87 Starcraft Select 191s bowrider prop question.

[Glenn Iverson]

This is a 19ft. bowrider with a 92" beam. Has a 5.7L OMC Cobra for power. When I bought it 3 years ago it came with a 15x17 aluminum prop. It was great for tubing & waterskiing. For holeshot the boat just pops out of the water. I always wanted a stainless prop so my friend let me try his OMC 15 X 19 that he would sell it if I liked it.
For speed it gives me an extra 5 mph once on plane at all rpms. It seems to track & hold a turn better too.
I tried to pull a heavy (250-270 lbs). but experienced skier out of the water but couldn't do it after 5 attempts. He was also on 68" recreational skis. I then found out the the factory prop that came with that boat was a 14.5 aluminum.

So, is that extra half in. of diameter hard on the drivetrain, or have anything to do with the slower holeshot or is it just the fact that 19 pitch is more for speed than pulling? Or is it that I was pulling too much weight on too small of skis?

 

[WesNewell]

A;; else being equal, it's more the prop pitch than anything else. The 17p will have more pulling power than the 19P and will get on plane quicker. As you know the 19p will provide more top end speed. Of course trim angle has a lot to do with it too. When towing a skier, you always want the engine trimmed all the way down at the start to provide more lft to get the boat out of the water quicker. Most people would want 2 props. One for towing and one for cruising