[Polhemus]

I'm interested in buying a 1993 Barchetta (18+' bowrider) with a 4.3 litre LX. In the test drive, it turned around 4400-4500 rpm with 4 people. The speedo is not working. It was very slow out of the hole. It currently has a 21p 3 blade alum prop.

I'm interested in skiing. I'm thinking 19p with a 3, 4 or 5 blade. I'm not concerned about top end, assuming it will be at least high 30s. However, I don't want to overturn too much (i.e. exceed 4800 rpm). I'd probably invest in stainless. I'm also considering some sort of hydrofoil for the cavitation plate to help planing.

Any advise in set-up from skiiers out there would be appreciated...

Thanks,
Stan

[180diablo]

Wait for "MikeyT" to chime into this, he is one of prop guru's around here.

Alternatively, use the search button at the top and look around for a few of his posts. Feel free to look around and do some research. There is a wealth of information on this growing site.

If you do end up going with a stainless prop, make sure you are well aware of the pro's and con's to having on installed on your drive. I would rather put 2-3 plain aluminum ones on vs one stainless and risk damaging the shaft in the event of a prop hit. Again, something else that can easily be searched for.

Noooooooo hydrofoils.... Smart tabs = good.

Smart Tab Thread here

Hope it helps

[mikeyt]

Originally Posted by Polhemus

I'm interested in buying a 1993 Barchetta (18+' bowrider) with a 4.3 litre LX. In the test drive, it turned around 4400-4500 rpm with 4 people. The speedo is not working. It was very slow out of the hole. It currently has a 21p 3 blade alum prop.

I'm interested in skiing. I'm thinking 19p with a 3, 4 or 5 blade. I'm not concerned about top end, assuming it will be at least high 30s. However, I don't want to overturn too much (i.e. exceed 4800 rpm). I'd probably invest in stainless. I'm also considering some sort of hydrofoil for the cavitation plate to help planing.

Any advise in set-up from skiiers out there would be appreciated...

Thanks,
Stan

uggh, hydrofoils. Invest in a set of Smart Tabs. Simple to install, less than $200 to buy, cures a number of known problems and they look much better than a hydrofoil. There are some though that love their hydrofoils. The choice is yours.

As for the prop, you could change to a 19"- 3 blade or a 20" - 4 blade in either aluminum or S.S. to improve your hole shot and give you a little more mid range bite. Your rpms will increase about 400 with either & that still keeps you close to the recommended range max of 4800 for the 4.3L. As for your top speed, that 21" blade should have had you up in the mid-high 40's maybe even touching 50 with a light load. The other options will drop the top end to the low - mid 40's but make the boat much easier to ski behind. A combo of the Smart Tabs & a change in prop should make the boat an excellent mule for waterskiing but some of the others here have noted that the Smart tabs produce a smaller wake than preferred for wakeboarding.

The choice between S.S. and aluminum comes down to a number of things. Where do you normally boat? If there is a lot of debris or rock shelves etc then i would suggest sticking to an aluminum prop because of the lower purchase cost & less likelihood of significant damage to your outdrive in the event of an impact. If you want improved performance, boat in deeper & less debris filled waters and dont mind paying the extra cost, S.S. is the way to go.

[All In]

Mikeyt,
I don' understand and I hope you can help. I have a 20' Mariah Shabah with the 4.3 LX, alpha outdrive with a 3 blade not sure of the pitch but it has the word "TURBO" written on it prop. When I first bought the boat it was more the sluggish coming out of the water and to plane. It would not stay on plane under 20 to 25 mph. I installed a hydrofoil and all my problems went away. I know that it does not look that good but it fixed all my trouble and it was only about 130$. I have heard you talk about the smart tabs before and I am wondering what the differences are. I am always looking for ways to get just a little more out of the boat and at 200$ smart tabs might be something that I would want to try. I am sure that I could install them myself after I got over having to drill into my boat. (making a hole in a boat just does not sit well with me.) Anyway, any insight on this that you might have would be helpful.
Thanks

[mikeyt]

Originally Posted by All In

Mikeyt,
I don' understand and I hope you can help. I have a 20' Mariah Shabah with the 4.3 LX, alpha outdrive with a 3 blade not sure of the pitch but it has the word "TURBO" written on it prop. When I first bought the boat it was more the sluggish coming out of the water and to plane. It would not stay on plane under 20 to 25 mph. I installed a hydrofoil and all my problems went away. I know that it does not look that good but it fixed all my trouble and it was only about 130$. I have heard you talk about the smart tabs before and I am wondering what the differences are. I am always looking for ways to get just a little more out of the boat and at 200$ smart tabs might be something that I would want to try. I am sure that I could install them myself after I got over having to drill into my boat. (making a hole in a boat just does not sit well with me.) Anyway, any insight on this that you might have would be helpful.
Thanks

Without regurgitating all the info from other threads here, i've simply cut & pasted some info for you to check out. You can use the search function here to find all of the threads discussing Smart Tabs and their benefits. A Hydrofoil will simply get you onto plane faster than no hydrofoil. It does nothing for low speed wander or chine walking and some say it puts unecessary extra strain on your outdrive. The Smart Tabs dont affect your outdrive at all while reducing or eliminating the other problems mentioned. Have a look in our "How To" section for an excellent installation tutorial by our own 'bakdraft'!

The pitch on your existing prop should be written/stamped on the inside of the hub. Sometimes they simply stamped the model # but i believe the last 2 digits indicated the pitch. Trust me on this though......"Turbo" on the prop doesnt mean it is turbo charged...

Here's a link to the Nauticus website where there is a video or two showing Smart tabs, hydraulic tabs & hydrofoils.

http://www.nauticusinc.com/Nauticus_videos.htm

Here's some info gleaned from EBuyers world website:

Trim Tabs vs Hydrofoils:
There simply is no comparison. Trim tabs self adjust independently according to how you run your boat. They set on either side of your motor and provide excellent stability. With hydrofoils, they are a fixed mount on your motor and can not physically provide the same performance because they provide only one point of balance in middle. Not to mention, hydrofoils cause unnecessary strain on your transom.

Here's how they work:
The nitrogen gas actuators provide lift at the stern of the boat by holding the trim plate down during acceleration. The amount of lift is determined by the actuator load rating and the trim plate adjustment, which is done at the time of installation. Nauticus trim tabs start in a downward angle to maximize lift at slow speeds. As the boat accelerates, the water pushes up on the trim plates providing lift to the stern which minimizes bow rise, and allows the boat to plane quickly.

Once the water pressure exceeds the actuator load rating (maximum lift) the trim plates move up to a horizontal position eliminating any drag. Even when cruising Nauticus trim tabs continue to work like shock absorbers. The constant adjustment to sea conditions allow Nauticus trim tabs to provide remarkable stability in turns, while crossing waves, cruising, and running at maximum speeds. No more sliding, porpoising, or chine walking. The dampen reaction of the actuators senses changes in water pressure to provide smooth and undetectable reaction changes.

[Polhemus]

Thanks for the help/comments.

As you've suggested, there are a lot of good posts/threads on this subject. I was not familar with Smart Tabs prior to this. Does anyone have a feel for how long the cylinders last? The company warranty is 2 years. They don't seem that pricey to replace (around $40). I, too, have to get over the trama of putting holes in the hull below the waterline...

Has anyone tried a Quicksilver ENERTIA prop? From the propaganda it sounds too good to be true. Due to the material (X-7) plus design they claim both a better hole shot AND more top end.

How about props in general with the ventilation holes in the hub at the leading edge of the blades (Quicksilver HighFive, PowerTech Props, etc.)? Is this a gimmick or does it really help the hole shot?

The bottomline sounds like some sort of device to get stern lift (to reduce planing time/effort) plus a lower pitch prop is the way to go...