What you are seeing is normal when the pitch of the prop is too much. The motor cannot spin fast enough to develop enough power to accelerate (unscientific description).
I would recommend a 19P prop to test.
finally the motor ran with the new propeller 21 p. Stainless steel 46 mph at 4500 rpm same speed with the older propeller aluminum 17 p. 46 mph but at 5800 rpm which is more convenient to save gas