter hull with a bracket and 300 Suzuki, and his boat is running great with the 18.5 Suzuki prop, which has me thinking that I may have some other issues going on.

[kmoose]

Originally Posted by willmosley

Did you see a significant increase in economy with the Bravo 1? My buddy just redid an older potter hull with a bracket and 300 Suzuki, and his boat is running great with the 18.5 Suzuki prop, which has me thinking that I may have some other issues going on.

To answer your question, no, in fact I lost a slight amount but gained significant improvements in sea handling, ride and stable stern lift.

No matter how simple it seems, the fact is there is not one 23 SeaCraft that will match performance with any other if modifications have been made outside of factory offerings. Heavily modified refits are even more of a mystery but can be tamed with diligence and the availability to finance the needed changes.

First off, you need to collect the base data and document it. To do it right you need have the boat configured to how it will be loaded and used: fuel level, gear, ice and people. Next, have the instruments needed to provide speed, max rpm, fuel burn and trim percentage. Digital readings are best and can usually be attained on a single screen on most modern chart plotters. Test runs also should be in the same sea conditions. If tide current is a factor you can record runs in both directions and average the results.

Many people don’t have the patience and persistence to perform these prerequisites and rely on setups reported from other builds and configurations. Don’t fall into that trap! Go get us the above stats, cavitation plate distance from the keel level and we will be able to give you way better input and recommendations. We also will argue and side track with each other like a bunch of cranky old men.

[willmosley]

Thanks for the reply. My motor is currently about 3 1/4" above the keel, I was trying that, as that is what Armstrong recommended. However it definitely runs the best 1 hole up, putting me at 4". I have a pretty detailed spreadsheet of my different props and performance numbers- but they aren't very consistent with load, tide, etc. I took my 18.5 prop in to have it worked, and it turned out a couple blades were bent, and he is going to add a little cup to try and keep me hooked up better. I also removed a large total scan transducer from the transom that was fairly close to the center line. I am hoping that raising the motor back up, repairing the prop, and removing the transducer will get me where I need to be, but we will see. I've got the funds and patience to get it right... but of course I'd like to figure it out sooner than later.