Yamaha Sterndrive Prop Choice?

[HTX]

First off I am new to boating but always have been into working on anything mechanical.

I have a 1991 Baja Islander 188, it had a 5.7 Yamaha stern drive unit in it with a cracked block. I have a built 305 vortec that I am putting into it in place of the 350. The 350 was rated at 260 hp, the 305 is set up for around 395 hp. The current prop is a Quicksilver unit 3 blade 14x21p.

What would be a good all around prop, for skiing, tubing and just playing on the lake. Fast is fun but want to get better economy more then all out top speed.

[John.Vaught]

How is it running with the 21p now? RPM/SPEED/HOLESHOT Even if the 305 is making more hp it also needed to make you some torque too.

Welcome to S&F :cheers:

[HTX]

Well I don't have the motor in the boat as of yet, just wondering if there is a good all around prop pitch. Figured I'd run it for a bit with the current prop before I changed it out.

I have been reading that for the type of boat I have I need to stay away from chopper and cleaver props as the boat will be too heavy to be able to use the properly.

[John.Vaught]

I have tried an over hub 20p chopper on my boat and it's hell to get it to plane out.....once it did plane it accelerated well and had a lot of grip in turns but the hole shot kills it on my boat. I would venture to say that if it was very rough out you would be screwed however it backed up better than any prop I have tried on my boat.

There are some really experienced guys on here that really know props but you are going to have to give them a ton of information:

Boat Weight:

<TABLE style="MARGIN-LEFT: 10px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 20px"><TBODY><TR><TD>1991 188 Islander

</TD></TR><TR><TD style="PADDING-LEFT: 10px; TEXT-ALIGN: justify" vAlign=top>This inboard/outboard runabout has a fiberglass hull, is 19 feet long and 94 inches wide at the widest point. The boat weighs approximately 2800 pounds with an empty fuel tank and without any gear or passengers.
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Sometimes it's hard on this or any forum to get help unless you have a really fast boat or a boat everyone likes, I will do my best to help but you need to get me some baseline numbers to see where you are at with the new motor. If you don't have a bravo outdrive I would look into getting one with the kind of HP levels your talking about. An alpha is going to have on foot in the grave with 400hp.

Once we find out what rpm your motor makes the best over all power at you can prop for it.

Have a great weekend.