Re: Prop for a 15' Whaler
 

turbo makes a good 4 blad that will work on that 70 . 2+2 x

OK Guys,
Last night I was out with friends on the 15' Whaler.
1976 15' Super sport powered by a 1999 70HP Johnson.
3 people, full cooler, skis, gear, (2) full 6gal gas cans.
The boat has a 17p aluminum 3 blade prop.
She pulled skiers great and carried the heavy load around well for such a small boat.
Top speed on the GPS was 35.2 at 5700rpm. The manual says WOT should be between 5000 and 6000rpm.
We originally thought the boat would need a 4 blade to pull us heavy guys out of the water but the 3 blade worked fine.
I'm thinking a 3 blade stainless prop would probably give the boat a little better overall performance.
Should he stay with a 17p or go for a 19p?

A good and relatively inexpensive way to find out is to get one of the adjustable pitch plastic 4 blade props for about 100 bux and run it at 17 and 19 and see how the overall performance is then buy the expensive stainless at te correct pitch to match. It worked well on my 15 but I have an old 50 M on mine.

Not a bad idea...

New 3 blade 19p aluminum props go for $90-$120 so maybe we can find a used one for $40-$50.
Sure would be worth it before spending $300 on a stainless that may or may not work.

I have a 21" stainless three blade on a 1989 15 Whaler with a 75hp Merc. Runs great, will pull anything, planes very easily with 4-5 people on board. The boat is so small and light and overpowered you dont need a 4 blade.