posted 08-30-2007 03:23 PM ET (US)        

Down at low (sea level) elevations the previous owner was experiencing top end speeds in the mid 50s with about 5300 rpm

Up here where I boat at about 6000ft or higher I am seeing a top speed of 46 mph at 4900 rpms

I am looking to drop a pitch to a 17. The current Mirage Plus prop has the model # of 48-13700-A45 in a 19 pitch. I think this is a 15 1/4 hub size.

Any help or recommendations on props, pitch and hub size would really be appreciated that would work well with this Outrage and motor combination

posted 08-30-2007 09:42 PM ET (US)            

We have a 4 Winns dealers here that has test props one can rent for 15 dollars a day and apply that cost to the purchase price of a new prop.

I will rent a 15 and a 17 and go out for a day with a handheld GPS and get all the stats down

posted 08-31-2007 09:53 AM ET (US)            

Sal is right about the sea level top speed. With a 19" MIRAGE plus that boat might be able to hit 50 MPH, and that is it.

48-13700 A45 is a 19" MIRAGE plus without vent holes. 15-1/4" is the overall diameter, not the hub size. This prop is an excellent propeller but you are right, at 6000 feet, you will need a lower pitch prop.

The Yamaha OX66 are EFI and should do well at altitude. The EFI should be able to adjust the fuel mix to help compensate but there is no replacing the missing oxygen in the thinner air. Figure a HP reduction of about 4-5 percent for every 1000 feet of elevation gain and your 225 will effectively perform like a 175 at that height. You need to prop accordingly.

Now having said that, I note that your data suggests the motor only lost 400 RPM at WOT going form sea level to 6000 feet. This is approximately the RPM change you will see with a two inch change in pitch with a MIRAGE plus so trying a 15-1/2" x 17" MIRAGE plus is logically the first prop to test.

posted 08-31-2007 11:19 PM ET (US)            

You mention a few props with the hub size in the 14 inch range. When one goes down in hub size from say, a 15-15 1/2
down to a 14 inch size, what advantage does that offer?

I am renting a Mercury Mirage 15 and 17 pitch next week and I will post the results. They will be meaningless to most because of the altitude situation, but it will be interesting to see what can be done to improve the situation.

Thanks for your advice

I am taking pictures and posting them on my photobucket account. I am really liking this boat. Very exciting

posted 09-01-2007 10:18 AM ET (US)            

Whaler performance literature I have indicates the Outrage 20 with a Johnson 225 will do just a tad over 50 MPH at 5500 RPM with a 14-1/4" x 21" OMC SST. I believe the OMC and the Yamaha 225s use the same gear ratio or nearly so.

Do not concern yourself with the propeller diameter. The diameter itself is not entirely indicative of how a propeller will perform, rather the diameter is just one part of each unique propeller model that is designed to achieve certain combinations of attributes. If propeller design were as simple as diameter and pitch, they would all look the same.

The propellers I have recommended are all props that I have personally experimented with on Boston Whalers and know to be excellent performers. All boat/motor combinations are different, which is why I always encourage folks to experiment with as many props as they can get their hands on. It is the only way to really know how a prop will perform on your boat.

All manufacturers produce literature that tries to explain how each of the propellers they make will perform and what kind of boat it is best suited for. These descriptions should only be used as a general starting point in the propeller selecion process. All too often I read here (and elsewhere) comments for people offering propeller advice that is nothing more than regurgitation of manufacturer's descriptions.

posted 09-04-2007 12:35 AM ET (US)            

Tough to be without a Whaler for close to a year. Take care of that wonderful 18 OR and and I am glad you got her. It is a choice, rare boat.

This 20 is not classic, but it will fill the gap and it will be alot of fun. Keep in touch and enjoy our fall boating

posted 09-04-2007 11:51 AM ET (US)            

I have the same boat powered by a 2.5L 150 EFI Merc. With a full fuel tank, T-top and 2 POB she tops out at 43/44mph. This is a result of turning a 17P Powertech 3 blade, 5500 RPMS on a hot summer day.

http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h109/whays/WhalerBlueWater.jpg

pw out.

posted 09-22-2007 09:16 PM ET (US)            

I have had this 20 out 7 times in the last two weeks, testing three different props as they were available and taking the scout troop and a few dads fishing.

Here is a link to some pictures. I am in the last few shots with the white hat

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/onlyawhaler/1999%20Boston%20Whaler%20Outrage%2020/

Here is what I found out with peformance at altitude.

Prop Testing for a 1999 Outrage 20
Engine- 2000 225 Yamaha OX66 with 162 hours
Elevation- 4650
Two persons aboard- about 500 lbs with gear
Three quarters of a tank of gas- about 60 gallons
Weather was varied with three different test days
All readings are GPS
No trim tabs were used for tests

posted 09-22-2007 09:16 PM ET (US)            

I have had this 20 out 7 times in the last two weeks, testing three different props as they were available and taking the scout troop and a few dads fishing.

Here is a link to some pictures. I am in the last few shots with the white hat

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/onlyawhaler/1999%20Boston%20Whaler%20Outrage%2020/

Here is what I found out with peformance at altitude.

Prop Testing for a 1999 Outrage 20
Engine- 2000 225 Yamaha OX66 with 162 hours
Elevation- 4650
Two persons aboard- about 500 lbs with gear
Three quarters of a tank of gas- about 60 gallons
Weather was varied with three different test days
All readings are GPS
No trim tabs were used for tests

posted 09-22-2007 09:47 PM ET (US)            

Here is a link to some pictures. I am in the last few shots with the white hat

http://s2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/onlyawhaler/1999%20Boston%20Whaler%20Outrage%2020/

Here is what I found out with peformance at altitude.

Prop Testing for a 1999 Outrage 20
Engine- 2000 225 Yamaha OX66 with 162 hours
Elevation- 4650
Two persons aboard- about 500 lbs with gear
Three quarters of a tank of gas- about 60 gallons
Weather was varied with three different test days
All readings are GPS
No trim tabs were used for tests

RPMS 15 Mirage/mph 17 Mirage/mph 19 Mirage/mph

2500 20/on plane 19/not on plane 17/ Not on plane
3000 21 24 21
3500 25 28.7 29.5
4000 28.7 34.5 37
4500 32.9 38.6 41
47 at 4800 rpm max
5000+ 36.5 at 5500 45 at 5300

A few suprises for me on these tests.

The 15 pitch held the boat on plane in the 20 mph range where the 17 and 19 would not

The hole shot on the 15 was incredible, but a big loss of 10 mph or more on the top. It gives a renewed wish for an affordable, raliable two pitch adjustable prop.

I tested the 15, then 19 and then last the 17. I was suprised that the boat would go 47 mph at 4800 rpms max on the 19 and was hoping the 17 would hit 50 even here at altitude when it would rev into the sweet spot of 5300 rpms. It did not. I got the desired rev by dropping a pitch, a good hole shot of 3 1/2 seconds, but dropped a few miles per hour over the 19 even when the 17 could rev high enough.

It looks like the 17 is the best all around pitch in the mirage up here at this altitude and higher which I will do. Good hole shot with reasonable top end.

Over all observations about the 20 Outrage of the 1996-1999 era now that I have one

Great storage, love the fish boxs in the floor, quarter seats storage, bow and anchor locker storage. The center console is huge with doors on both sides. The lockable electronics boxs is nice too. It handles rough water and plans well, very well. It does have a tendency to porpoise a bit and a touch of the trim tabs ends it.

Finish work is nice and it feels solid. I really like it.

Comparison to my former 18 classic.

Alot different. The 18 classic is imcomparable to anything. It planes at a lower speed and gets up on plane quick. It is more nimble and turns quicker. It is almost a full 1000 lbs lighter. That is a lot. Easier to tow and store. The classic wood and cast pieces are beautiful.

In rough water- 20 outrage
Storage - 20 outrage
Plane time - almost equal with max hp on each boat
Top speed -20 outage
Deck space -20 outrage
Turning - 18 outrage
Economy of use- 18 outrage
Towing----------18 outrage
storage in garage 18 outrage
Looks and ahhhs on a ramp - 18 outage

Onlyawhaler
Sterling

posted 10-01-2007 03:13 PM ET (US)            

Great guy and he kept this boat in top condition. I will email him to see where he got these. They are the best cup holders I have ever had on a boat. They are a lightly brushed stainless with a two cup fit. They will hold either a beverage can or a larger cup from a convience store due to the inside shape of the holder. They do not drain, but could be easily drilled.

The only "if" I have with this boat is the scuppers. I am used to the 18 outrage classic with the bilge recessed area that you could wash the decks, slightly tilt the boat to starboard and drain the deck water instantly into that area and bilge it overboard cleanly.

Washing the decks on the 20 doesn't drain through the scuppers fast enough and it overfills and spills into the fish boxs which I then pump overboard via the fishbox pumpout option. That works fine that way, but the slow scupper drain system eliminates the fish boxs for any dry storage.

The 20 Outrage has a special set of plugs available only through Whaler that fit and plug the scuppers from the inside. It makes for a dry deck and impossible for scupper leakage through the outside to the inside with a heavy load of people on one side tipping the boat to the point where the scupper is under water, but to clean or wash down the decks out on the water, the plugs have to come out.

Other than that, I really love the boat.

posted 10-01-2007 11:12 PM ET (US)            

http://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=66

pw out.