KeukaZ71

there are many lengths of the model (fish and ski) boat that i have. i believe there are 3 now. the boat you probably saw was the 21'. mine is 19'. you are right when it comes to rangers being a good boat and a heavy one. there are alot of other bassboats out there that are hell of alot lighter, but aren't built as good. i think Allison, bumble bee, and some others can top 90 MPH w/ a 300 MERC.

i wouldn't believe the numbers of tests that came out of a mag. you see that alot too with 1/4 mile times for certain trucks/cars that magazine tested. plus racing a boat/car, alot of it depends on the driver. also, it depends on the pitch of the prop too.

i am not sure how much my boat weighs, but i do know it goes over 70. i been driving boats over 20 years now, i pretty much can tell the difference between 60 and 70 mph even without a speedo. i've driven 21 and 22 foot rangers before with 225 MERCs, VENUMS, and INTRUDERS, and it is tough to get those boats over 70 due to chine walk. but as soon as you get in the 19 and 20 foot boats w/200, they easily go a few MPH faster, and have better control.

dbs1

I don't normally put alot of faith in mag tests, but my testing seemed to verify thier results. You can prop a boat to run faster at top speed is true, but it would never get out of the hole if it was too radical, and since yours is a f/s, I'm guessing you've propped it for a hole shot?

Checking my specs, my boat weighs in empty at 1520lbs. Add the engine at 700lbs, and a full tank and fishing gear load and I'm somewhere near 3100lbs.

Your 5000lbs must be with the trailer? With a 19 foot boat f/s (and a heavy ranger) you might be close to this?

Most mag reviews in regards to top speed usually ere on the high side of what most folks can get out of thier rigs. I would disagree in regards to top speed tests of cars or boats in regards to the driver, as the only variable, at least in the boat would be the chine walk, which I don't believe the ranger has an issue with due to the weight, and difficulty they usually have in regards to overpowering the hull design.

My bud was going to buy the ranger 20 f/s with the 225, but the dealer told him it would not get over 60mph. He also stated the 19 foot with the 200 would usually run 3-4 mph slower.

None of this really matters, and after hijacking this guys thread, I will say that the boat and engine described on the original post should effect his towing little, if any.

Flyer

iTrader: (1)

In regards to chine walking ... Have you ever seen a bowrider like I showed chine walk? It's kinda fun after you get used to it. I get lots of crazy looks when I come across the like in a big boat like that trimmed out like a bass boat and throwing a little rooster tail up.

When I first got the boat, it chine walked bad and would bounce off the rev limiter with 2 and a full tank of gas at what the speedo showed to be 55, but the GPS about 48. A prop change and it felt very good at the same trim level with the original prop, and even better after trimming it out some more. The boat speedo showed 54 but it would show 52 on the GPS. The boat comes out of the water amazingly too.

Anyways ... moral of the story ... a prop can completely change the characteristics of the boat. I think driven right and 70+ could be attained. Magazine articles are junk .. they are biased by who has the fattest pocket books.

Snake Eater

The speed of a bass boat depends big on the prop. My family have been racing and repairing boats for decades. One shop is Competition Marine in Seabrook, Tx, and the other is Pollard Marine in Round Rock, Tx. Even a heavy boat with only a 200hp motor can break 70mph IF it has a good hull design that draws as little water as possible on plane, and a prop with enough pitch and cupped blades. Id say a good 25-27 degree prop, cupped, would push 70mph. My dad and i had a 17' envador that had a rotten transom and was rated for 90hp max outboard. We cut the transome out and replaced it, and dropped in a new style MERC 350. It was rated at 330hp. We couldnt get the exhaust to go to the outdrive because it was a volvo dual prop. We put 4" elbows on each side and ran the exhaust out the back to 5" chrome tips. It was LOUD! The first time we launched it we thought it was going to sink. It sat low enough in the water with me and him in it a good 6" swell would through water in the boat. On our test run we got to race a guy in a Scarab with twin 250 yamahaws. We spanked his ***. I dont know how fast it was, but at full throttle if it cought some wind the front would go airborn. It was fun though.

dbs1

Props on boats are like gears in cars and can be played with to affect performance for sure. It is not often (if ever) that you can get the same prop to have a great hole shot, and still offer the best top end. Like many things in the mechanical world, you usually make a compromise for the best performance area you're looking for.

I'm not saying that the ranger boat in question could'nt do over 70mph, but it is very improbable.

After checking rangers web site, and getting specs on the 19 ft f&s, it lists it's weight at 2000lbs for the hull. Throw in 500lbs for the 200 merc engine, and another 300lbs for gas, misc and driver and you have 2800lbs. Rangers are known for being well made, riding good in heavy water (part of being one of the heaviest boats in thier class), but never for top speed. The hulls are designed more for a dry and comfortable ride.

When running my boat at 73mph, I had a fairly light load and about 20 gallons of gas. Boat weight is 1520lbs+engine 600lbs+driver, gas, misc 500lbs=2620lbs. Almost 300lbs less weight, 25 more horse power, and a hull that's designed after that of a race boat.

Again-the ranger running the same speed may not be impossible, but very improbable.

Snake Eater

True about the props. The higher pitch will get you higher speeds, but with an under powered boat it can be a pain getting up on plain, but after that you gain speed pretty quick. A smaller pitch, say a 17-19 degree, will get you up to full speed alot quicker. But the top speed is alot slower. It is understandable that most people would rather get on plain faster and easier. Towing skiers or tubers would be difficult with a high pitch prop. It all depends on what you prefer. The master crafts come with options over 400hp, but still do only 45mph at full throttle. They stick with props for getting up to speed quickly, and pulling multiple skiers out of the water.

jhelms

iTrader: (2)

Still trying to sell it? How much?

Flyer

iTrader: (1)

I'd like to get 13k for it. It's in good condition and I'm letting all my toys and accesories going with it.

I'd like to sell it local so I don't have to worry with shipping it etc etc.