The Correct Prop For Your Boat! How To Know!

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[BornAgainBoating]

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[brocluno]

I just went from a 3 blade 21P prop to a 4 blade 19P prop on a 17' family boat (Glasspar, Merc 90CT outboard) and there were three notable differences.
You could trim further up with the 4 blade before ventilation, so a bit more top end RPM with less set towards one chine.
You have better throttle control at cruising speed. Our preferred is 3, 600 RPM and the 4 blade allows finer throttle control around that range.
And we come up right now. The 3 blade was Ok, but felt a bit lazy climbing up. The 4 blade is right now : )
Oh, and the top speed did not change, so who cares : )

[robertbain]

Good explanation of how to prop out a boat! Just a comment on 4 blade vs. 3 blade propping. I found my boat would reach recommended WOT rpm early with normal load on board. Also, I do a lot of tubing and kneeboarding with the kids. Since I had headroom, I switched to a 4 bladed prop to get better traction on the water for water sports. Very satisfied with performance now. Happy side effect is better handling, especially in following seas. Having an extra blade in the water really seems to help. Losing a few mph at WOT is well worth it, especially since where I boat is very rarely calm enough to boat at WOT. Not sure what the fascination with top speed is all about anyway. I’ll take the quicker hole shot and improved performance any day.

[georgevidas]

Hey your video was very informative. I just re-propped my F115 Yamaha on a 22 foot fibreglass cuddy. Went from a SS three blade 17P to an alloy 4 blade 15P to gain better hole shot and more stern lift at a slow comfortable cruise around 15 knots. This helps keep the bow down so I get a better ride in the frequent 2 to 3 foot chop we get in my neck of the woods. Best economy still comes at 4000 rpm (22 knots). I only dropped 2 mph from my previous 36 mph top speed.

[mikewhite]

Your spot on with your information. I owned a prop shop for 9 years. And that's exactly what I used to tell my customers when figuring out the correct one to use.

[dirtyshirtinfo]

Back in the day when I bought my boat and had only passing knowledge of props I learned a tough lesson: The boat dealership doesn't know a thing about props either. I did my own research, talked to Mercury and solved my own performance problems. Astonishing. I've been running a 5 blade Hi-Five steel prop for years on a carbureted 150 Merc, good hole shot and less top end speed. #cleanboat

[ghettohey]

When it comes to 3 or 4 blade props its simple. You want more speed/performace then go with 3 blade. You want better control, handling, more power, better hole shots with fully loaded boat then go with 4 blade.

[ben]

2 things I think are important:

1) Motor height needs to be correct. Many outboards are mounted to low. Anti vent plate needs to be just skimming on top of the water at normal cruise

2) you really should be aiming for the middle point or higher of the max rpm range at WOT. hitting the lower half is marginal and easily further degraded by extra weight

[TheBeingReal]

I went to a 4x4 prop set on my Bravo-III’s dropping 2” of pitch also. Running twin 350 MAG MPI’s. Huge difference in stern lift, less bow rise ans suprisingly less engine noise too!

[stinkfist]

I really appreciate the fact that you use the proper term, "engine".

[davidbrymer]

Great explanation. Now it all makes sense why the previous owner of the Flats boat I just purchased installed a different prop and why the boat hole shots like a champ. #cleanboat

[fredself]

I bought a new Sleekcraft some years back and didn't know much about props. I had my boat at the dealer while someone was making a custom boat cover for it and someone with a boat just like mine told me my boat had the wrong prop. I changed props and it solved my cavatation problem while pulling up skier's and had a fine top end too. Today I have a Glastron I have had just 3 months. After whatching and reading your website I switched to a four blade from three. The boat has excellent take off for water sports. Being a Chevy V-8 Volvo Penta outdrive I remember their advice on the RPMs. Though it will rev 6 easily, For extended crusing keep it about 3, 000 RPMS

[Floordford]

Man I need to move to the coast. These boating videos are giving me the fever.

[joshgtheog]

i would love to see a video on hydrofoils and what they do for your boat and how they work

[NM-eoxd]

Great vid 👍🏻. I had a major issue with ventilation as my boat has a 20” motor vs the required 25”. The 3 blade aluminum prop would ventilate real bad as soon as the boat came on a plane, and since my motor was already installed on the lowest setting I had 4 options: convert my 115 mercury to a 25”, cut my transom and drill new holes, add an engine bracket, or changing to a 4 blade SS prop with some decent rake. Swapping from a Black Max 3X13X19 prop to a Solas SS 4X13X19 was my solution and has eliminated 95% of my ventilation issues. Boat runs perfect now, comes up on to a plane real fast and my top speed has gone from 33mph to 46mph. #cleanboat

[kevinhirdes]

Thank you for confirming what I was thinking. I had to replace a prop last season. It was the first replacement in about 10 years. I let the shop know i was struggling with planing when the family is on-board. He switched me to a 4 blade and i cannot believe the difference. The top end speed is lower by about 3 MPH but the hole shot is 5 seconds faster with everyone on-board. watching your video today during the discussion of the added weight that my kids are all adults now and have added weight to my boat. Switching from 3 blades to 4 made the difference.

[wesgrindstaff]

Good video, but one point you described incorrectly was about the prop vent holes. These are to allow for exhaust gasses to escape around the prop during holeshot to allow the engine rpms to increase. As well as having little to no effect once on plane.

[arfrunningbear]

Two friends had identical bass boats and motors, one had a three blade prop, the other had four blades, hole shot was identical, four blade prop was one MPH faster.

[flash]

Thank you for the info. Just purchased a 175 HP Suzuki for re-powering a 2100 CC Sea Pro (2004) for fishing on the Sea of Cortez, BCS. They give a standard prop with the motor. Before it had a 140 HP Suzuki which I sold. The boat is rated for a 200 HP. I will start the standard prop and hope it is a good match. You provided enough information I can kind of gauge if the prop is functioning well. Like your channel allot.

[davedodge]

Have a 19 ft cuddy. 5.7 Chevy. Went from a 15 17 to a 14.5 19. What a diff. Better mid range n more top end. N a wicked holeshot. The prob lasted one trip. So excited on performance that I forgot to lift out drive n it didn't like cement. Fubar... lol