I recently sold my 20ft searay with a 5.0 to go bigger. Found a 1999 baja 252 with a 454 mpi (non-mag) with almost 400 hours. Is that enough engine for that size? What amount of fuel typically would you use in an afternoon mostly cruising with the odd WOT run for a couple minutes?

We have a 2000 226 Cobalt with a 454 MPI (non-mag) with a Bravo 3- Captains Call Exhaust- all fresh water. The boat (dry) is about 4200 lbs and with Cool weather, 25 gallons of fuel and 2 people at WOT we get 63 mph- GPS. The motor has been absolutely great - no oil usage, leaks etc. I did replace a starboard exhaust manifold last fall. Right above the access plug there was a very tiny crack. Rather than wait until it got bigger I just replaced it -- Very easy job. Right now we have about 350 hours on it.

Fuel usage at WOT can easily hit 30 gals/hour. We typically cruise at 3500 rpm's about 35mph and it goes thru a little over 10 gallons/hour. Again all of these are estimates because we don't have a flow meter on the boat - Also this year I have exclusively used Shell mid-range octane fuel and added a couple of cans of Sea Foam in the spring. I know there is a fuel usage application somewhere on the web - it really is pretty accurate. Also you may want to see what your prop slip is to make sure you got the boat propped correctly. Last time I ran the numbers I was around 2% slip - which is just perfect.

Where are you boating?

All the best - and be safe

3pointstar

232 islander with the same engine moved out at 60 with a light load. Normal load and speed was mid 50's at WOT.

That engine at 3000 rpms burns about 13 GPH. All afternoon (5 hrs) at 3000 should drain the tank

http://www.boat-fuel-economy.com/mer...ion-us-gallons

Deleted, advice on wrong engine

He did say (non mag) 7.4 Rob.

3 point...2% slip? Say what?

I have a 28P and I've got it up to 63 mph at 4600 rpm's

Did I do something wrong using the prop slip calculator

If I did I really would like to know what the slip would calculate at?

thanks

3pointstar

Assuming that you have a 1.5 drive ratio it calcs out to 23%. 2% is considered practically impossible and not desired. Very broadly and generically speaking 15% is ideal to let the prop "spin" up. To calculate 2% you'd have to have a gear ratio of 1.9

I have a 252 7.4 MPI... 53-54 MPH is about what it does with a 19p 3 blade. Has 2 hours on rebuild if interested.

My drive is a 1:2 or 2:1 -- its a stock Bravo 3

Thanks for the advise. The boat sold on me before i could get to it. 14000 cad. I am in new brunswick canada so most u.s boats are out of my price range the way the dollar is...