Question:
I bought a 1997 Stratos model 285 Professional Elite with a Evinrude
Intruder 150 HP. I must admit it's my first bass boat. When I went for
a test ride the boat had a 14 and 1/4" 24 pitch Raker prop on it and
we hit about 65 MPH on the speedometer @ 5200 PM's with 1/3 of a tank
of gas. When I got home I put on a 21 pitch Soras 14" 4 bladed prop.
The hole shot now is very good (better then the Raker prop) but in
light chop today I hit 63 on the speedometer at 5200 RPM's. On the
hand held GPS when the speedo said 63 I was doing 58.7 MPH based on
the GPS.
What is the right prop prop for this boat as my marine guy really
pushes the 21 pitch 4 Bladed prop. I have both so I can change
anytime. Speed isn't the main consideration for me and the boat drove
and handled the situation well. I would just like to get the max out
of the boat and what it is designed to do with the 150 HP Motor. I
usually drive the boat less hard (4000 RPM) unless going the whole
lenght of the lake which is about 8 miles.
The only complaint I have is that the boat seemed to want to steer
slightly left and the pressure to turn it seemed high to me. The boat
looks almost new and has very little wear and I got it off Ebay from a
dealer 50 miles from me.
When I went to go for a test ride in it I brought a cashiers check
made out to him or me. If I wasn't happy I was going to walk away and
redeposit the money in my account.
Answer:
I'd call it 60 and leave it at that. GPS is fairly accurate measure
of speed, then again, the speedo you have is fairly accurate also.
For me, running at that speed, 5200 max RPM, I'll take it everytime.
That engine is fairly efficient, but not working it maxed out for long
runs is only going to benefit you in the wallet over time - both from
the wear/tear perspective and from less fuel.
Do you have hydraulic or cable steering? If it's hydraulic, then you
will probably need to work the system a little and add a little
hydraulic fluid. Is it is mechanical (a rotary worm gear with cable)
you might have to work the steering a little to loosen it up - in
particular if the boat has been sitting for a while. You might also
want to grease the steering tube at the motor - always helps.
The wander problem is the trim tab below the cavitation plate. Play
with it a little adjusting the tab to the opposite side of your wander
problem.
