Pontoon Boat Propping Info

[RedDog]

My neighbors and close friends for 24 years just bought a pontoon boat - 2002 Bass Tracker, 30 feet, heavy with an hard enclosed area for kitchenette, shower/porta-potty closet and upper deck, 3.0 liter 4-cylinder Mercruiser I/O Alpha. Really clean but has been kept in the water mostly. The pontoons looked very clean so not really extra drag from growth.

This is their first boat so I am trying to guide them and teach them the rules on the water. The most RPMs I could get with 4 on board and nearly full fuel was about 4300 RPM. Per my GPS this was 19.4 mph.

How many RPMs should this motor spin?

I don't know the prop size yet, but it was an aluminum prop, dog earred blades, no noticable nicks or bends, but was pimply like it had deposits on it.

First I will help them to clean the prop up, but still, what RPM should should this engine operate at WOT? At about 3600 RPM we had about 15 mph GPS.

[mrfixxall]

My neighbors and close friends for 24 years just bought a pontoon boat - 2002 Bass Tracker, 30 feet, heavy with an hard enclosed area for kitchenette, shower/porta-potty closet and upper deck, 3.0 liter 4-cylinder Mercruiser I/O Alpha. Really clean but has been kept in the water mostly. The pontoons looked very clean so not really extra drag from growth.

This is their first boat so I am trying to guide them and teach them the rules on the water. The most RPMs I could get with 4 on board and nearly full fuel was about 4300 RPM. Per my GPS this was 19.4 mph.

How many RPMs should this motor spin?

I don't know the prop size yet, but it was an aluminum prop, dog earred blades, no noticable nicks or bends, but was pimply like it had deposits on it.

First I will help them to clean the prop up, but still, what RPM should should this engine operate at WOT? At about 3600 RPM we had about 15 mph GPS.


4400-4600 with the big foot propeller,,should be around a 13 or 15 pitch

[BlownCrewCab]

with a boat that big it'll require a prop with lots of blade area (No sporty looking props here) and the max rpm will be rather low since it's going to be about the same rpm as max torque for that motor. that drive is going to work it's azz off so make sure the oil level (and condition) is full.

[Cuda]

That's not bad for a pontoon boat. I live in pontoon boat heaven.