Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Howdy,

We just got a 2014 Fishin Barge 22 DLX with a Mercury 90HP Four Stroke. We took it out for some break-in time and was a bit of a let down in the performance department. According to Mercury, the boat set up should do 30ish and approach 6000RPM. We got 22MPH and 4600RPM.

The boat is set up like the one in This Test.

Anybody else have a similar setup and getting better performance?

Thanks,
Tom

Its my opinion that a 90HP motor wont get you 30 but your rpms do seem low as it needs to be between 5200-6000. If it helps I had a 22' G3 with a 115 and only hit 25-26 mph. You should probably test another prop.

Yes, I agree that 30 is optimistic. I am taking it back to Bass Pro and they are going to look it over and probably change the prop. Although, one would think they would have enough experience to set it up right before delivery.

Assuming that it was just you and maybe a buddy, you really need to change props and get rpm up. As you add people it will only slow down and load the motor. 30 MPH is very optimistic for that combination.

wed wrote:Assuming that it was just you and maybe a buddy, you really need to change props and get rpm up. As you add people it will only slow down and load the motor. 30 MPH is very optimistic for that combination.

What he said! Drop a pitch or two and the rpms will go up. Speed maybe not, but it will get you going faster and maybe speed up aswell.

Are you trimming the engine up some? Or, are you plowing through the water with nose down?

I found that my pontoon without lifting strakes performed best when the anticavitation plate was parallel with the bottom of the toons. Power trim wasn't adjusted often, and didn't give any speed improvements.

The reason I ask is that 4600 rpm's are not even in the ball park of the engine's redline. You're definitely due a propeller change--much less pitch.

You might call Tracker's customer service and see if they will suggest a specific propeller for your hull/engine setup. (Some other manufacturers will talk props, and keep track of customers' prop settings.)

My last question is if it has a 25" long shaft motor on a boat with a 20" transom? Does the dealer say anything about the level of the motor on the transom? My F150 Yamaha is mounted up 3/4"--second notch.

Thanks for the responses mates.

I understand the setup and the affects but was wondering if anyone has this setup and what there experiences were with it.

Bass Pro is sending me a 13P Spitfire to try which I am sure will cure the RPM problem as well as add a little speed. However, I do find it interesting that this boat is setup exactly like the Mercury test boat and I was wondering how they got the results they list in the report. I see they had a 14MPH wind which I'm sure they turned to their advantage but seriously doubt this would be enough of an influence to makeup the difference.

May take a couple weekends before I can soak her logs but I will surely share the results with the board when I do.

- Tom

Diameter/ Pitch 13.4 X 15

I went back and looked at the test results again and the prop they used. Whats your prop now?
Also they tested in Salt water ....more buoyancy.

I have nearly the exact same set up. 2012 22' DLX, but a Party Barge. 90 4Stroke.

I pull 31 GPS at 6,200 RPMs. 14" dia 13 pitch 3 blade. Just me and the Missus on board, full load (35 gals) fuel.

Of course, that's on glass water, trimmed up to the sweet spot, just before the prop breaks free and ventilates. (Rev limiter is around 6,400)

I'm thinking about trying a 13.4 x 15, 4 blade for better mid range power and acceleration.

From my own experience I would think 30ish on a 22 footer with a 90 is a bit optimistic.. but of course the prop you choose could make a bit of a difference. I'm running a 75 horse yamaha on a 20 footer and with me and the wife on board, 3/4 tank of gas and a lake that's smooth as glass, I might " might " get 25 mph.... 23 to 24 is more common..... but since these things don't have brakes, thats fast enough for me....

Now, my prop is the 13.4 X 15 Spitfire 4 blade. Bass Pro checked with Tracker and they said the setup needs a 13.8 X 13. It will be interesting to see if I get near the performance BoatCop is getting. I don't think I'd waste my time trying the 13.4 X 15, it is not working on my boat.

Couple questions for you Boat Cop.

1. What hole is you motor mounted at?

2. Does your boat have a little 'V' deflector at the back of the motor pan?

Thanks

Hi Tom,

My boat is very close to yours. We have a 22' Sun Chaser with 25" logs and a 90 hp Mercury four stroke. We are running a 13.75x13, 3 blade prop. The speed is in the upper 20's with around 6000 to 6200 rpm's. The motor is mounted in the upper hole and is flat on the transom, we also have the little fins you were asking about. We always have a lot of stuffffffff on board for the grand kids and have never checked just for speed with a certain load. Hope this helps.

Jim

Tlowry wrote:Couple questions for you Boat Cop.

1. What hole is you motor mounted at? Second from top.

2. Does your boat have a little 'V' deflector at the back of the motor pan? Yes

Thanks

What altitude are you? Higher altitude affects performance. (I'm at a whopping 400 feet)

While Bass Pro Shops are excellent for hunting, fishing and camping gear, they suck as a boat dealer/service center. Try and find a reputable marine shop-Tracker dealer for service and tech help.

Thanks Alan, mine is set up like yours except for the 15 pitch prop.

Bass Pro is sending a 13.8x13 so we'll see what that does.

We're probably a couple hundred feet where I run it.