Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

hckrphil

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I have a little 13ft Fantasy F-13 boat. It looks like a race boat but its a small fiberglass version only 13ft long. I have a 40HP Mercury Force engine on it. What do you think the top speed of the boat should be with that engine? Anyone else have that engine?<br /><br />
boat.jpg
<br /><br />The boat weighs around 600lbs.<br /><br />~Phil
 

Mark42

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

What pitch prop is on it? There are formulas that use weight, pitch, horsepower, RPM to figure out theoretical MPH.
 

hckrphil

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

I'm actually not quite sure what the pitch of the prop is. I guess I should probably check that as well as the RPM's at WOT.
 

Dunaruna

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

DrPhil, what model car is that?<br /><br />Aldo
 

hckrphil

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

That is a 2003 Hyundai Sonata GL model.<br /><br />Basic 4 banger model with Auto shiftronic tranny and sunroof :) <br /><br />~Phil
 

rickdb1boat

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

30 mph sounds right for your set-up. Maybe a little more with that boat.. Neat boat, BTW...
 

RotaryRacer

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

I figure it will run 30-40. Depending on the trim of the engine.<br /><br />Also for the record Mercury and Force have nothing to do with each other. Force motors were actually Chrysler.<br /><br />I almost bought a boat like that several years ago.
 

Mark42

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

My bet is closer to 40 than 30. Because that boat has nothing in it besides the captian. I'm doing 27mph in a 600 lbs boat with accessories, family, etc and NOT at WOT, and I have a fin that forces the hull to be a little more wet at speed but rides better. <br /><br />May want to bring a spare set of shorts!
 

SeaHorse

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

I have that boat and it went 28-29 mph with a Tohatsu 40 hp, which many say is quite a powerful 40 hp. I tried all the props, trim settings, etc. and 29 was the top end. The ONLY way it will do 40 with a 40 horse is maybe down a mine shaft. Installation of a Merc 70 raised the top end to just about 40.<br /><br />By the way, the boat desperately needs SmartTabs installed. The whale tail thing it had cut the speed to about 26 (40 hp) and it was very difficult to keep on plane below 20 or so.<br /><br />It's a cool boat and is very strong which comes in handy when you see a lot of "air time." <br /><br />One just sold on Ebay with a Force 40. That where you got it? There's a dealer in Ohio that had some leftover brand new 2001's for sale but I don't know if he still has them.
 

hckrphil

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

Actually. I did get this off eBay. Had him end the auction early for me. I drove down to PA from NY to pick it up. I've cleaned it up and removed the "spoiler" from it. Without the spoiler its a lot easier to get in and out of, plus makes the back sundeck a little useable for laying down on.<br /><br />If Mercury and Force have nothing to do with each other, than why does it say "Mercury Force" on the outboard?<br /><br />I'm going to take off that whale tale. We had one on our 22ft. Larson Senza with a 350 magnum I/O engine....... It did get the boat out of the water better, but knocked off nearly 5MPH of our top end. <br /><br />I'm hoping that is the reason its riding sideways. If taking off the fin works, good enough for me. I rather not put more money into the boat as of yet with smart tabs or anything.<br /><br />I might have to adjust the trim of the engine, but then again, it might be the whale tale affecting it as well. I noticed the one time I had it in the water that it seemed to be shoving its nose down pretty bad. I want a little porpoising :) <br /><br />~Phil
 

RotaryRacer

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

Originally posted by DrPhil:<br />If Mercury and Force have nothing to do with each other, than why does it say "Mercury Force" on the outboard?
I suppose I spoke too soon. I guess that I should keep my mouth shut.<br /><br />Brunswick (the company that owns Mercury) bought US Marine that was building Force outboards in the early 90s and then stopped making them in 1999. I can't confirm if any parts were shared between the Mercury and Force engines. (I don't think so though)<br /><br />I guess I just gave up on Force engines after a bad experience with a little 4hp one I had on my first boat. I stopped paying attention after that.
 

LubeDude

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

Originally posted by SeaHorse:<br /> I have that boat and it went 28-29 mph with a Tohatsu 40 hp, which many say is quite a powerful 40 hp. I tried all the props, trim settings, etc. and 29 was the top end. The ONLY way it will do 40 with a 40 horse is maybe down a mine shaft. Installation of a Merc 70 raised the top end to just about 40.<br /><br />
Im sure you are speaking from experience, but I had a 15' Skeeter Bass boat with a 75 Evenrude , and it would run between 45-50 MPH. I know this little boat is lighter than that boat was. I think this boat with the 40 on it should be in the 35-40 MPH range. Maybe your engine is WAY TOO LOW!!!
 

quantumleap

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Feb 16, 2004
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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

Some of the later Forces used Merc lower units, but the powerheads where same old Force/Chrysler design.
 

SeaHorse

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

I "thought" it would go faster with the 40 also, in fact, they guy that sold it to me said it would do 38 mph. The ads for the boat said it would do 38 with a 50 hp. However, no amount of "thinking" will make the boat go faster. The speeds I gave are measured by gps with a lightly loaded boat on a fairly cool day, not over 82 degrees, with the fastest prop and motor height.<br />My speedometer does read higher however.<br /><br />I've noticed that many boat owners tend to overestimate how fast their boats are. Kind of like fishermen. Not that they're not telling the truth, it's just that they would rather "estimate" or "think" how long the fish was rather than take a scientific measurement.
 

roscoe

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Oct 30, 2002
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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

After Merc bought Force from US Marine, they replaced alot of parts on the Force motors, with existing parts from the Mercury and Mariner lines. Different models got different parts, and were switched over in different years.<br /><br />Changes include lower units, water pumps, conversion to thru prop exhaust, adding a telltale, tilt and trim units, choke conversion to "fuel enrichment", and the entire electrical and ignition system. <br /><br />Your motor looks like a 1994-1995 model ??<br />That is about the time the changes were made to the 40hp.
 

hckrphil

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

How do you know if your engine is sitting TOO low? What is the right height for the engine to be sitting?<br /><br />The guy I bought the boat from said it would zip around at about 32MPH. I have only had it in the water once and it only got up to about 27 or so. I'm hoping to regain some top end by removing the whale fin.<br /><br />Does anyone have any brochures on this boat? I know the company went under in 1995. It is a 1993 Fantasy F-13 boat.<br /><br />~Phil
 

roscoe

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

The anti-cavitation plate above the prop should be even with or slightly above the bottom of the hull.<br /><br />And the motor needs to be trimmed (tilted) at the right angle for max mph. but I'm sure you know that. <br /><br /> See picture:<br /> http://www.iboats.com/ref/shaft_length.html
 

hckrphil

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Re: Top Speed? Picture attached!!!

Originally posted by SeaHorse:<br /> There is some information about the boat here, also how to buy some of the remaining new ones.<br /><br /> http://www.geocities.com/mjusa/Ordering.html
You know whats funny, that website says the boat has been known to cruise at 40MPH and has enough power to tow a skiier. Is it just me, or am I missing something here?<br /><br />~Phil
 
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