New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

[fimpel]

Need some advise.
I just bought a naked Ranger 350V.
I have a '76 mercury 1150 (I think they call it the straight six) That I put on the boat.
I have a 21 pitch alum prop.
Read the boat weighs around 1050-1100 lbs
18' and the beam is 6' 5".

Today was the first time taking it out.
Its very, very, slow coming out of the hole and getting up on plane.
I'm afraid what will happen with two or more in the boat.
Once on plane, it ran great(my opinion)

Tach showed WOT at 5,000 rpm.
Speed odometer said 38mph but I don't trust it. Seemed a lot faster.

So my questions are:
What is the recommended WOT rpm for my motor?

I also have a 21 pitch brass prop that needs to be rehubbed. Would this prop help on performance. since I was told alum flexes?

Would dropping down to a 19 pitch help?

I'm not made of money so whats the best for my setup?

Btw heres 2 pics of my new used boat.
Got less than $1,200 into it.

 

[steelespike]

Re: New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

I would say your slightly over propped.Speed seems a little slow I think 40+ would be more normal.I would get the brass 19 rehubbed and give it a try.
Fine tune your setup; vertical height starting with the antivent plate even with the bottom of the boat raise it a little at a time to a point just before venting becomes a problem.Carefully trim at each change.Be sure it pumps water.If you have no venting then your too low.Most will tollerate a little venting to get max height.
You could gain a couple of mph and perhaps a slightly better hole shot at no cost.The brass prop may allow the most height.
You might do a compression check.

 

[Irv964]

Re: New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

I would verify your tach with a tiny tach and also verify your speed with t GPS.
Also what max rpm is the motor rated for? You want to try and stay around the max rpm that the motor is rated for when choosing a prop, even if you don't plan on running it there very often.
Steelespike hits on some good points namely your motor height, where is your large cavitation plate in relation to the bottom of the boat when fully trimmed down? It should be at least level to 1" above the bottom of the boat.
If everything checks out and you have some rpm room then dropping to a 19P prop will definitely improve your holeshot, you may want to consider a 4 blade prop if holeshot is your main concern? Check out this website, it has a prop calculator in it and it will recommend a prop for your set-up/motor.
www.turningpointpropellers.com Also was the boat covered and well looked after when you purchased it? Just curious if you have some waterlogged foam in the boat?..........Irv964

 

[Dhadley]

Re: New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

If it were me I'd put money in a jackplate rather than a prop at this point. At only 5000 rpm on top the holeshot probably wouldn't be impressive. You might try raising the motor to see if the 21 will respond with a little more rpm. We know you won't get the height out of an aluminum that you will with a stainless but it'll give you some idea.

 

[fimpel]

Re: New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

Thanks for the help.
The motor was raised up and it was too high in the beginning. It did a lot of venting. After lowering the motor it seems to be the right height. It vents just a tad trimmed way up at WOT.

As far as WOT rpm for that motor I don't know. I called around today( about 10 boat shops) and I was told 5,000 by some and 5,500 by others. Since it is an older motor, seems many in my area don't know.

I was by myself in the boat and max rpm was 5,000. I'll try to find someone with a gps cause I know most boat odometers are not correct.
I don't run it WOT very often.

So with that in mind and also with an extra person in the boat I guess my best bet would be a 19 pitch.
I was told today by a prop repair shop that a drop from 21 to 19 would raise my rpm by 300-500. So if that is correct I would run WOT around 5,300-5,500.
But with another person in the boat the rpm would drop some correct?
Also the prop repair man said I might want to have him drill a vent hole on the 21 pitch prop for better hole shot.

One last thing the prop man also said with that old of a motor he wouldn't run it 5,000 rpm.
So who's right?

Also to my knowledge there was no waterlogged foam in the boat. But I don't know. It has no leaks.

 

[fimpel]

Re: New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

Update.
I went and bought a mercury quicksilver ss prop. Its a 19 pitch.
Now my boat runs wot at 5600 rpm.
I'm about the same on mph but the hole shot is great now. I've also noticed with another person in the boat the rpm only dropped to 5200 - 5300.
But after research the wot rpm range for my motor is 5000-5600.
So now it runs like its suppose to.

 

[fimpel]

Re: New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

one last question.
Last night I went fishing and had 3 adults (about 550lbs) and full gear.
A friend let me use his gps. It showed 43 mph wot running at 5300.
I have not had a chance to run buy my self using gps. But gps show my speedo to be 8 mph slow. Knowing that I run wot at 5600 at 47 mph buy myself.

My question is if I have the prop cupped a little would that help even more?

It stayed on the pad dropping back to 2500 rpm. It runs great in my opinion but I think I can get more or am I at the best it can be for a older 115?

 

[steelespike]

Re: New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

You might squeeze a little more out of it.Is it not cupped allrerady?
You'll lose some rpm.Any venting with this prop? you may be able to get back a little height.Poorly done cupping can mess up a prop.Approaching fifty is tough to do.takes a surprising amout of power to increase a mph at those speeds.As suggested earlier a jack p-late might get you a little more speed.

 

[fimpel]

Re: New To V Bottom Bass Boats Need Advice

There is some venting, but very little.
Thats what I needed to know. I'll leave things alone.
I'm content with my speed.
But being new to bass boats I was trying to get all I can get without spending a fortune to get there.

Once again thanks to everyone who helped. This forum is very nice and you always get help here.
Thank You all.