ATs in Power boat
 

I was walking around the airport today and looked through a Power Boat mag and low and behold threre's 3 A.T.s in it at a Texas poker run. My question is where was Clark??????:D

Probally testing Props :hitfan: :boat:

Saw that a while ago. Surprised no one posted up on that before.

Was it the TOPPS Poker run back in June? If so, I didn’t do that run. In my opinion, it has gone downhill over the last few years. I am doing the Rock the Lake Poker Run on Saturday and there are 8 AT's enrolled. I will take some pics. Brian has some of the 8 AT's from the Emerald Coast. We ran with them on one of the eight legs. Texas was and will be again AT country. I believe there are as many here as there are in Maryland/Virginia.

Mark, tomorrow is the big day for prop testing. 29 1/4 Pitch, 15 1/2 diamiter Throttle Up/ Mercury Maximus Props. God I am sick!

Yes, it was the TOPPS.

I don't get it in the mail and haven't for a couple a years, and I wouldn't have bought this one if the A.T.s weren't in it.:D

SO Clark are ya doing the show 37? I liked the idea of doing a light cabin sorta poker run edition:boat:

Oooh, I'm interested in results!

I'm still running BillR's set of labbed 32 Bravos. I should have a chance to really air them out tomorrow heading up river to Chippokes. (Mark...come on down! :cool: I will give you a buzz in the am.) They do give me the rpm's I need, but not much faster than my stockers. And, I hate the way they occassionally blow out coming out of the hole. Argh!

BTW, what's up with all these funky smiles? :Whatever:

Cant turn them over 5100! :( Dont know why. It was 93 degrees with 95% humidity today. When they were stock 30's I turned them 5000. Dosent make sense. Should have picked up 200 rpm with the down pitch and 150 rpm by thinning the blades and cutting off the diffuser ring. The props came balanced and blue printed from mercury so they were not purely stock. I am showing only 12% slip which is outstanding for an AT. The boat is realy hooked up and rides on rails. Getting out of the hole is outstanding. The blades dont look thined like a traditional labbed finished prop. They are also polished vs satin finsished unlike like a traditional labbed prop. I need to talk to Julie on Tuesday and see what the deal is and what our options are.

Cruise numbers are 52 at 3000, 57 at 3500, 61 at 3700 (best fuel economy), 65 at 4000, and 74 at 4500. My boat gains 2 mph for every 100 RPMs over 5K. I need 280-300 more RPMs. Mark just got his 28's today. That may be the ticket for top end but he is going to loose some in the mid range.

That much heat and humidity, and flat water, can suck 2 - 300 rpms off top end easy. Is the comparison equal to that kind of weather?

Ran the stock 30's at 100 degrees and a bit dryer like 70% humidity. It was flatter when I tried the stocks and had a 2 foot chop on Friday. On the poker run yesterday full fuel 3 adults and loaded cabin. Turned 5050. Lost 2 mph across the board but expected.

Interesting. Still, your cruise numbers are stellar. It's what I'm looking for along with a solid hole shot and carrying the boat well in the rough I run in. A lot of guys in my club have bad things to say about 5 bladers being drive killers. My experience with this boat is it just does not take flight unless you WANT it to. Even on bad days it stays glued to the water. Pat told me this on my test drive in your boat and he was right.

Mark got great results with his latest. A set of Maximus is defintely in my future. I'm letting you guys figure out what is best for me. :cool-smiley-027:

Cool air is coming...it is time for some more prop testing.

In the rough (our typical churned up washing machine crap + close running highspeed wakes mixture) yesterday Clarks boat stayed glued to the water..tracked like a runaway freight train..and carried the bow again which we were missing. Really like the easy planing and quick turns were secure feeling.
Just can't figure where the rest of them rpms are lurking at.
When they are found ..look out there should be a major jump in speed.
I was surprised at Marks 28s ..not much change ..
Maybe these boats just need some Serious saltwater!!

I got 84.3 at 5250 with the 28s. It was 87 degrees but the humidty was around 45%. This was in brackish water with a 1' chop so i was happy. A little cooler and down river in the salt i think 86 is possible. When my boat ran 87 on sea trials Pat and Jay had about 40 gals. of gas, 2 dock lines, 2 life jackets, the engine hatch was off and it was in Florida salt.

:greenchainsaw: That is really nice weather! 100 RPM is 2mph over 5000 RPM. 86-88 is ralistic in cooler, less humid weather and some Florida Salt.

Topps poker run
 

There was really 4 AT's on the run that day. There was three 37's and one 32. We were trying to get all 4 in the shot but the pilot kept getting too close. Next year we will get 5 or 6, too cool. What do you think, Pat? Who would of thought, Texas? Rage-N-Thunder

WOW!!!! 1st post:cool: Where you been hiding?

All I can say is there is a storm brewing over here and we believe that instead of a hurricane it's a bunch of Thunders.

Thunderstruck on TPA raft up
 

TPA raft up

Tom,

That is one good looking 32!!! It still looks like the day Jim took delivery! That silver boat next to yours looks like an AT too! :)

Clark Running TPA
 

Lookin good!!!

There ya go Clark. Make sure you keep that ride for the KW trip.

We will see! There is a lot of talk right now. I may have to hitch a ride :)

OK spill it:sport009:

The plot thickens.

Plastic:
Texas has been Thunder country since 94.
A lot of the original boats are still around with different owners.
The 1st step 37 is gone up east and so did the only 37 staggered 600.
A couple of years ago somebody in Houston imported a 32 from St. Louis. Haven't seen it lately.
There's even a 25 up on the river..saw it about a month ago.

You are right. We now have only have 3 here in Beaumont as a 32 went to Tenn. I hope that number will increase soon. At least we an still get insurance.