2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

[Wiscdad]

I have a 2011 Crest Wave 20ft Pontoon boat with a 40HP Mercury Big Foot engine. I waffled when I bought it new on whether to buy a larger engine but decided to save the $$ and boy am I sorry. The boat is so slow its almost unbearable. Loaded with people I top out at 8 mph. With a lighter load I can hit 13 mph. It takes forever to get anywhere around the lake. It has the standard 9 inch pitch propeller which came on the boat.

Is there anything I can do to improve performance? (i.e change propeller, etc?). I know if I sell this engine used then buy a 75HP I'm going to take a bath but I'm seriously considering it.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

Changing the prop will make little difference. Proper pitch allows your motor to run at the proper RPM. I have a 60 and I consider it slow, with a top end of 19 mph and about 14 with 5 or 6 on board. A bigger motor is the only solution. There is not much of a cost difference between a 75 and a 90. If you are going to change, go with the 90. I wish I had. Top end should then be in the mid to high 20s. There wouldn't be much of a fuel economy change unless your going full out most of the time. 3/4 throttle will be a good cruising speed rather than WOT on the 40.

 

[The Rooster]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

Changing the prop will make little difference. Proper pitch allows your motor to run at the proper RPM. I have a 60 and I consider it slow, with a top end of 19 mph and about 14 with 5 or 6 on board. A bigger motor is the only solution. There is not much of a cost difference between a 75 and a 90. If you are going to change, go with the 90. I wish I had. Top end should then be in the mid to high 20s. There wouldn't be much of a fuel economy change unless your going full out most of the time. 3/4 throttle will be a good cruising speed rather than WOT on the 40.

+1 ^^^ Sorry, its probably not what you want to hear. Good luck !!!

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

I was hitting 17 on mine with two people when I had a Nissan NS40 C on it. Right now with a 9.9 I am getting 12 MPH with just me on it and it drops off to 8 MPH with 4 on board. Both 2 strokes,

added . I am not knocking merc, I am running one at the moment but the bigfoot versions arnt impressing me at all.

 

[5150abf]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

Welcome to iboats.

Unlike a car or motorcycle you can't just change gearing on a boat and make it go faster, a prop change is essentially like changing gears.

An out board is made to run a certain rpm and should be propped to hit that rpm on whatever boat it is on, if you are at that rpm there really isn't anything you can do.

Pontoons are terribly inefficient going throught the water and need alot of power to get any kind of speed and 40 horse isn't alot.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

What is your wot rpm?light and loaded.
I looked up 6 performance reports For 40 big foot.Fastest was 18.5 at 5500 with a 10" pitch.Slowest was 15 at 5800.18 footer.
It appeared that 20 footers were slightly faster than the shorter boats.All but one used the 9" prop.
You might be able to raise your motor and gain a little .Be sure your throttle opens all the way.Don't assume that all is right just because it is new. Careful weight placement may help.It does appear that your light load speed could be as fast as 18.5 and your present speed is is at least 2 mph lower than the slowest test I checked.
There is no doubt a 90 will do better but at wot it will use over twice as much fuel.
The plus with a bigger motor is that at the speed of the 40 it will be loafing compared to the 40 blowing its guts out.
As everyone has implied if your looking for runabout performance you won't get it out of a pontoon.
You do get lots of room a very smooth ride and a stable platform.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

Potential buyers should read the pontoon boat internet websites before purchasing, as much is written about horsepower. Across the board, it's written that it's best to power your boat on the high end of the boat's rated maximum horsepower, and to put as large an engine as you can afford. It's also said that pontoon boats last a long, long time, and people need to identify their personal needs as they're buying. Equipping a boat to meet the family's needs on Day One is the cheapest time to do it.

Everyone wants to have a pleasurable boating experience, and it's obvious that you're dissatisfied with your boat. Go ahead and make your trade now, as it'll never get any cheaper. And, you'll feel so much better @ 20 mph or more.

I've been a pontoon boat owner for 26 years, and have found boats with small engines to be run to death (WOT) to get where they're going. I like pulling my 115 hp Yamaha back to 2800 rpm's and running quietly and efficiently at a decent cruising speed. I also like to have the speed to get back home promptly when storms come up--part of being seaworthy.

 

[smoedog]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

^^^ Exactly

When I bought my used toon, the motor was number one. I found a lot of nice toons in near new condition in my price range range with small 40-60hp motors. Passed on them and found one with a older yammy 115 and interior is a little worn, but its worth it. A lot cheaper to replace a seat than a motor.

 

[Wiscdad]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

Thanks everyone for their input. I guess I haven't learned in my 55 years that being cheap is costly in the long run. A friend of mine who works on boats said I should try a 15 pitch prop. Slower to get up to speed but better on the top end. I would be thrilled with 18 mph. The boat has a sticker on it that says 75 hp max ( not sure how this was determined). I'm going to go to the boat show in January and see if any dealers are willing to take the 40 as a trade in.

 

[Jeep Man]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

Thanks everyone for their input. I guess I haven't learned in my 55 years that being cheap is costly in the long run. A friend of mine who works on boats said I should try a 15 pitch prop. Slower to get up to speed but better on the top end. I would be thrilled with 18 mph. The boat has a sticker on it that says 75 hp max ( not sure how this was determined). I'm going to go to the boat show in January and see if any dealers are willing to take the 40 as a trade in.

Without a doubt, a 15p prop will affect motor performance. WOT needs to be in the 5500-5800 rpm. A 15p will likely prevent the RPMs from even reaching 5000, resulting in excess fuel burn and engine fouling. Recently I switched from a 9p (backup prop) to a 4 blade 11p. My WOT RPMs dropped from 6100 to 5400. I have ordered a 4 blade 10p. Pontoons are affected by prop pitch way more than a conventional hull.

 

[Old Screwball]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

We just bought an 18' Party Barge. I opted the largest engine available for that transom, a 75hp Merc. After experimenting with 3 props, 13, 15, and 17 pitch, our best is 26mph at 6000 rpm on the 13 pitch prop. I would have preferred a 115hp motor, but I would have to go to a 23 or 24 footer, and with the extra length/weight I wouldn't go much faster, and it wouldn't fit in my garage.

My advice, bite that bullet HARD, and get the biggest engine that will fit your 'toon.

 

[WaterDR]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

You will never get what you want from a different prop, UNLESS the prop you have now is completely wrong. Your speed to me seems normal albeit a little on the slow end. I assume you are using the GPS and not the speedo on the boat because those things are useless. My last toon was a 22 footer and ran about 8 or 10 fully loaded.

Goood news is that 40 hp outboards are very popular and sell well. I would list it for sale while you look for a replacement. You can buy slightly used 115 hp motors for under $8k....even less. If you could upgrade to a 115k for a net cost of under 4k, I think you will find it well worth it but you might have to get creative. Your dealer may even have a used one laying around and work with you on a deal.

 

[Hankson]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

Crest makes a heavy boat. I had an 05 double decker 24' with a Suzy 150hp and my unloaded speed was 28mph. They use a heavier guage aluminum for their toons but the fit and finish is superb on a Crest. You say you bought it new? Your dealer may work with you on a power upgrade because he should have known you would be way under powered with a 40hp on that boat! wHEN YOU DO GET MORE POWER, BUY THE WHALE TAIL FROM WEST MARINE and you will be pleased with the trim responce you get. Your boat will cruise at much lower rpm's and jump out of the hole like a rabbit. good luck

I have a 2011 Crest Wave 20ft Pontoon boat with a 40HP Mercury Big Foot engine. I waffled when I bought it new on whether to buy a larger engine but decided to save the $$ and boy am I sorry. The boat is so slow its almost unbearable. Loaded with people I top out at 8 mph. With a lighter load I can hit 13 mph. It takes forever to get anywhere around the lake. It has the standard 9 inch pitch propeller which came on the boat.

Is there anything I can do to improve performance? (i.e change propeller, etc?). I know if I sell this engine used then buy a 75HP I'm going to take a bath but I'm seriously considering it.

 

[Fleetwin]

Re: 2011 Crest Wave 40 HP Big Foot- Terrible performance. Very slow boat

Thanks everyone for their input. I guess I haven't learned in my 55 years that being cheap is costly in the long run. A friend of mine who works on boats said I should try a 15 pitch prop. Slower to get up to speed but better on the top end. I would be thrilled with 18 mph. The boat has a sticker on it that says 75 hp max ( not sure how this was determined). I'm going to go to the boat show in January and see if any dealers are willing to take the 40 as a trade in.

Bad idea to pitch up, in prop. You'll lug the engine and kill it.

The 40-50-60 Merc. four strokes are all the same basic engine. Don't get any ideas, you can't "soup up" your 40 to a 60. Won't work.

Your speeds seem ridiculously slow. Look at:

-prop depth.
-LOAD!

The mid range Merc 4-S engines are pretty powerful. If you prop them right and get the height right, your 40 should perform adequately. I would expect top speed of 17, or so-depending on LOAD. Our 20's with 75's will hit 25 with a LIGHT load.