Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

Hello, my 1st post. I just bought a 23' 7" Xcursion pontoon (2 toons) with a Yamaha F150 4 stroke. On the internet it says the boat should run 34.2 mph. After the break in period, I opened it up. I have been able to barely get 32 mph at 5700rpm. It has a 14" stainless prop on it. My buddy believes it should have a 15" prop. Any ideas if a 15" prop would be best?

What pitch do you have now? Did you trim your motor? How loaded was your Pontoon? Were you on a lake or in a river with current? Was the speed measured with a paddle wheel or GPS?
IMO, you're so close to the 6K @ WOT I'd just enjoy it for this season then re-assess next year.

Is your max RPM 6,000???
If so maybe a 13 pitch prop, your getting 5,700 with a 14 so a 15 will put you even lower around 5,500.
You want to be as close to max as possible.

Most boat testing done, is under perfect conditions, 1/2 tank of fuel, lightly loaded and usually 2 people. You are only 2.2 mph under. That can be accounted for in wind, current, more fuel, passengers or stored items (cooler full of beer). If you are serious and want to spend some money, you can re-pitch and blue print your existing prop to gain that 2.2mph or more. Call Ken at Prop Gods. 941-735-5808. Or email him at KR@propgods.com. He is a prop wizard. Also, you can always contact my buddies at HydroTec 417-725-5746 or email Wayne Worthy at info@hydrotecmarine.com and ask about a Phase I kit, more HP and torque never hurts.

The reason I was asking about the prop was because I had taken it back to the dealer to fix the livewell that wasn't working. Thought if it needed to change, now would be the time. I will leave it as it is since it is close and i did have 3 people and gear on the boat.

Most 2 loggers with a 150 that I've seen are in the 30-32mph range unless they have strakes.

rancherlee wrote:Most 2 loggers with a 150 that I've seen are in the 30-32mph range unless they have strakes.

Mine has strakes

shadman wrote:Hello, my 1st post. I just bought a 23' 7" Xcursion pontoon (2 toons) with a Yamaha F150 4 stroke. On the internet it says the boat should run 34.2 mph. After the break in period, I opened it up. I have been able to barely get 32 mph at 5700rpm. It has a 14" stainless prop on it. My buddy believes it should have a 15" prop. Any ideas if a 15" prop would be best?

First off never believe what you read on the internet....

One would need to check out all the details involved with the test and see how close you match it... When it comes to props there are so many variable too; 3 blade verse 4 blade, overall blade diameter as well as pitch and/or extra cup, alum or stainless as well as brand of prop make a big impact. In the end everyone's boat is different than the next for one reason or another so it boils down to trying a different prop and seeing where it takes you. dropping an inch of pitch should allow your motor to rev closer to 6K at WOT and it might net you more speed through higher RPM but it might not.

shadman wrote:

rancherlee wrote:Most 2 loggers with a 150 that I've seen are in the 30-32mph range unless they have strakes.

Mine has strakes

In that case I'd expect north of 35mph with a light load and a proper prop, In theory a straked twin tube should run faster with a light load than a triple tube do to less water drag, you could possibly have other setup issues keeping your speed down.

I have a 2013 Xcursion X23RFC with a Yamaha F150, twin tube, no strakes, and a 14.5"X15 pitch Reliance SS prop. I raised the engine all the way up to the bottom mounting hole. I am now running 32mph WOT at 5400 rpms. I ordered an Enertia 15.6"X13 pitch prop with the Yamaha hub kit. I will test it again this weekend. I would suggest you first move the engine to its highest mounting position, which is the bottom mounting holes in the engine, then do a test run, and see where your RPM's and WOT speed are, and go from there on prop changes. The best you will see, more than likely will be 34 to 35mph WOT. My engine cleared the ski tow bar when tilting, even in the highest mounting position. On the Xcursion pontoons with twin tubes or the 2.5 (3/4 center tube) and a 150hp four stroke, you need the engine in the highest mounting position, because these boats are stern heavy with that engine and the 31gal fuel tank inside the transom box. My cavitation plate is level with the bottom of the transom box, and the prop still doesn't blow out.

I installed the Mercury SS Enertia 15.6X13 pitch prop this past weekend. I ended up with the same top speed of 32mph, but my rpms went up to 5700, which was my goal. The boat was much happier with this prop versus the Yamaha Reliance 14.5X15 pitch prop. The Enertia prop is a much bigger prop not only in diameter, but in blade size as well. I could trim the engine 3/4 up, and make hard turns with no blowout. The rpms turned up a lot quicker than before, the boat jumped up to top speed a lot quicker, and the engine has a lot more thrust. I would recommend the Enertia prop for pontoon boats over any other SS prop. Just my opinion from my test results. The engine is now mounted in the lowest mounting holes, raising the engine to the highest possible mounting position. Raising the engine all the way up, and changing to the Enertia prop dialed everything in for me. Individual results may vary, but this is what worked for my setup. Just thought I would share my results. Thanks to Ken Reeves at PropGods for all of the advice. Super nice guy, and very helpful.