need to know the speed a boat with a 150 hp motor should run?

Question

ok I just bought a 19"6' Kingfisher Bass boat it has a 150 horse Yamaha Pro V Two stroke outboard engine now the boat is a 1990 Model but the engine looks newer but might not be i took it out yesterday and ran it it only ran 36 mph; now i think that it should run faster but i don't know? I want to know how fast the boat should run? also the boat is really hard to steer do you have any hints on how to make the steering easier? Thank you.

Answer 1

Derek,



For what you have and for what you paid, 36 mph is fast for any boat, and certainly so for a 1990 model production bass boat.



A real avid bass fisherman that has a 50 footer he lives on next to me in our Marina in Galveston Bay - also has a 20 foot Triton that he says will do 50 and (for a part-timer) he has won more tournaments than anyone I know of around here. A lot of people come around to ask - and his comments are always the same - "Get a bass boat for the right reason - fishing. If you want speed don't get a bass boat get a racing boat and you can save all that money on fishing gear for that stuff that goes in your gas tank. Fish don't know or care how fast you boat goes or what kinda motor you have."



For comparison, the world record (link below) for a 150hp outboard bass boat is 92 mph. And that is on an Allison boat - who builds their hulls with hull rigidity and strength as a paramount goal. You can buy an USED Allison XB-2002 Bass boat for between $35 to $40,000 (based on location and condition). New - these babies are totally out of reach financially for the average bass fisherman.



What you may not be aware of is that the hulls shape, design, weight, balance, and rigidity, has a huge impact on speed (or maybe I should say - lack of it). This is why so may boaters are terribly disappointed when they go out and buy a new motor with 50 more hp - and end up gaining 5 mph (or so) of speed.



In my opinion, you bought yourself a great boat, most likely at a great price - it runs, and at 36 mph seems to run pretty good - you should be thrilled! About the only thing I know of you could do (if you are that concerned about it) is check your prop. There are different props for thrust, power, and speed - most production boats and outboard motors (no matter the age) come with, and still have a middle or the road prop. For little money, you could get a speed prop - it will probably do as much as another 50hp.



As far as your steering goes, just check out your linkage or hydraulics, change out fluid and pump (if any). It is after all a 20 year old boat...

Happy & Safe Boating,

John

http://boatwrights.org

Answer 2

your kingfisher should run much faster. before you look at engine problems, take a look at what rpms your are running at wide open throttle. does the motor seem to be running ok? the lower speed may be from the trim of the engine not being adjusted properly. this will have an effect on your steering and boat trim. do you have tilt/trim feature on the boat? if so you may want to try adjusting it while running.



"The proper trim angle for outboard engines depends on the speed and the conditions. Trimming the engine will adjust the angle at which the boat rides through the water. In smooth water, a GPS makes finding the best angle easy. Just trim the engine all the way down, set the power to your normal cruise setting, and start trimming up slowly in small increments. The speed will increase as the hull finds the most efficient trim angle, and when you have gone too far, it will start to decrease again. Other bad things may happen when you go to far, such as excessive cavitation, porpoising, or your friend jumping up and down on the bow".



for more info on trim go here



http://www.tropicalboating.com/powerboating/tilt-and-trim-med.html



hope this helps

Answer 3

We are getting 42mph on our Steury(deep v hull) 16foot (1000lbs) with the 1997 Yamaha PROV 150HP out board engine with a four blade propeller. This is for smooth lake water and 30mph in 2 to 4 feet waves. We still think the boat can pace faster since we have not check and program the engine timing and its experiencing engine idle problem due to a idle control cam inside the Yamaha 703 controller. Looking to get 50mph. Back in the 80s some of the sport boat use to ran 65mph.

Answer 4

First off what RPM is it turning at WOT. If under 5800 than it's not turning up high enough find out why. Are U trimming the engine up. Is the hull have a hog in the bottom and won't rid the chime. The water spray should be after of amidships for the best performance. The engine cavitation plate must be out of the water when on plane at high speed.

Answer 5

Get you motor serviced. I don't know that you'll get to much more performance, it's a fairly large boat for 150 hp. They will however fix your steering. You don't say whether its cable or hydraulic steering so I cant tell you how to free it up.

Answer 6

For the steering, if the motor is not centered or levelled, it will tend to push you in a certain direction. the faster you go, the more it will want to push you in that direction.