which prop on my 15

[coombia21]

I have a honda 15hp and i have a 3 blade and a 4 blade prop that will fit it and the motor is on a 14ft lund which prop is going to get me more top end?

thanks dan

[solbes]

Are the two props the same diameter and pitch? If so, the three will generally be faster top end, but you may get better handling and possible holeshot out of the four.

[coombia21]

I believe they are the same pitch, but what can I do to make the motor any faster, without buying a bigger motor.

[hydro]

Make your boat lighter and appear smaller to the power. With a 15 hp motor you are only going to get so much "push" so take out any unnecessary weight, and keep what weight is left toward the rear of the boat. Trim the motor up until it porpoises, then back down one notch to run it.

[marine_man]

Hydro's right on... with a 15hp you're really limited on speed... you can play with prop pitch, but you're giving up holeshot or speed... you have to find a happy compromise between both.

Reducing weight is going to relate directly to speed.

marine_man

[coombia21]

What am I going to gain speedwise by switching to a 20 or 25, what should I change my prop on the 15 to if I want top speed and not holeshot and what am I going to gain.

thanks dan

[hydro]

A 20 or 25 horse motor on your boat will be good for mid 20 MPH or so, and I bet your 15 is pushing it about 20 mph. I don't know what is available for a "speed" prop on a stock 15, but if you could find something you will probably only gain a couple of mph at the cost of having a tough time tipping over onto plane.

Just for laughs, here is an old pic of me (hence my screen name) in a 9' class B hydro and a 20 CI Champion Hot Rod (a modified 16 hp motor from the '50s) going by at a little over 50 mph. That was with 1.5:1 gears spinning a 7" X 12 1/2" pitch prop. Light boat, short midsection, air underneath and all sorts of mods to the motor!