2001 Conquest 26 Re-power Twin 300-HP VERADO

Optimizing the performance of Boston Whaler boats
underwaterhunter
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Mar 11, 2018 1:15 pm

2001 Conquest 26 Re-power Twin 300-HP VERADO

Postby underwaterhunter » Sun Mar 11, 2018 1:40 pm

I just replaced [twin] OptiMax 200-HP engines [on a 2001 CONQUEST 26] with [twin] 300-HP FOURSTROKE VERADO engines. The boat used to struggle getting up on plane, especially with six guys and a full load of fuel. Now the [CONQUEST 26] jumps up in less than a couple seconds just rolling the throttle.

Having finished break-in, fuel mileage is decent with the boat going 30-nautical-miles-per-hour at 4000-RPM burning 15-GPH. At 3,500-RPM the boat runs about 25 to 26-nautical-miles-per-hour and burns 10.5 to 11-GPH. Jumped on it yesterday a bit in a fine chop and only hit 5,500-RPM at 45-nautical-miles-per-hour.

The dealer put on 21-degree REVOLUTION propellers, and fuel mileage--to me--is everything. I regularly run 30 to 100 miles offshore. Am I leaving MPG on the table by running these propellers and not the ones designed for VERADO fuel economy[?]

This is my first post to the site. I have had my boat for a couple years and recently moved to Punta Mita, Mexico, to spearfish.

jimh
Posts: 11670
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: 2001 Conquest 26 Re-power Twin 300-HP VERADO

Postby jimh » Mon Mar 12, 2018 4:35 pm

underwaterhunter wrote:...fuel mileage is decent with the boat going 30-nautical-miles-per-hour at 4000-RPM burning 15-GPH.


I have to convert your boat speeds to MPH to make sense of your data, so I see you get 34.5-MPH with a fuel burn of 15-GPH. That produces 2.3-MPG. I would describe that as much better than "decent" fuel economy.


underwaterhunter wrote:At 3,500-RPM the boat runs about 25 to 26-nautical-miles-per-hour and burns 10.5 to 11-GPH....


For this speed, I get 29.9-MPH with a fuel burn of 10.75-GPH. That produces 2.8-MPG. I would describe that as "FANTASTIC" fuel economy. For a heavy 26-foot boat with twin 300-HP engines to be able to cruise at 2.8-MPG is quite remarkable.


underwaterhunter wrote:Am I leaving MPG on the table by running these [21-degree REVOLUTION] propellers...[?]


Until you test other propellers, you will never know if you "are leaving MPG on the table." The ONLY way to find out is to perform your own propeller testing.

underwaterhunter wrote:...not the ones designed for VERADO fuel economy[?]



I presume you mean the propellers you have now are 21-pitch. There generally are no angular measurements using degrees that are advertised for propellers. I also think your propellers are REVOLUTION4 propellers from Mercury. If these inferences are incorrect, please give the correct interpretation of your remarks.

By the phrase "the ones designed for VERADO fuel economy" I presume you are making an allusion to the ENERTIA ECO propeller. The ENERTIA ECO propeller is a "miracle" and "green" and "eco"-logical and "eco"-nomical propeller that has been advertised to produce a 10-percent improvement in fuel economy and demonstrated in some tests to produce much greater than 10-percent improvement. If you are inclined to believe the promotional hype and the fantastic reports provided by one tester, then, yes, you MUST change to the ENERTIA ECO propeller. However, I must observe that if the ENERTIA ECO propeller always performed as advertised or as reported in enthusiastic reviews, then all other boat propellers would no longer be made because no one would buy any other propeller except the ENERTIA ECO.

I recommend you read some prior discussions about the ENERTIA ECO propeller:

ENERTIA ECO Propeller Announced
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/007946.html

Mercury MIRACLE Propeller
by Charles Plueddeman

in which he cites more than 40-percent improvement in fuel economy compared to the other propellers tested.
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/008144.html

My general belief in propeller performance is that only actual testing on the water with a particular propeller will yield real results. It is quite common that a particular propeller performs at least 10-percent better than another in a specific application. If you can arrange a testing of the miracle propellers without having to pay for them, I would encourage you to try them. But I wouldn't be surprised if you did not obtain the sort of 40-percent improvement suggested in the review I linked to above.

Acseatsri
Posts: 190
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2015 8:46 am

Re: 2001 Conquest 26 Re-power Twin 300-HP VERADO

Postby Acseatsri » Thu Mar 15, 2018 10:51 pm

I believe he's referring to Revolution 4 propellers, which is a great offshore propeller. Along that line, the Powertech OFS4 would also be worth considering as it offers an additional 5/8" of diameter and would probably be slightly more efficient.

jimh
Posts: 11670
Joined: Fri Oct 09, 2015 12:25 pm
Location: Michigan, Lower Peninsula
Contact:

Re: 2001 Conquest 26 Re-power Twin 300-HP VERADO

Postby jimh » Thu Mar 15, 2018 11:36 pm

Acseatsri wrote:I believe he's referring to Revolution 4 propellers...


Yes--that is the same inference I made, which is why I said in my earlier reply:

jimh wrote:I also think your propellers are REVOLUTION4 propellers from Mercury..."


But the OP clearly suggests that there is some other propeller--unspecified in his narrative--that he refers to as "the ones designed for VERADO fuel economy" and mentions as an alternative choice. We will have to await a reply from the OP to have clarity about those other propellers. That is why I suggested to him

jimh wrote:If these inferences are incorrect, please give the correct interpretation of your remarks.


but five days have passed with no reply.