290 SC falling off plane
 

I have a 2006 Velocity 290SC with a 496 HO 1.50 Bravo 1X Dana 1000 tabs and a Hydromotive Q-IV 28 pitch prop. The prop shaft is about 3 inches below the bottom of hull. Top speed is 67 to 68 at 4700 to 4800 rpm. I'm having trouble keeping the boat on plane in 2' to 3' choppy offshore conditions. The real scary issue is running back in Sebastian inlet with an out going tide. I've tried running with tabs and drive in all different positions and no luck. Last time out I decided to hit the inlet with a little more speed between 30 and 35 gps mph drive all the way down and no tabs. About half way through the slop the prop started slipping and once again it fell off plane. I've been boating all my life but this is my first performance boat. Any help would be appreciated.

Try running it 45-50mph. Velocities run smoother when you run faster.

its the prop, try a 28 4 blade bravo labbed any questions give me a call Kenny 407-402-0300

It is your prop.

Kenny would know! He built the boat. Needs a different prop.

Too much prop. Call Kenny.

Thanks everybody. I bought the boat from Kenny earlier this year.
I guess I need to save my pennies and then call Kenny again.

Petty,

Try a Bravo 28- the Hydro QIV's have an edge on the top end but otherwise the Bravo prop will do everything else 4 times as well. FME- they suck getting on plane and cruising and the extra bump on top end isn't worth it.

As others have said, you need more speed and a better prop. I would recommend the "X" series of the Hydromotive props. I was having planing/stability issues with the Bravo that came on my 290 and switched to a Hydro P5X. Turned it into a better boat for planing, efficiency, and high speed stability. Didn't lose any top speed either!

I finally purchased a 28 Pitch Bravo 1. I'm pleased with the result. The wind doesn't push the bow around as much, It still planes off well and in high speed turns that would cause the Hydromitve prop to blow out the Bravo 1 slips a little and catches as soon as you straighten out. I did lose about 1.5 mph on top.

Thanks for the advice.
Ken

What is your RPMs?

Padraig

Check out this thread of mine. My 28p Bravo after labbing by bblades is night and day difference. Picked up roughly 4 mph.



http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/v...2-numbers.html

The best prop I ran on my 26 was a labbed b blades 28 bravo I ran all kinds of hydromotives in my opion to much stern lift my boat liked a bravo style better ran a couple of 5 blades racing that worked pretty well but the 28 was the best all around hell that's the prop I set the record at 103 at loto with.
My propshaft center line was 2.750 below great for calm water racing but for big water racing it needed to be spaced down to keep the boat hooked up.
We would loose 3 to 4 mph when we went down just .500 lower .

Hey Gary, good info. What were you running for power and drive? Was the hull the 26/280?

Thanks,

Padraig

Just from looking at your 1st post. I see your RPM too low, at wot. I think you would be better off with a B1 26p. That would also keep you in the better Torque range at lower speeds. And a chance of more top end. That 496HO should spin 5150

It was a 1993 26 when I raced in class 6 or 5 I would run a 1.65 gear at loto I goofed and put a 1.5 on the boat we would have ran better with a 1.36 that I had .
At loto with the 28 and 1.5 gear at 6800 rpm we went 103.8 later back here in Michigan with the 1.36 and 4 big guys in the boat it went 106 mph and still climbing slow in 1 foot chop in loto to go that speed it was real loose.

At loto I had a 598ci what hp who knows we built the engine took it out broke it in out on the lake did 1 pass with 3 guys in the boat it went 100 mph real easy put it on the trailer and took of for loto 1 hr later.



When i raced it I had a pump gas 510ci that made 700hp the best it ran was 92.0 at 6500rpm 1.65 gear 18% slip out of the box 30 bravo. It would run 88.9 with the 28 bravo 6500rpm 15 % slip

I did tons of prop testing I have all kinds of numbers it will make your head spin LOL

I also agree with class 6 you might want to try a 26 bravo you might like it.

4700 rpm's 3 adults and 3/4 tank of gas. I'm sure some of my problem is me. I talked to Kenny at the toy run in Palatka he said 28 and have it labbed. I talked to mercury about the 27 Bravo I FS they also suggested a 28 they thought the 27 fs wouldn't work and the 26 would be 2 small. I hope too get out Sunday and do some more testing.

A 28 Hydro is definitely too big. On my 280 I used to run a labbed 27 hydro with a 502 mag with headers and a massaged ECU. I can not believe a heavier less aerodynamic 290SC could run a 28 hydro. A labbed Bravo one maybe but I would stick a 26 Bravo on and see what it does.

Padraig

I have a 280 with 496HO. I had the following props: Labbed 27 or 28 (can't remember) Hydro. This prop was on the boat when I bought it. Hated it!!! It would blow out just getting on plane constantly. Obviously it was not labbed for my boat.

Next I bought a Mercury labbed Bravo 28. It was much better than the hydo but was definitely to much prop. WOT it would go to 4400-4500 at 68 mph. I sent the labbed 28 to Velocity to send out to their prop guy to relab. Got the prop back and it lost cruise mph .It was slipping more everywhere. I noticed that the blades were cut down.

Next I bought a stock 26 Bravo. Great cruise and good top end. Cruise is 48mph at 3500. WOT it will run 68 just about any day of the week at 4800-4900 with fuel and 4 passengers. Best I have seen was 74.1mph on GPS when all the stars were aligned, wind to my back, light on fuel and by myself. It never hit the rev limiter at that speed either.

Next I bought a stock 24 Bravo for tubing/skiing. Cruise is 42-43 at 3500. WOT it will hit 67-69 touching the limiter. Prop is to small but it is easier on the engine/drive to pull tube/ski.

When I spoke to Kenny about getting the Mercury labbed Bravo 28 relabbed, Kenny said the 26 was to small and the 28 was to big. Boat needs a 27 Bravo.

IMO the stock 26 Bravo is best all around prop. I pulled tube and skis with it also with no issue. Great fuel economy and just an all around good prop for the boat.

When I bought my boat, the owner gave me the Velocity labbed Bravo 26. Unfortunately one of the blades broke off. He said it was the perfect prop for the boat, give it to the labbing company and tell them to make the exact same prop.

I have stock 24 and 26 Bravos for my boat today.

I've been pleased with the velocity labbed 28 Bravo, Ive gotten between 69-71 gps at 4800-5000rpm (on my setup, you have to trim it out to attain over 70); my prop-shaft is about 3.75 inches below the pad. I've tried a stock 28 Bravo1 and was able to hit 69 at 4700-4800 rpm. Low speed runs and cruising on the stock Bravo 28 are phenomenal.

See the one thing I dident have to worry about that you guys do is my engines were all solid roller cams so I could rev them I propped my boat most of the time for class 6 to turn 5600 to 5800 rpm to go 70 mph some races I would run the 28 and it would turn 5300 rpm at 70 mph but still would run 87 mph or so topped out in race trim.
I ran props from 24 pitch to 32 pitch on my boat depending on what we were doing racing or going for a number.
The one thing I found the small the wheel you can run and achieve what you want the boat to do the better it will be more fun to drive.
With a 24 bravo or hydo we ran both depending on water conditions we would come into the corner at 70 or 75 mph crank the wheel set the boat and lay into the throttle and we had to watch so would not hit our brake out speed in the corner.
In all reality you really should have a couple of props for water conditions and load in boat.

Well I'm happy to report the stars aligned today 2 adults about 70 gal of fuel and a small cooler on board. I managed 70.1 mph at 4850 rpm. Thats the best I've gotten out of it since I bought it.

Is that with the 28 Bravo? Do you know what mph you run at 3500? I would like to try a stock 28 Bravo on my boat.

Yes. Stock Bravo 1 28p. I think 3500 was right at 50. We spent most of the day at 3000 41 mph, Next time out I'll try to remember to check.

Glad you got it squared away.

Thanks

underpsi68 Took her out for a lunch run today 3500 is 50 mph.

Thank you for the info.

I'm glad you got it figured out.

If it were mine.....I would borrow a 26 Bravo and compare at various RPMs. Or download Bblades format, do the testing and then talk to Bret.

Padraig

So is the 290 faster than the 280 using the exact same engines / drives & ratio / and props ?

I purchased the 28 knowing that at some point I might have to get it worked on but for now it will have to stay as is.
BUP someone else will have to answer that I'm new to this type of boating.
Padraig would a 26 Bravo1 have the same slip or would it be less?

Yes - the 290/VR1 hull was developed approx.10 years after the 280 hull and was enhanced to be a faster hull. 290's with Merc Racing 525's were reported to run around 85 MPH which seems to be a sweet spot for 290 efficiency. 280's will need 600+ HP to see that speed.

I ran into some issues getting on plane with the 290 on Saturday as well. Now, I was loaded up with 4 adults and 4 kids, full of fuel and some crappy conditions going out. 3 to 4' with 15mph head wind made for a rough start. 496 HO with the labbed bravo 28 was not happy trying to plane off. It probably took me 30 or 40 seconds before the nose would drop. My thought is to get a 26p something for days like this. It felt like I was trying to pull 4 skiers out of the water. The ride back was great after the bay settled. 60mph all the way home on top of 1' of chop... smooth ride. The 28 works great but not really a work horse for the conditions I was in.

Was the prop slipping or was it dragging the engine down? Most single engine boats of your length would have that same problem.

CJYSD, that's quite the load. :-) With 5 adults and better than half tank of fuel mine is a little slower to plane but not that bad. In a heavy load situation I revert to my old fishing ways 2800 to 3000 rpm and give it some tab if you have them. I'm not sure if this will hurt the drive or not. Others might want to chime in on that.

Tinkerer- I'll say it was a little bit of both but more towards dragging me down- like trying to hole shot with the trim up. Again, the trip back was very good. The head wind and plowing through the rough water (against the grain) was really the main problem. Although my wife may not comply, I would love to try again in the same conditions without the load on board. A lower pitch prop would have been advantageous on Saturday.

petty- Yeah, we were loaded for sure. Full fuel, full freshwater tank, 2 loaded coolers, all the kings horseman and a partridge in a pear tree! I don't have tabs (yet) and I would imagine the drive was not so happy on a few of those pulls. I definitely learned a bunch about the 290 on it's first trip out since buying it and will try to avoid this scenario if possible.

I plan on purchasing another prop for water toy adventures with the kids. 24p 4 blade might be the ticket and double as the rough condition prop in case I run into the same situation as last Sat? Opinions welcome on this and sorry if I tuned this into a hijack... not my intention.

I have a 02 280 with same motor and drive as you but I run ab B1 26p prop. I do run this boat from time to time of the coast of California and it can get pretty choppy here. Never had a problem falling off plain at all. I would like to have the prop lapped because i cant get over about 4950 rpm at WFO.I would like to see a couple hundred more rpm if possible. The boat is a bit slower on to plain with 5 adults and a full load of fuel then it is with just the wife and I bit not terrible. No tabs

I will be going out this weekend ( fresh water) and i will report what my boat is doing speed and rpm wise and post it sometime Sunday.

Any news on the 26 results?

Sorry never maid it out. We have had a death in the family (wifes sister) so havent been out in a couple weeks. This weekend looks really nice here (mid 80 deg temp) so i will record a couple of rpm vs speed info.

Sorry to hear the news about your wife's sister DBO. Condolences to you and your family.