Speed of My Crestliner?

[Nukem531]

I need help! I have been reading up on this forum and others a bout the speed that people are getting out of their rigs. I have a 1996 Crestliner 1750 SC with a Evinrude Intruder 115. I have the normal setup, but without a stainless prop. Top speed on my rig is 37 MPH with just me in it. Whats wrong? I am hearing that I should be in the high 40's low 50's.

Any advice would be of great help.

[wishing for walleyes]

You need a different pitch prop.

[Deitz Dittrich]

How many RPMs are you running and it could be a matter of how high you have the moter in the water too(boat set up)... Need more information.. a stainless will get you better performance however!

Also, I highly doubt you can get low 50's with a 115... low 40's sounds more resonable...

[Iceseeker]

I can get ~45mph with a Merc 115 on a 17' FishHawk. Thats with the trim up and water smooth.

Iceseeker

[Ray Esboldt]

You won't make 50 with that boat, but 45 is a definite possibility. My guess is you will need to play with prop pitches. Unfortunately to get the max speed out of boat-motor combo you will really need to try several props. There is no gauranteed formula.

Some dealerships may let you grab a few and try them. I don't know, maybe. There are still a couple shops around that specialize in Props. They are more likely to let you try, so you may want to do some searching for them.

Deitz, is also correct that you motor height can influence top end. However, my guess on this boat knowing it's hull, it would not make a signifigant difference to change it.

[eyebjim]

I have the same boat only a couple years older with a 115 johnson on it. I struggle with this problem too. I has the same motor on a bass boat and it would do 52. Part of my problem is my gear though. I bet it goes 400 lbs (3 batteries, tolling motors etc) And another 230 for me. When I first bought the boat before I outfitted it wth all the good stuff (weight) I could get about 46 out of it. I get about 40 out of it now. I had a 17 pitch x 14 AL and was getting about 37. I switched to a 19 x 13.75 SS and now I get 40. I'm not so sure it was worth $300 for 3mph. I tried every motor position on the transom and it still didn't help. I think this boat just wants to be slow. With the SS it does not blow out in the corners near as much when trimmed up. Good luck.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Comparing speeds of an alum boat and a fiberglass boat doesnt work.. the glass boat will win almost every time... Not sure why, just must be the way they are designed.

[PierBridge]

Like stated above knowing what your RPM's are is the first step.

Also with top end speed gains you more than likely will lose bottom end or hole shot performance which is more important in my opinion.

[ChuckN]

I had an Alumacraft T-Pro 170CS with a Johnny 115 (relatively same motor). I tried several props, and I stuck with a 17P SST stainless for hole shot, RPM's (5800-6000) and overall performance. 43mph was about standard. Forget close to 50mph...

The aluminum prop always kept me around 40mph and it didn't have anything close to the performance of a stainless. Aluminum will flex under high stress and stainless will not resulting in better performance.

I've ran in a boat almost exactly like that and 38-40mph is right for an aluminum prop. Try a 17P and 19P stainless and see how these props respond for hole shot, RPM's and speed. A nice dealer should let you experiment before you purchase. If I recall, 5800-6000 RPMs for that motor, but double check with an OMC mechanic..

[Whoaru99]

Comparing speeds of an alum boat and a fiberglass boat doesnt work.. the glass boat will win almost every time... Not sure why' date=' just must be the way they are designed. [/quote']

Mebbe because a glass boat tends to be smoother on the wetted surface?

PS: I'd say low 40's is about right too - based on my 16' with 90HP.

Is that GPS speed, or speedometer speed? The speedo in my boat shows me bit faster than GPS.

[PerchJerker]

Your boat / motor is not a "high 40's - low 50's" setup by any means. Low 40's is the best you can expect. The right prop, the right prop pitch, and the right mounting height will make all the difference in the world.

Also, is your 37 mph from a gps? You cannot trust boat speedometers, or the wheel speedometers that come on some depthfinder units.

[Northlander]

Mid 40's is about all you will get. I have a 17' Lund Explorer with a 115 yamaha 4 stroke and played with props a lot. Best speed I got was 47 mph going down river with just me and 1/4 tank of gas. I usually can do 43-45. Stainless prop that was cupped and bored by Jay Soderbloom. I cant remember the ptch etc. because I have played with so many.

If you can get mid 40's call it good.

[bassNspear]

 Originally Posted By: Deitz Dittrich

Comparing speeds of an alum boat and a fiberglass boat doesnt work.. the glass boat will win almost every time... Not sure why, just must be the way they are designed.

A glass boat is going to be heavier, but the way that hulls are built, and the way the back of the hull is layed, is going to give you the top speed. If you look at the glass boats, or bass boats, the hull in the back of the boat is as flat as they can make it, so you get out of the hole, and get more speed. Alum is close to it, but they cant make it that flat.

[cjac]

I run a rig quite close to Northlander and the low to mid 40 range (optimal conditions) is about all I can get. Plenty fast enough for me...

I also did a lot of prop testing and ended up back with the stock aluminum prop and pitch. Alum is also a lot kinder on the wallet if I have a mishap....

Nukem531, try a couple different props and you should hit the same low to mid 40s range. Work with a good prop shop or boat dealer and they'll help you out.

Chris