New 2007 Senza 206

[AngelC]

Hello new to this forum and boating but learning alot with my research.
I need to know what I can do about my bow way to high out of whole and stern way to low. I have the Volva Penta 5.0 220 hp carb not fuel injected and I only had three adults and three small children. Top speed was'nt very impressive. I was adjusting trim and would get a little better ride but still took the choppy water way to rough. My question is would a diffrent prop help me with top speed and perhaps getting the stern higher and the bow lower? Can someone please help me with this? Thank you, Angel new to the boat fun!!

 

[docpaulo]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Welcome...

we have the same boat and I've had lots of fun with it...

you can do a few things, you can put some weights on the bow (supplies) and don't store anything in the stern storages..

the other thing to do is spend 400 dollars and add trim tabs... that will eliminate your bow rise problem and get you out of the hole quicker and stay on plane longer...

I assume you start the boat with the trim all the way down...

changing props may help.. I run a 4 blade 19 pitch and it works well towing wakeboarders as well as when I have more than 3 people on board...

otherwise I run a 3 blade 21 pitch prop if it's just me and a buddy...

do you run in fresh or saltwater? if salt, consider putting a fresh water cooling kit now...

PM me if you have other questions

 

[id30066]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Do you know what prop you have now? THe size is on the prop. Also, What do you want to do with the boat, go fast, plane quicker, tow for watersports? A prop should help with your problems but you have to decide what you want to do.

 

[AngelC]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Thanks for your response guys!!

I will look into trim tabs although not shure what that is. When I start the motor I'm usually launching and have the trim almost all the way up but enough that the drive is in the water. As far as what I want to do with my boat is mainly tow a tube and cruise the lake with at least 45-50 mph but with a full load. I know thats not gonna happened but it would be nice. I will check the size of my prop. So should I place the heavier guest in front? All I have in the front storage is some life vest and the box anchor. I have a three man tube and some light supplies in the rear storage. all other anchor supplies are in the ski locker. My main concern is getting the stern out of the water and the bow a little lower. What do you guys think? Once again thanks for all your input!!

 

[AngelC]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

How it going?
I have the stock prop that comes with the boat. I know it's a 3 prop. I do want the speed and plane quicker for the watersports? What do you recommend?

 

[MikDee]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Welcome to the board, You may want to consider smart tabs if you have no trim tabs, they work automaticly, and are reasonable, they will help keep the bow down. There's a lot of people here that rave about them. By the way, if your towing a tube, 20-25mph is maximum recommended speed!
docpaulo has the right idea about a prop for heavy loads, & towing. Good Luck, Mike

 

[docpaulo]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Thanks for your response guys!!
When I start the motor I'm usually launching and have the trim almost all the way up but enough that the drive is in the water.

Angel,

When you gun the engine from a stop, in order to get on plane quickly your trim needs to be all the way down... as low as it can go...

once you are out of the hole (meaning you are on plane) you should slowly raise the trim up to get maximum efficiency...

you will also notice that gunning the engine and then backing off gets you on plane quicker... it's almost like a whale breaking the surface and then dropping back... you'll know you are on plane because the bow will start to drop down without touching trim but just increasing RPM... once you are on plane the bow will be too low and you start raising the trim to raise your bow to find the perfect attitude...

as you mentioned you are new... here's a quick refresher just in case..

to raise your bow you raise your trim up... to lower your bow you lower your trim down...

I'm almost sure you have a 21 pitch 3 blade prop.. but the way to find out the best prop is after you are broken in, run the boat at WOT (wide open throttle) and see if your RPM is around 4500 (I have a mercruiser so it may bre different)...

if you go past 4500 rpm before hitting WOT you need a higher pitch prop...
more likely you wont get to 4500rpm at WOT (unless it's just you) which in that case you will need a lower pitch prop...

4 blade props are great for pulling skiiers but they slow down your top speed... (you choose between top speed vs hole shot/pulling power) if you want to go fast.. stick to the 3 blade prop and learn to find the perfect attitude for the boat...

lastly the speedometer on the boat is usually off.. use a GPS to get your true ground speed...

you'll also notice that while at WOT or at a certain RPM, your boat will go faster or slower depending on your trim without touching the gas... so play with your trim up or down to find out the best attitude for the boat once on plane...

lastly avoid raising your trim too high that it cavitates (grabs air or breaks the surface) ... cavitation will have you buying a new propeller in a short time...

lastly if you really want to go faster... and cash is not a problem... get a stainless steel prop... (of the proper pitch)

hope this helps

 

[AngelC]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Docpaulo,

Thanks a whole lot!!! That info was very helpful and informative. You've cleared up alot of the terms that are used in this forum, like wot. I appreciate your input and time.

Thank you

 

[docpaulo]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

you're welcome..

have fun but safety first...

that safety cut-off lanyard is there for a reason... use it...

I would recommend the website below as a good read for somebody new to boating.. rules on the water and all... it's washington state regs but it should be universal for the most part

http://www.boat-ed.com/wa/index.htm

the course materials are free.. no need to pay unless you're from WA state.

 

[AngelC]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Ok Guys!! Went to Lake Havasu this last weekend and found out my prop is a 14.5 X 19 and the WOT was 4500 RPM and Top speed was about 46 MPH with a full load. 9 passengers and gear and 3/4 of a full tank.

Also I ran in to a hopefully a couple of minor problems. First I was cruising thruough the channel just before London Bridge and it was late in the evening so it was dark and I got to close to the shore and chewed up the prop a little. Look more scrape up then bent. The edge of two of the blades are chewed up but not bent. Second My running lights on the trailer went out on my rider out their. Turn signal, brake and reverse lights all work but not the running lights. I changed the fuse in my car because it was blown but when I put a new one in it blew it again.

So what do you guys think about the prop. That happened on Sat and I took it out Sunday and no vibration or loss of power. Should I still have it replaced? I think the wiring on the trailer is shorting out somewhere but not shure where. The trailer is still covered so I will make an appt. for to have that checked out. Only the second time out on my new boat and I'm already off to a bad start!! lol I also pulled into the slip so that I could go get my trailer to load up and when I got the boat out of the water and cleaned her up I noticed that the graphics on my gel coat were scraped up and I'm gonna assume that was what the boat was tied up a the dock and I did'nt have my bumpers out on the boat. The part that pissed me off is that I had them in the ski locker. I think I just need to take my time and get everything ready before I pull it in to dock, ropes, bumpers, etc. I guess the excitement of haveing my first boat is cludering my mind and not letting me think straight.

Any advice on my second trip out? As always I appreciate all input and criticism. That's the only way I'm gonna learn.

Thanks Guys!!!

 

[AZSenza]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Replace it (Aluminum props are cheap, I would reccoment purchasing a torque hub to allow the use of Mercruiser props, they are more plentiful and this is the cheaper route) or have it worked, the irregularities on the edges are going to cause problems with efficienct (prop and engine) along with vibration due to slight imballances. Remember to trim the engine up when navigating the shallow areas! at low speeds (Just off idle) you can have your Volvo tilted up pretty high, just keep the prop in the water!

 

[AngelC]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Thanks for the Info, I will look into the hub and mercruiser prop.

 

[docpaulo]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

angel,

don't get me wrong, but you really need to take a lot of caution with you when boating... you could easily cause trouble for you and others if you are not careful, also you are liable for any damage you cause (including your wake) and that can easily be a big financial pain..

safety is very important...

our boats are rated for 10 people, but i never load it more than 8, usually 6... with gear and stuff, you could be exceeding the boat's capacity depending on how big the people are... you're probably ok with 9 folks if some are kids, but make sure you're boat is not low in the water.... a big wake/wave could put water over your bow and cause trouble... please make sure kids have their vests on all the time... even if they don't want to.. remember you are captain of the ship... you are responsible for them...

I would not boat in the dark until you've been boating for a while.. you need to learn which lights are green and red on which side... your boat has a rear light pole, get it out and use it at dusk... 9 people in a boat with a hole in the side from a drunk jetskiier could mean trouble... havasu is a dangerous place for experienced boaters... more for new ones... more jetskis there than other lakes, and those things can outrun you and will sometimes race you... don't

a log in the dark could cause a lot of damage as well.. new sterndrive, new props... 2K easy... and insurance may not cover it depending on the situation...

good to know you've found out about WOT on your boat, but I hope you broke in your engine, if you wish it to last a bit...

boat bumpers are very useful when placed on.. but remove them quickly as they tend to disappear in the wind... once underway... i've lost a few that way... i usually assign my passengers a particular area to secure/protect with bumpers...

I would recommend you take some time to learn a bit more about safe boating and regs so you can have fun and enjoy the boat to the fullest.. ask a few local boaters about known problem spots if you meet some of them...

I agree with the prop thing, if it's damaged, you buy a new one.. they're about 100 or so dollars... and get the mercury hub as described above...

lastly keep the old prop as reserve in case you have to limp back home... I assume you also have a floating prop wrench on the boat for this reason (prop change in case of accident)...

lastly the most common newbie problem... to be avoided at all cost... don't forget the drainplug when launching...

have fun... sounds like you've fixed your bow rise problem...

 

[AngelC]

Re: New 2007 Senza 206

Doc Thanks again,

I will take and listen to all the info you have given me. Safety is a priority and I do understand this and now even more.

Thank you for all the info.
Angel