Guys,
All sold .........
Thanks,
Steve

Steve,

Thunderusone tells me that the hull of my 28 Stryker is very similar to the hull on your Nordic. He should know. I am running 580-590 Hp which shold give me 550 or so PSHP. I can not run a 3 blade as it blows out in any kind of turn. I have tried 3 bravo-1 4 blade props. The last of which is a 24 that I can turn up to 5800 rpm. The boat is very sensitive to stern weight and needs max trim up. With 2 up one person going from back seat to front can increase speed by 2mph. I have concluded that I need a prop with stern lift to get the boat up on the pad.

What HP are you running and which model Hydromotive has worked best for you.

I would appreciate you experience with this.

Wobble:
That is the exact opposite of the way loading affects my Nordic, so I don't know if I'm going to be of much help.
Weight FORWARD in our boats tends to pull the bow down and create more wetted hull area, slowing them down.
Generally, in all boats that I've owned, carrying weight behind the CG, results in better top end perfomance, because that weight distribution allows the bow to ride a little higher/freer.
I can't figure out why your boat would ride so stern heavy without looking at it.
Regarding hull deformations, hook (concave fore and aft) would create stern lift, so that's probably out; rocker (convex fore and aft) could make your bow ride high. Have you straightedged the last 4-6 feet of your hull along the keel/pad and strakes? It should be very close to flat, with very little daylight showing between the straightedge and hull.
Regarding performance and props. My engine when stock was
550 PSHP. The boat ran 76/GPS, and really needed more bow lift. My X dimesion is very high at 19.25"s. The P5-X is a bow lifter, and I am very pleased with it, even though it's expensive.
Four blades like the B1 are much better than 3 blades. The 3 blades don't have enough blade area to lock up against the weight of these heavy deep vees and torquey motors.
One other thing, my hull is a single step version. The pre 2000
model Heats were pad vees, and probably closer to yours. There are a couple of those here in Nashville too, but neither one, to my knowledge has any problem riding stern heavy.
Wish I could be of more help, but I would need to see your boat.
Regards,
Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply. I was assuming that you had a pre-2000 Heat. My understanding is that the early Heats and My Stryker Equalizer were splashed off the same hull (sleekcraft?).

My hull has been blue-printed throughout it's length. The previous owner had a multipoint fuel injected aluminium Merlin cranking out over 800HP, he was running a cleaver prop at 83-84 mph. 3 blades and cleavers are great for top speed on this hull, but I run in the San Jacinto river and the Houston ship channel which can get pretty hairy traffic-wise, so manouverability is very important.

a 22 pitch bravo-1 will give me awesome acceleration. The 24 is a good compromise rpm wise but seems to keep the back of the boat too stuck in the water. As mentioned Removing the weight of the back seat and hatch gets me 5-6 mph, which is why I think I need more stern lift. My particular hull was a lightweight construction and carrying the bow is not an issue.

Thanks again,

Wobble,
That's a dramatic difference in performance by just removing your rear seat and hatch. But that stuff can be very heavy. I guess my hatch weighs in around 250 lbs.
Some things may be going on here:
1. Some of your wood framing and/or uphoulstery padding may be waterlogged, and getting heavy.
2. A problem on the Flame is not enough airflow/venting for the motor to breath propery. I've added 3 addition vents in mine to get some extra air to the motor, and it has helped. So have my friends with HP motors in these boats. Removing the hatch and uphoulstery will definetly let your motor breathe.
3. Could be some of both.
Those #s (800 HP/mid 80s) sound accurate to me. I would consult with Matt at Throttle Up re your prop needs. I think he's very knowledgeable. He's done a good job for me.
Regards,
Steve

Steve,

I will get with Throttle up re the prop.

I did add 2 more vents for a total of 3 in and 1 out. Previously I could feel a difference by cracking the hatch open, but the extra vents seem to have solved that problem.

I estimate that the back seat and hatch weigh 350 lbs or so. I have the hatch and back of the seat mirrored with plexiglas. It is time to redo both with a view towards reducing weight I think.

Thanks for your time,