-rick- wrote:
wrote:
Definitely not a deep-V hull, but that's how you get 25 knots out of
this boat with a 90-HP motor.
Could you be more specific on what the "strong cruise RPM"
was at 27 knots?
-rick-
I wasn't watching the tach so I didn't record or report on the specific
rpm. However, we did go all the way to WOT (5500 rpm according to
Evinrude) to experience acceleration and then backed off a little bit.
My guess would be we were still at 80% or maybe more of WOT. I had a
good view of the GPS readings (and it was calibrated in knots). One of
the factory spokespeople said that the boat will get to speeds of over
30 knots with the 90-HP, when lightly laden and with single handed- but
we didn't observe that performance with 3 adults and a big kid aboard.
(One guy was really a lot larger than average, so I wouldn't be
surprised to discover we had between 900- 1000 pounds of people
present).
We were making that sort of speed because conditions were pretty
benign. If the seas were up at all we would likely have throttled back
some more. Like Harry observed, you're not going to be able to
comfortably run at 20 knots or better through steep chop in a lot of
boats, and I would say that you would instinctively slow down in this
boat if it got lumpy. No boat should be forced beyond it's design
parameters, and for folks who insist on a boat that will cut through
2-3 footers at 20-30 knots without any risk of slopping coffee out of a
full cup there are some larger, heavier, deeper draft, and generally
far more expensive boats to choose from.
FWIW, I've been out in a similar boat (C-Dory) on a typical NW windy
day. It was probably blowing 15-20 knots and there was plenty of chop.
The ride was just fine until we tried running at the highest speeds, at
which point we did tend to "hop" a lot. I guess there are two
solutions: one would be to operate the vessel within its design
parameters and slow down when conditions warranted. The other would be
to choose a boat that was a compromise in some *other* way, but
remained comfortable at high speeds in short chop.
As with many facets of boating, there is no one single "right" choice
that always applies and it becomes a matter of personal taste and
preference. (That doesn't preclude most of us from feeling that our own
personal tastes and preferences represent the "right" choice,
naturally, since after all those choices have proven "right" for us).