Baja Daze :I've been running a 25"P Mirage Plus that has been lab-finished. The diameter was cut down 3/8" the blades thinned, cupping added and the diffuser ring cut off.

Who did that job????

I can achieve about 4950rpms with this prop lightly loaded and it gained 3.5mph over my stock 23.

What was max rpm with the stock Mirage plus 23" ????

I still like the 23 when I'm haevy, though. It planes better and handles the rough better and accelerating : The 23 ??


Thanks
JS232

Allan's right on with the hook issue. I think of a hook as a built-in Trim tab...Some manufacturers put hooks in hulls for a reason...Worst part is that, you'll never know exactly what the results will be until you try it...At that point it may be too late and you may not like the results.

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JS232,
I got your PM...good questions. (1)I have no idea who did the lab work, but it was many people from what I understand. The prop is a loaner that I've been borrowing. It was once a prop from an old B-Class Boat. (2)The rpms with my stock 23P Mirage Plus were very close to the rpms of the 25 I've been running; just a touch over 4950, but just under 5000. (3)I was referring to my original 23P Mirage Plus that came with the boat. Sorry, I left out that part.

I suppose labbing the 23P would benefit speeds if I could turn it faster, but I would then be hitting the rev limiter. I'll just stick with 2 props for now, the 23 when heavy, the 25 when going all out when light.

Wonderwick,
The biggest bang for the buck, as you'll hear frequently around here, is to go for a blower. Most of the other smaller performance mods will just nickel and dime you to death for that extra 1/2 mph here, one mph there.

I have not done any mode to mine yet. I'm getting used to the idea of good reliability. There's something to be said for a turnkey boat.

I agree a turnkey is nice to just get in it a go.. but like the rest of you I like the speed too. At some point I may put a procharger on it at 3.5 pounds boost and see what happens but that will be a while yet. From what I was told on the board, if I do anthing to the motor now I'll loose my warranty and I have the extended warranty so I'm not going to mess with it for now.

Can you tell me what the effects of a 4 blade prop are? And can you go up in pitch using a four blade and still get the bottom end performance too? Would a 4 blade help any?

I do appreciate all the info you guys have provided, you have been very helpful.

Wonderwick,
Anything to help an OSO Brother!

General rule of thumb, when going from a 3-blade to a 4-blade, you should go down one inch in pitch. A good match for your 23P Mirage Plus would be a 22P Bravo1 prop.

A 4-blade will help tremendously getting on plane, will net much better mid-range cruise performance(lower rpms at mid range speeds) and acceleration should be improved. Another benefit is a 4-blade prop will hold turns better without blowing out(veltilating and losing bite).

The downside is usually a reduction in top speed.

If my 25 outlaw was your boat would you consider a 4 blade or leave it like it is with the 23 mirage?

Thanks again for everyones' help.

I just thought of something else. Sorry... I acquired a land and sea varible pitch prop a few years ago and have it on the shelf in the garage. Has anyone ever tried one of these? I have never used it but was told it was an expensive prop. It has adjustments on it that allows you to set it for different top end pitches and it is supose to shift to higher pitches once the boat plans out and you trim the drive. Anyone know anything about this prop.????

I wouldn't mess with an adjustable prop with a boat like ours. They'll self-destrust in far lower horsepower aplications...I doubt it would last 5 minutes on your boat.

Personally, I would like to have one of each...Like I mentioned, the 4-blade would probably be the preferred prop for most situations, except top speed. If you just cruise a lot, a 4-blade should prove more reasonable. Also, if you frequently carry a lot of people fully loaded, a 4-blade would make it easier to plane and maintain cruise speeds.

The 3-blade will be faster and more agile at the top end.

But, of course everyone's likes can be different. Try one, see if you like it. There should be a number of prop shops that will allow you to try a prop before you buy.

Or maybe someone here can loan you one...Unfortunately, I don't have one.

Thanks again, The shops around here will not loan props and if you buy one its yours no exchanges so I'm kinda stuck in this regard. Must be nice to live somewhere where you can work with local businesses. I had to go to Pittsburg to buy the boat - they wanted $15,000 more here for the same piece I bought in PA.