Boat Speed (From other post)

Ok. I go interested in the discussion going on about the boat speed on the Express-vs-War Eagle post. I would like to get some details on this like slimyslab.
I have a new War Eagle predator with 115 four stroke. It will run 47 MPH on GPS and that is all she has got. I am running a 19 pitch prop and turning 5800 rpm. So what are you guys getting out of your boats and what kind of RPM's you turning.
I am talking with Yamaha today to see what I can do if anything to improve performance via a prop. I think this boat should be running low 50's.

47 ain't fast enough for ya? My 90 will push my boat 37, and I feel that is plenty fast.

Cane Pole told me that he is getting 47-48 mph gps out of his Predator with the same set up as you. So that may the top end for the Predator.

I am just wondering what G3 is doing diffrent to get an extra 18 mph out of close to the same set up as CrappieHunter68 and CanePole. I run low 40's which is plenty fast for me but a little more would not hurt my feelings either. I was just wondering what G3 was doing different so that mabey I could give it a try.

47 is fast enough for me but I was interested to see if prop or boat manufacturer could generate a significant difference. I have heard a couple of folks say they were getting mid 50's even 60 out of a 115 Yamaha and that is a lot of difference.
I have talked with Yamaha and they said my boat is running perfect in the range they like to see. 5500 to 6000 I am running 5800 in the cold which will drop a 100 or a little better come summer.
I am satisfied but curious about the speed differential.

May be wrong about this, but G-3s boat has a pad hull. The predetor doesnt. If I'm right, you'll never see the speed he gets with the same motor because you've got more surface in the water he does.

If speed and aluminum is your game, the Xpress X (17, 18, 21 etc) series is king.....and nobody, so far, can touch them.

Wannabe...

My G3 Eagle 185 boat is a lot narrower and lighter than the Express and the War Eagle Predator...thus less drag. The bottom of the hull is designed completely different from those as well. Yamaha owns G3 and they told me when I bought the boat that it would run 65 mph with the 115 Yamaha four stroke, and it does. My boat dealership put a stainless Rapture prop on it...I will have to go look to get the dia and pitch as I do not remember. They also raised the motor up on the transom some. It is turning 5800 rpm at wot and trimmed out. Now keep in mind to go 65 the water needs to be as smooth as glass to do this, but it will do it. However it does not feel real good...I like 55 mph a lot better. Just feels more stable at 55. They did tell me they thought I could get a little more if I raised the motor up another inch on the transom.....I told them no that its just fine like it is. Most of the time I do not get over 30-35 mph.

Well you learn something everyday. Well except for Wannabe (he knows it all already).
I know the Express boys said their boat was faster when I was looking at boats to buy, but man that is a lot faster. Speed was not on my list of things to consider when I bought so didn't pay a lot of attention.
60 MPH in a aluminium boat is scary fast.

60 mph in any boat is scary to me.

I get 36 to 37 outa my 1860 Polar like Feelays with a 60 4 popper on it. Its rated for a 115 and I feel like it would do mid 50's or 60 with a 115 easily.

I've been told by a Bullet boy that knows his stuff that he's driven an Xpress X19 with a hopped up 200 to 79 mph before. You hear stuff all the time about how fast this is and that is and you're never sure if the guy saying is knows what the crap he's talking about, but when this dude says 79mph, you can take it to the bank. Having said that, put me in the same boat, on the same date, under the same conditions and I doubt I could break 70 in it. Once you get to the ragged edge on performance, it's 1/2 voodoo, 1/2 brass ones the size of DD's mellon head to get that last 5 mph.

Also have another Bullet buddy in Texas that was fishing with another friend of ours. He was headed South on Amistad from a get together and loaping his 21 footer at 63 mph (which is about 70% throttle for his boat) back to the ramp after a days trip in calm water, 6" of chop. Now this guy is a speed demon. His hull and prop are blue printed. His motor is tweaked and he's got hundreds, if not thousands of hours behind the wheel of Bullet hulls and others as well. Well on this day, and he still doesn't know what exactly happened, but with both hands on the wheel, the boat violently hooked and his passenger was ejected, he was thrown into the pasenger seat and suffered a gash to his knee from the passenger console. Both were in PFDs and his kill switch killed the engine.

Point being, running any boat flat out is dangerous and shouldn't be attempted with anything less than 100% of your attention. Even my boat with a 60 will get loose on the top end and is sensitive to trim. Take anyboat at anything above a planing speed and you catch a rogue wave from another boat or hit something submerged and it's Katy Barr the door.

You boys out there looking for the last mph, be careful, wear you PFD and you kill switch (and test that switch at least once a year). As few friends as I have, I can't stand to lose one account of one of ya going off and getting ignert on me.

Wannabe....

My 17' express with a 90 will run 46 with me and gear

Wannabe is right on.......I did try mine out on a lake where I knew the water very well. It was on a still calm day and no other boats around...I just wanted to see what it would do. It was scarry and it just did not feel good...the boat just felt kinda loose. I have on very few occassions when I was on big water making a long run put it up to 50-55 mph but that is not my norm. Usually like I said before I go around 30-35 mph. You do not need a lot of power or speed to crappie fish. There are too many things that can go wrong on the water at high speed.

I agree with WB on the Xpress with the Hyperlift hull---probably the fastest al hull. My Alweld tank with 115 4S will do about 40 if the moon and planets are in alignment.

Like I said before Id be scared of mine with a 115 on it!

If ya'll are looking for speed get you one of these. This was filmed on the White River just above Batesville.
YouTube - 109 MPH Stroker

I can't keep my jigs in the water trollin at 35mph, let alone 60mph. Plus, the crappie can't keep up.

You'd be pimpin in a Purple Stroker creekslick. Sure, 109 mph is fast and all, but let's see him do it with enough rod holders for 16 rods.

Saw a Bullet with a 250XB on it in Grenada just prior to the Crappie Masters last year with 4 sets of holders on it. Looked weird. Fast weird, but weird still.

Wannabe...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wannabe...

You'd be pimpin in a Purple Stroker creekslick. Sure, 109 mph is fast and all, but let's see him do it with enough rod holders for 16 rods.

Saw a Bullet with a 250XB on it in Grenada just prior to the Crappie Masters last year with 4 sets of holders on it. Looked weird. Fast weird, but weird still.

Wannabe...

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Not me but there was 3 of them here in town that would push 100 mph.

I have an 1860 weldbilt duck boat with a 115 tohatsu and runs 52 on GPS and thats loaded with gear. I am running a 21 pitch prop.

More speed in order of cost, low to high:

Jackplate - Manual

Prop - Factory

Prop - Custom

Jackplate - Hydraulic

Lower unit tweaks - ie gear change, case modes (Titan)

Motor Hop ups - Big money, and not as many available for 4 strokes. Technically illegal for motors manufactured after a certain fairly recent date.

Speed costs.

Wannabe...