What kind of boat propeller makes the boat go faster.. I have a 2003 Bayliner 205 Mercruiser 220 HP?

Question

I want to upgrade to somthing better,Im pretty sure its stock right now.. I want a stainless steel prop but would aluminum be faster? And I have no idea about the sizes so that would help also...

Thanks!

Answer 1

Stainless Steel and Aluminum perform the same as far as speed is concerned. They have other trad-offs.

The things that contribute to a prop are Pitch and Diameter. Several things to consider:

Getting out of the hole (especially if you are pulling a skier)

Fuel usage

RPM range especially WOT

A higher pitch prop will be faster. If your boat came with a 17 pitch, getting a 19 will make it a couple of MPH faster, but make sure you are not getting into the high end of your RPM range or engine damage can occur. A 21 would be much faster, but it might take forever to get out of the hole (move from idle) . Going ot a 15 inch prop on a boat with a 17 inch prop standard would leap out of the water when you punch it out of the hole, but would be slower top end. A good source.

Answer 2

3 blade for speed. 4 blade for loads.

Answer 3

Go to mercurymarine.com, and follow the links to the prop selector program.  This will ask you some questions about your boat, and the results you expect, and make recomendations for the correct props.  It's not perfect, but it's a really good guideline.

Answer 4

Stainless steel is faster.  It has to do with blade thickness, or "web" and since it takes less power to get the same rpm, you can go up one size in pitch.  Ie from 17"   to  19" for example.  You might want to check out Bayliners web site, they make recommendations by year and model, and engine (HP)  Or go to a good prop shop, they can make recommendations, and sometimes give you a prop to try.