Having issues pulling 240+ guys up on skiis

[GrapeApe]

Some info on my boat

It's an 04 Lund fisherman 1700 with a Johnson EFI 4 stroke 115 hp.

Prop is a Turning point Express SS 13.25 X 21 that I bought from Iboats a few years ago

It runs about 40mph on my GPS turning just a hair over 6k all trimmed out with just me in the boat.

I'm very happy with the performance of this boat with one exception and that's pulling up big guys around 240 or more. It just draggs them and I can't get the RPMS up.

Is there a prop I can buy that will give me better hole shot for skiing without going over 6k rpms when wide open? My guess is no but I thought I would ask.

Thanks,
Allan..

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Having issues pulling 240+ guys up on skiis

Probably not. The prop is the transmission for your boat and you only have one gear. To pull those big boys up you need to down shift. That means a prop with less pitch. Just like in your car or truck, when you downshift, revs go up. There is no free lunch here. If it's power you need, perhaps a four blade with a less pitch would be a starting point and use of the throttle is necessary to keep from over reving. If it's speed you want, what you have is what you get. Your other choice is two props -- one for power and one for speed. They can be changed in five minutes.

 

[steelespike]

Re: Having issues pulling 240+ guys up on skiis

What he said;You could consider trim tabs; probably the smart tabs.They are a static tab not powered.Effective,reasonable and good factory support.
Skier technique can help too.Try not to dig the heel in too much keep the weight on the lead foot.On two skies keep the knees bent don't stand up too soon.Have the beef sit forward. I'll assume you are trimming in all the way.A 19" should get you over the hump but you'll have watch the rpm when light.
We used to ski with a 50.we had a 230 pounder that could just about stall the boat but when he really tried to get up it was fairly easy.(slalom)We only had 2 in the 375 lb. boat.One was a 100lb.adult spotter.

 

[skargo]

Re: Having issues pulling 240+ guys up on skiis

I'm that weight range and even though it's been about 10 years since I've been up, I'd agree a lot could depend on the skiers technique.

 

[junior1113]

Re: Having issues pulling 240+ guys up on skiis

go down 2 pitch and get a 4 blade prop and pull that 240lbs right out of the water like it was'nt there youll be happy with all aspects including lower plane speeds 6000 rpms is pretty high

 

[wca_tim]

Re: Having issues pulling 240+ guys up on skiis

If ski has slip in rear binding, have skier drag the back foot - makes a whole lot easier to pull them up. I CAN get up behind a fishing boat with an old 35 horse on it, but it's no fun to ski and can stop the boat at will. I'm not sure how much tabs will help - my set-up is very different. Note that i typically prop down 2" and go with a decent 4 blade (ie solas titan) on days when hauling more people and doing a lot of sking. I could go right through redline, but know it and just don't let it run out with the throttle pegged on days like that... Hope this is helpful.