[Tlolesen]

I bought a 2001 Mariah Shabah with a 4.3 v6 I have only had it out once and am a first time boat owner. The prop has a good chunk out of 2 blades and would like to know what to get. I will be using it most for pulling kids on a tube or maybe someone​ on ski's

[Firestone]

There are several conversation on this, so a search of the site might help. If you inspect the current prop it might have some product numbers to tell you what you are currently running. All kinds of info must be taken into account when picking a prop. Elevation where you boat, type of boating, how many people on average, how many blades, etc.

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[ROY850]

Originally Posted by Tlolesen

I bought a 2001 Mariah Shabah with a 4.3 v6 I have only had it out once and am a first time boat owner. The prop has a good chunk out of 2 blades and would like to know what to get. I will be using it most for pulling kids on a tube or maybe someone​ on ski's

I have a 99 Mariah 202 Shabah 4.3 also, I will be using it to pull the kids and adults as well. My prop was pretty beat up when I first purchased it, it came with a 3 blade 18 pitch aluminum prop. I called my local boat shop and I told them what I wanted to do, they recommend a 4 blade 17 pitch for pulling skiers and getting out of the hole quick. He did say I would lose about 2mph and a slight higher rpm. I have not yet tested it on a nice day. Lately we've had a lot of wind so water has been very choppy. So I really didn't feel how well it worked out for me the first time. Here is my before prop and the prop I ordered with my local boat shop





http://boatpropellers.iboats.com/Mer...t_id=143425903




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[ROY850]

It's not the proper prop but that's just an option I did with my boat. You will probably never get a right answer because everyone is different like Firestone mentioned above. It all depends what your using it for and the proper prop probably is the original size it came with, it probably isn't good enough for pulling skiers. I'm no expert but a lot of reading has helped me kinda educate me on the boating. Happy boating hope you find what your looking for.


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[mikeyt]

Why not just read the informative STICKYS at the top of the Prop Forum? All the answers you need are right there.

[Mariahsteve12]

As has been mentioned above your prop decision should be made largely depending on the circumstances you will be operating under. If you run near load capacity and pulling skiers then you will need a more aggressive prop like the 4 blade your mechanic recommended to you. However be aware of the fact that the 4 blade will cause your engine to run at a higher RPM hence the opportunity for engine issues if you are not really cognizant of your RPMs especially for an extended amount of time. Personally I run a 19 and it seems to perform nicely. It won't jerk a skier out of the water like the 4 blade prop mentioned earlier but it is a good middle of the road prop. Please forgive me if I am singing to the choir about the prop information but as you select your prop know that the lower the number for the prop the more torque coming out of the hole. For example my 19 will come out of the hole quicker than a 22. But the 22 once planed up will run faster given the same circumstances. But here again your engine will be running at a higher RPM especially at full throttle. If you put a 19 degree prop up to a solid block of rubber and you pushed it into the rubber as it rotates it will take 19" to make a full revolution. On a 22 there is less drag therefore more speed. Your diameter should be a consideration as well. I use a 14.5" with the 19 pitch and it works well. Wordy I know but I hope this helps.

[ROY850]

Originally Posted by Mariahsteve12

As has been mentioned above your prop decision should be made largely depending on the circumstances you will be operating under. If you run near load capacity and pulling skiers then you will need a more aggressive prop like the 4 blade your mechanic recommended to you. However be aware of the fact that the 4 blade will cause your engine to run at a higher RPM hence the opportunity for engine issues if you are not really cognizant of your RPMs especially for an extended amount of time. Personally I run a 19 and it seems to perform nicely. It won't jerk a skier out of the water like the 4 blade prop mentioned earlier but it is a good middle of the road prop. Please forgive me if I am singing to the choir about the prop information but as you select your prop know that the lower the number for the prop the more torque coming out of the hole. For example my 19 will come out of the hole quicker than a 22. But the 22 once planed up will run faster given the same circumstances. But here again your engine will be running at a higher RPM especially at full throttle. If you put a 19 degree prop up to a solid block of rubber and you pushed it into the rubber as it rotates it will take 19" to make a full revolution. On a 22 there is less drag therefore more speed. Your diameter should be a consideration as well. I use a 14.5" with the 19 pitch and it works well. Wordy I know but I hope this helps.

So for example if I'm going 25mph about what range RPM should I be at so I have a better idea. I guess in other words what is considered high RPM or what should I keep it under to be safe? I am not very sure about what's high and low on a boat.


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[Mariahsteve12]

Roy I am by no means a boat mechanic so please don't take my recommendations as the gospel on performance. However with that being said I can tell you that I run between 5700 and 6500 RPM's and I've had no trouble. My 350 is stock with no modifications. I know that there are a lot of different circumstances that should be considered while choosing an RPM range. I never run my engine at full throttle. Even pulling up skiers but I get close. This is not scientific by no stretch of the imagination but It has worked for me. Hope this helps.