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A New Lease
On Life
Boger
Kustom Propeller Teaches Our Mercury Trophy How To Perform
Article and Photos by Wayne Lavender and Greg Terzian
Before
Boger Propeller took up this challenge, our Trophy ran a best of 76.0 mph at
6100 rpm. This was run with our Fleetmaster lower unit and 27 inches of
total setback with a light load. We had the engine height set at its tested
and optimal position - 1.5 inches below the pad.
When our
Trophy arrived back from Boger Propeller, it actually looked
different. The cupping was much more aggressive, and the blades were
slightly thinner. We were eager to give this radical Trophy a run. First,
we selected a good day for testing. We tested in salt water, 70 degrees with
no appreciable wind. First, we ran the stock Trophy for several timed
passes. The result was a best of 76.6 mph at 6150 rpm. Average speed was
76.1 mph. A quick prop change, and we were out on the water again.
Plane-off was noticeably better with the Boger Trophy, but the real
surprise awaited us when we added throttle to the large Pro Max.
Immediately, the boat felt lighter and faster.
The stern was riding higher - so much that our driver, Wayne Lavender had
to take a few moments to adapt to the change. The Boger propeller tracked
well, although the added cup did require a more aggressive torque tab angle.
Our Trophy definitely had an attitude adjustment, and the results amazed
us. How about top speed? Our best recorded top speed with the Boger Trophy
was 78.4 mph - a gain of 1.8 mph. Another interesting note is that our rpm
increased to 6250 - a testament to how much more lift the Boger propeller
generated over its stock counterpart. The Boger Trophy also displayed an
ability to stay "hooked up" better than before. This being the result of
the added cup and thinner blades.
Most
propellers are great out of the box, and they will serve their intended
purpose. For those of us that want to realize the maximum potential from
our setups, custom propeller work might increase your boat’s performance.
Given the fact that our Trophy was less than perfect to start with, I would
say that a 1.8 mph increase in top speed is impressive. Boger Propeller’s
work certainly made the difference, and really woke our stock propeller up.
If you
have a prop on hand that might need some restoring, or if you think your
boat could benefit from more advanced blade tweaking, you might want to
contact Boger Kustom Propeller. His services range from simple repair of
stainless steel wheels, to top speed blue printing. Rich Boger’s work is
highly sought after, so there is no phone number on his website. Send him
an e-mail, and he will contact you to discuss your options. You just
might get more out of your propeller than you think.
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Test Data |
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Test Boat |
Progression 24 LD |
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Power Unit |
Mercury Pro Max 300 |
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Lower Unit |
Mercury Fleetmaster (version
1) |
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Propellers
Used |
Mercury Trophy 13.75x25P (2) |
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Recording
Equipment |
Garmin GPS
12 XL, Gaffrig Liquid Filled Speedometer, Mercury Performance Products
Tachometer |
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Recorded
Performance |
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Stock
Mercury Trophy |
76.6 mph @
6150 rpm |
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Boger
Modified Trophy |
78.4 mph @
6250 rpm |
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Article Information |
| Rich Boger of
Boger Kustom Propeller reworks our Mercury Trophy propeller
for more lift and speed. |
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Created: |
| September 30,
2001 |
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By: |
| Greg Terzian |
| Wayne Lavender |
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Category: |
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Product Evaluations |
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Manufacturer Website |
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www.bogerprops.com |
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