if you have a 16ft speed boat with a 135HP merc you are going to need a 24-25 pitch prop. i had a crestliner apollo 660 with th same engine and i was running a 23 turning point. It ran 51mph at 5900rpm. With a better hull thats lighter you need more pitch. just my 2 cents.
we have a 14 ft springbok [now princecraft [that has had 10 to 40hp on the back of it. the boat was rated for 40hp in 1959. the last motor was a 25hp johnson with a 10x15 pitch prop and it did 32mph with one person on board. my bet is you can put up to 40 or 50hp on the back and it won,t sink.
my boating is in the canadian shield. lots of rocks and shallow water. i haven,t damaged a prop since i got power trim but before that probably 2 props a year.
