Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

I have a new premier castaway tritoon 24 foot with an extended 2 ft back diving platform 26ft total with 150hp Evinrude. Not a ptx and no strakes. First day on the water used a 15X15 aluminum prop was barely getting 5k rpms 28-29 mph top speed with full tank 1 person. Switched to a 15X13 stainless prop and hit 31 and about 5300rpms. I can't seem. To squeeze anymore out of it. I am mounted in top hole and that is with the engine trimmed well up. Any suggestions that may improve performance other than I should have went ptx and a 250

You are still overpitched. Your motor will spin up to 6000 rpm. Your maximum HP is 150hp @ 5650 RPM. At 5300 rpm you're cheating yourself out of roughly 10 hp. Go to a 15x11 SS and you'll be in your sweet spot. If you get any prop slip with it or want to drop your rpm's a little you could "cup" it. The rule of thumb is your max rpm will change 200 rpm for every inch of pitch you change so a 15x11 should put you around 5700 rpm. Hope this helps.

31 seems just about right, Might sneak another 1-2mph out of it by dropping 1-2 pitch. Same pontoon/motor with a PTX hull would only see around 36-37mph so your not that far off.

The problem is that by not having strakes, you're back to a semi-displacement hull. You're pushing through the water instead of getting on top of the water.

Speed with lifting strakes comes from getting the boat's nosecones out of the water and that's when performance begins.

I have a Starcraft 24' pontoon with a Yamaha 115 hp 2 stroke. The engine's got plenty of power and it accelerates great. But when it gets to 30 mph, it's like hitting a wall. It just won't go any faster without maybe 2x more horsepower. Unfortunately, that's the nature of the breast.

Was your speed GPS measured?

I have virtually the same boat topside but with the ptx and a 250 HO. Running a 15 3/4 x 17 SS and I max out at 42 mph GPS. I agree with Bamaman that strakes are likely a key factor.

Realistically I love our set up but very little of what we use the boat for requires us to break 25 mph. Maybe play with pitch a bit as suggested but then love the boat you've got. At least until you can afford to upgrade...

That's a nice, good sized boat that cost some money, I hope they tried to talk you into strakes, They know the difference it would make on that set up.

I agree. Strakes make a big difference.
I see 40mph by GPS with my 24 foot Bennington with the SPS with bimini open, full fuel, 2 people, and full cooler with my 150 Yamaha.

Yes that was gps measured and sadly no upswell attempt on strakes. That's likely because the boat was on the lot already. Sigh well lesson learned for next time.

That size boat and that's about the best you'll get without strakes. 30ish mph seems to be about the tops unless you vastly over power the boat with something like a 250+ hp engine (not recommended) and basically force the issue. A local welder can probably make you some strakes and it's not too expensive, just find a guy that has welded on toons before.

I agree. Less pitch and you may do a bit better and strakes would help but you are in the ball park so as was said Love it till you can upgrade.

Is it a FULL 3rd toon or Premiers "sport tube" which is a 3/4 length "pony tube" with a traditional transom? Premier has a ton of tube options that they DON'T advertise on there website since they push the ~9000$ PTX option hard. I was checking out a new 2016 22' Gemini and they had 2 tube, 2 tube straked insides, 2.75 sport tube, 2.75 straked sport tube, 3 tube, 3 tube straked, and PTX 2.75 sport and 3 tube had the option of only on the center or center+ insides of outer tubes. They even had an oddball on the lot with ONLY inside strakes on the outer tubes and none on the center. If you have the 2.75 sport tube option its pretty easy to remove and install the tube and they might cut you a good deal to swap it for a straked pony tube.

Strakes can be easily added. Why not look into to it?

Anyone know of a business in Saskatchewan Canada that does aftermarket lifting strakes. I didn't find anything with Google searching

Tils wrote:Anyone know of a business in Saskatchewan Canada that does aftermarket lifting strakes. I didn't find anything with Google searching

Find a welding or fabrication shop. If you can't find one in the phone book ask a heavy equipment guy who they use because their livelihood depends on it and they usually use good guys. Ask them if they can weld aluminum, and if so have they welded on pontoons. Another option would be asking the dealer who does their warranty work on pontoons if you have that kind of relationship with them. You could also ask around if you have any buddies that race since a lot use aluminum fuel cells they have custom fabricated.