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pontiac
03-11-2008, 10:19 AM
If you have a boat running GPS speeds right at 70mph.
How often on a river do you think people will be able to beat you?

I know most boats stay around 50. but what about the average sport boat that has a little more motor?

BlownCrewCab
03-11-2008, 10:37 AM
It takes more than an average motor to go 70. you can usually hear the ones with more than average motors, but there are some good sleepers where you can't tell. and for bass boats, well I don't count those but some can hand you your azz and give you change. But if you can squeek out a few more MPH your chances of beating someone goes up greatly.

glashole
03-11-2008, 11:15 AM
I would say in our area on average most "sport boats" around 22-26 ft that have a big block (generally a 7.4, ocasionally a 454 mag) are running about 60-65. :smash:

there will always be someone faster than you- get over it -It gets costly to always have the target on your back

but at 70MPH you should be in the top few :)

The Hedgehog
03-11-2008, 11:29 AM
If you have a boat running GPS speeds right at 70mph.
How often on a river do you think people will be able to beat you?

I know most boats stay around 50. but what about the average sport boat that has a little more motor?

It depends on where you boat. If you hang out in places like LOTO, Havasu and Lake Cumberland you will see some fast boats. I will use Lake Martin for an example since it is one of the bigger destination lakes in Bama.

If you are on Lake Martin, you would be one of the faster boats around. Understand that most of your hot "80mph" bass boats will do just north of 70 and that is not out in front of the Kowliga bridge on Saturday.

Here is a run down on my take of IO sport boats (not the Allison with the 300):

If you are comparing single engine lake variety go "go fast" boats, the Caravell with a 350 mag, Checkerboard paint job and through hull runs high 50's on a good day (and probably feels pretty important around the dock), the average $50-60k Baja probably runs around 60-65. I have seen numerous guys with 27 Fountains with stock black motors that claim 80+. They probably run 65-70. The fleet seems to diminish exponentially as speeds go up from 70. An honest 70 is pretty fast. Most folks that run 75 have some pretty good hardware and an idea of what they have. They probably have a blue engine or a nicely modified black engine. At 80+ you are dealing with someone that is probably slinging 600+ hp. They should know their stuff and know how to drive. 85-90+ you are getting into someone that is pumping out 800-900hp or driving a smaller boat and really knows what they are doing. They have either a nicely modified blue engine or a custom built engine. They have a very noticeable sound.

At lake Martin when you get into the true 70's, you will be one of the faster boats around. Sure there are a few triple digit Fountains on that lake (at least for now) but most of the "go fast guys" will top out in the high 60's.

pontiac
03-11-2008, 01:03 PM
Great responses.

FYI
I boat on the tennessee river. Mostly between guntersville dam, and Decatur. sometimes go up to guntersville, and have taken trips to chatanooga, and to pickwick. so that the normal areas. most people will race out od the dam and back. so i feel a ture 70mpg boat will run with the best of them, and I will have no worries aobut it breaking becasue ita a bone stick 454 mag. but if i did by lil gizz's whipple boat i think no one could touch it up here.

glashole
03-11-2008, 01:10 PM
then buy it

mjw930
03-11-2008, 01:30 PM
ZX,

Your assessment is right on.

A true 70 mph boat on most waterways will be one of the top dogs. Just remember that cubic $$$$ always win out in the end so don't be disheartened if someone hands you your ass. Pick your targets carefully and you'll have a good time.

The old adage, "There is ALWAYS someone faster than you, get over it" is so true.

The Hedgehog
03-11-2008, 04:30 PM
ZX,

Your assessment is right on.

A true 70 mph boat on most waterways will be one of the top dogs. Just remember that cubic $$$$ always win out in the end so don't be disheartened if someone hands you your ass. Pick your targets carefully and you'll have a good time.

The old adage, "There is ALWAYS someone faster than you, get over it" is so true.

Right on:beer:

I am going to have some decent hardware as far as I am concerned. Will I dust the unsuspecting Fountain and Baja that thinks they can pick on a heavy Donzi? You bet! And I will probably smoke them in style. For the most part, I will still have plenty to go when I blow by them in the 80's.

In the end I will have to be honest and somewhat humble because I don't have the fastest boat on the lake by any means. There is a 388 Hustler on my lake swinging around 2,000 hp through a couple of Arnesons. He can wax me by a good margin. Heck, his cruise will be near my top end. Not far away is a 28 Nordic swing around 1,000 hp. Do I want to be the fastest? No, not these days. I am just having some fun.

fastfun2
03-11-2008, 05:39 PM
I dont care what boat your in 70 is still haulin azz! The average performance boat on Lake George runs mid to high 60s. Ill be thrilled if my boat touches 60 when Im done.

Lil Grizz
03-11-2008, 06:24 PM
I dont care what boat your in 70 is still haulin azz! The average performance boat on Lake George runs mid to high 60s. Ill be thrilled if my boat touches 60 when Im done.
Take a 90mph ride in a 30' and tell me 70 feels fast. We were doing some props for a guy last year with a 30 cat with twins. At 105 it felt like nothing at all. Its all about size when it comes to speed and what is too fast or not.

roadtrip se
03-11-2008, 06:32 PM
I dont care what boat your in 70 is still haulin azz! The average performance boat on Lake George runs mid to high 60s. Ill be thrilled if my boat touches 60 when Im done.

Last year at the Dustoff, we had several boats capable of running a bit more than the high-60s, but don't tell anybody.

pontiac
03-11-2008, 06:32 PM
I have been 86 in a 33 formula, but was not on GPS, so not sure th real speed but it was going petty good. but i have not ever rode in a 22zx yet. LOTS of other boats, but not the one i want so we will see. how it feels. Lil girzz, I may be calling you to set something up after this week. my last surgery tomorrow morning. so we will see.

Jamesbon
03-11-2008, 06:44 PM
"Good sleeper" - 2001 Sea Ray 290 Bow Rider, twin 5.7L EFI's = 55+ MPH... :eek!: Who would have knew...???

I "demo'd" one yesterday, I couldn't believe how fast it was......of course the deal fell through :bonk:

The Hedgehog
03-11-2008, 07:00 PM
Take a 90mph ride in a 30' and tell me 70 feels fast. We were doing some props for a guy last year with a 30 cat with twins. At 105 it felt like nothing at all. Its all about size when it comes to speed and what is too fast or not.

You are dang straight about that. High 90's in a 35 Executioner was nothing. Nice sensation but no big deal. At 70 my X-18 feels like it is flying. I could not imagine doing 90+ in that. I have driven a jet boat around 80 or so and it was almost frightening.

Kirbyvv
03-11-2008, 07:02 PM
85 mph in a 38ZR feels like a nice cruise, 60 mph in a 16' checkmate outboard is down right scary.
So size does matter.

BUIZILLA
03-11-2008, 07:21 PM
"Good sleeper" - 2001 Sea Ray 290 Bow Rider, twin 5.7L EFI's = 55+ MPH... :eek!: Who would have knew...??? I hope my wife doesn't see this :doh:
actually, I demo'd a 280BR Formula with a pair of 6.2's a couple years back, and it was an honest, solid, 57... I couldn't believe it either.. I nicknamed it the flying picnic boat..

DickB
03-11-2008, 07:42 PM
Just remember that cubic $$$$ always win out in the end so don't be disheartened if someone hands you your ass. Pick your targets carefully and you'll have a good time.

I have fun picking on boats that I know are faster. My lake has a couple of narrow waterways (not no wake) bewteen bays. Last year I was behind a cat just putzing along at 40 or so in one of the channels. As soon as he got clear of the channel, I nailed it, passed, and pulled well ahead of him into the next channel. Of course he nailed it coming out of the second channel, and left me in his wake. But it was fun "making" him do it.

SilverBack
03-11-2008, 07:53 PM
You guy are all very lucky!! I have got all of these Bullet and Allison bass boats that have the 300's and hopped up 225's and so forth that haul a$$. There is not much of a way to keep up with them in a Donzi. There is one that even has turbo charged outboard that will get well into the triple digit zone!!

I don't know why but that is going to be embarrassing in a big ole blown BBC Donzi!

BlownCrewCab
03-11-2008, 08:02 PM
Outboard bassboats don't count:smash:... Lets keep this for boats that weigh more than 1050lbs and can run in more than 6" chop... You Know...."Real Boats"... Not Floating motors with a livewell.....

Jamesbon
03-11-2008, 08:03 PM
LOL Buizilla...

502,
Just lead 'em to some 2+ foot seas... then let that blower motor show 'em the way... :eek!:

The Hedgehog
03-11-2008, 08:42 PM
LOL Buizilla...
502,
Just lead 'em to some 2+ foot seas... then let that blower motor show 'em the way... :eek!:

Absolutely, I used to love running down the middle of Lake Eufaula in the Big Green ZX when a good tropical storm was coming in. I could run along at 60-65 when the 2-3 footers were capping with the occasional big one to give me some air. I would see those bass boats trying to sneak around the banks to get home. When they had to run across the middle, they could not even get up on plane. That shollow lake could kick up some good chop on occasion.

Tony
03-11-2008, 08:48 PM
The biggest thrill in my boating life was a 133mph thrill ride in a 36' Skater, which you can read about here. (http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=45539)

:beer:

Just Say N20
03-11-2008, 08:50 PM
My 1979 18 2+3, with a Mercruiser 260 with a 120 hp nitrous kit ran about 64. I was back in New York visiting my brother and had hauled the boat back. We were coming in from a stint in Lake Ontario into Irondequiot Bay, and there was a Cigarette 38 Top Gun coming out the channel.

I turned around and followed him out. It was 2' - 3' chop, and as I started to plane off going by him, he gently moved his teenage daughter from behind the wheel, and took the wheel while putting on his goggles.

I didn't know what to expect so I started doing a gently "roll on." All of a sudden he is flying up next to me, so I hammered down, button and all, and was hanging of for life. He ran by me by at least 15 mph.

Cool thing was, he slowed to a stop and waved me over to tell me he was amazed that I could run so fast in that water! Totally made my summer. He probably burned more gas running me than I burned all week end.

Right on with the 27 Fountain numbers. A friend had one with a 502; it ran 64 GPS. Had a blower put on the engine, big header exhaust. The engine dynoed at 630 hp and 690 lbs of torque. He had to re-gear his outdrive, but got it running 84.

Don't mess with outboards. Back in 1983 I was living in Rockford, IL running on the Rock River. One of the fast bass boat guys I ran with was a cop, and he would bring a radar gun down to the river each Saturday morning, and we could measure the results of the past weeks tweaking. I had a 16' Laser (before it was LTV) with a jack plate, nose cone, foot throttle, trim in steering wheel, etc. Spinning a 31" cleaver the best I ever got was 87 mph on RADAR. Pretty fast for 1983. And I got my but handed to me by a guy in a picklefork jet with Twin Banks Turbos. He had me by at least 20 mph, and the worst thing was his engine was missing so badly I was amazed it even ran.

This is the Laser in Upstate New York in 1983 running about 82.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c111/streb2005/videos/th_LaserFlyBymov.jpg (http://s26.photobucket.com/albums/c111/streb2005/videos/?action=view&current=LaserFlyBymov.flv)

glashole
03-12-2008, 06:24 AM
why does everything have to be a race??

:):)





on a side note the boat is almost ready for AOTH

BUIZILLA
03-12-2008, 06:56 AM
I can tell you a 225XS on a 20' Allison will run 93.. with a 280 it'll run 102..

roadtrip se
03-12-2008, 08:12 AM
Yeah, but you got to do it. If for nothing else to see their stuff flying around (coolers, worms, poles, their buddies).

Yes, sometimes it is ugly, like the time I discovered last summer what the rear of a MR300 with a jack plate looked like on a 20 footer from behind the wheel of the Scorpion 18.

But they aren't all like that, and I am going to make them drive a little at the least to get by me. Good practice for them for the next tourney and a little fun for me.

Fountain 27. I would approach these buggers with some caution. A 496-502 boat is going to run 67-70, fair game.
A 500 boat, many of them our there, 74-76, maybe not.
Pick your battles.

Baja of any sort. Hammer down.

The Hedgehog
03-12-2008, 08:20 AM
why does everything have to be a race??

:):)





on a side note the boat is almost ready for AOTH


It does not have to be a race, but it is about going fast. I guess that is why most of us have fast loud boats. Heck, I would bet that it you took a pole, most of us own either fast cars, motorcycles or big 4x4's. If not, we would all sink our money into cruisers, trawlers and the like. We could then all join cruisers.net and complain about the fast loud boats.

zelatore
03-12-2008, 11:44 AM
we would all sink our money into cruisers, trawlers and the like. We could then all join cruisers.net and complain about the fast loud boats.

Or, get one of each!

32' Carver, twin 454 inboard-
cruise - 20 knots
top - uh, what's the point? Maybe 28 knots; haven't tried recently

22 Donzi, 502
cruise - 40-60 mph depending on my mood
top - about 72 mph gps

The Hedgehog
03-12-2008, 12:05 PM
Or, get one of each!
32' Carver, twin 454 inboard-
cruise - 20 knots
top - uh, what's the point? Maybe 28 knots; haven't tried recently
22 Donzi, 502
cruise - 40-60 mph depending on my mood
top - about 72 mph gps

I like that plan! I have had some great days cruising around!

SilverBack
03-12-2008, 12:09 PM
I like that plan! I have had some great days cruising around!


I agree...My little project has gotten so out of hand that I just got a 23' Chris Craft deck boat for chilling out and tubing and the such with the kids. It has a 305 and a Volvo SX. It will go 32 MPH and I would not dare change a thing about it!!

BlownCrewCab
03-12-2008, 07:20 PM
I agree...My little project has gotten so out of hand that I just got a 23' Chris Craft deck boat for chilling out and tubing and the such with the kids. It has a 305 and a Volvo SX. It will go 32 MPH and I would not dare change a thing about it!!


Probably because the WIFE said....."If You even change the propeller to gain more speed, Yo AZZ Has Had It"

SilverBack
03-12-2008, 08:21 PM
Michael,
That is pretty much true! It is more the girls than the wife though.

Chappy and Joel,
I don't know how much more of that grusome stuff I can take! J/K

The Hedgehog
03-14-2008, 08:32 AM
OK, I think you can change the "or" to "and"...

Very good point!

BigGrizzly
03-15-2008, 10:52 AM
The real answer to Pontiac's question is about 80% depending on what lake or river you are on. On Lanier on Wednesday evening during boating season it is about 15%. I use to be fast, now I am mediocre. For me I have won my battles and had fun doing it. Now it is just as much fun watching someone else do it, let them put the target on their back. Remember after 60 mph it cost about $1,000 per mph:eek!: I did it because that is what I do! Now I'm older and had my $ and spent them and I am fine with that. Besides it gets real hairy in a 22 V hull after 80mph and becomes work.