Thanks for all the great info. Yikes. Will definitely have to be
careful of those props down at Powell if they cost that kind of money.
It would be an expensive mistake to ding them up on some rocks,
especially if dinged beyond repair.

Your questions:

1. Is there any reason to believe that the engine was not performing
to
it's potential?

I don't think so... It sounded smooth. I had the compression checked,
and all 8 cylinders were between 145 and 155, so really quite good.
Shifting was unbelievably smooth and no odd noises from the
transmission that I could tell. That's one of the reasons I was
wondering if the boat should have performed better...wondering if it is
a possible sign of engine problems, though there are no other
indications.

2. Possibility of stale gas?

That's definitely possible--hadn't thought of that. It had just over
1/2 a tank, which was probably in there from last summer or fall. It
was professionally winterized, so I would think they would have added a
stabilizer, but stale gas is a definite possibility. That engine calls
for minimum 89 octane if I understand right. Not required, but would
premium make a difference?

3. Was the boat's bottom clean?

Bottom was clean. I found out for myself the impact this can have.
Had a 21' Rinker open bow with a 350 mag engine in it a couple years
ago. Hit 57 mph at Powell and still had some throttle left. Then the
bottom got grimed up from sitting in a slip at a different lake. Took
it back to Powell without cleaning it, and top speed was 35 mph!
Couldn't believe that was all due to the dirty bottom, but it was back
at peak performance after a good acid bath. Amazing.

4. What lake were you on when did you do the 4500 ft. test?

Utah Lake. Minimal winds, water pretty smooth. Elevation 4559.

Thanks again for all the good info. Do you have any opinion of
Monterey or the 262?

LP