Rippem

I have not GPS'd my boat. I run side by side often with a 303 with 502 Mags. He has a GPS plotter. His boat is a very consistant runner. 69-70.x MPH. It's most often a dead heat...I mean we can run for miles and nobody gets a half a boat length. I have finger walked him a once or twice...but I tell ya it ain't a mile an hour. In almost all cases our top speed contests have been in small chop or less. Give me a 2'+ chop and I know there's another mile or two in mine based upon what I've seen on the speedo for reference. His straight bottom shorter boat running Mirages carries the nose well. My boat being more of a level runner needs some water for that last 2 MPH (if they are going to be there that day ) I still say the most mine'll do (light) on it's best day is 73.

I just don't get the experience Robert is having with those 28's. Mine was a P I G with them on, and no faster @ 47-4800 max, than the 26's I'm running now @ 5000+. In fact it was the lack of acceleration, poor low speed/midrange performance, and want of tab at those speeds that put me on 26's. I now have good acceleration, and the boat will stay on plane down in the mid/high twenties with very little tab. In fact the boat carries it's tail much, much better at all lower and mid speeds.

How that Sport's turning up 5100 RPM on 28's is beyond me!

With all due respect, Robert, I don't doubt your word, but I'm scratching my head as it seems something is amiss here.

I have the formula test team report from '01 showing 28's turning 4900 RPM and a two-way avg. of 73 MPH on salt , in a chop w/75* air temp, low humidity, less than 1/2 fuel!

did they build Robert a "ringer"???

or paint the motors the wrong color???

tune in Tues. to this Bat Channel at a similar Bat Time for an update!

Magicfloat

Ran it again today,crappy,overcast weather,60 degrees but nobody out,dead calm slow water(fresh of course) 510' above sea level. Added some fuel,had maybe 3/4 tank.Speedo reading solid 79,#5 on mechanical indicators,just me and one lab(dog not prop)5100 rpm on both tachs.I have no idea if the 2005 496HO's are any different from previous ones,but sometimes Merc makes a subtle change or 2 without saying anything,who knows?No ringers from Formula,they just don't do that,not their style. I will do the GPS thing Tues,but seat of the pants feels that this boat is pretty strong. As far as the Hot Boat Mag test goes,they carry lots more weight in their boats,my yellow lab weighs about 90#,Hot Boat has way more than that in each set of silicone enhanced bolt-ons

dukenrock

LOL (Silicon bolt-on's) Are both of you running with the bimini's down?

Rippem

perhaps I've misunderstood... the dog had a bikini on?

I usually run pretty heavy too.

Rippem

it's Tuesday...the suspense is killin' me.

Got my Formula Action news letter today. Robert is quoted.

and the first blurb about the Sport is in there too...specs say 9100 lbs.

either the 353 has gained 500 lbs. or the quoted approx. weight of 353's since '98 has been wrong at 8600.

Magicfloat

While you were surfing OSO I was running the boat Dead calm water,no wind,68 degrees,just me and slightly over 3/4 tank fuel. 75.2 GPS all day long,not a flash reading,ran maybe 1 mile at 75.2 solid,flash readings of 75.3 and 75.1. Robert

Rippem

NICE

whoever predicted 75/76 GPS anyway???

almost 40* here today.

Rippem

I wonder if the 496 likes a little back-pressure downstream in the exhaust?

I'm going from Silent Thunder to the big Corsa transom mounts myself.

Not uncommon in the vehicle world for mufflers to make power on a moderately tuned engine, as opposed to NO muffler.

Magicfloat

Glad you are making that 353 a little nicer for when you trade it in on Dukenrock's '01 382 Can you say genset,A/C,and 500's?

dukenrock

Robert, I thought that guy from Florida was coming up to look at it? Nice numbers on the 353!

On another note...

I was hoping you might have Byron Wink's home phone number or cell phone number. He's coming out tomorrow AM to look at the trailer. I picked it up tonight to bring it to my house where he's going to meet me, and on the way home I figured I'd check the air presure in the tires. They were around 50#, so I topped them off to 65#. Got on the road and the problem went away! Pressure must have been low coming back from your place. I need to get ahold of him before he makes the trip. Any help would be appreciated.
KC