Thread: can't get on plane

Does the nose of the boat go up when you start, then go down as you come up to speed?

IIRC, that size motor usually turns around 6000 but a 9.5 pitch prop shouldn't be a huge load on the motor. Do you know what the rev limiter is set for on that motor? If you are hitting the rev limiter, you may want more prop. If you aren't maxing your RPMS, you may want less prop. Your prop should have two numbers. Pitch and diameter. May say something like 9.5X11.

A Doel Fin or other type stabilizer may be worth a look too.

Make sure the boat is loaded evenly. If that is good try raising the motor 1 notch.

thanks guys....i get up to about 5500rpm with the prop on there now...tried a whale tail and doesn't do any better...have tried every hole that is my "trim"...my boat does not nose up and then level out...and this is with me by myself or if there are 3 of us in it....just under powered im told....will live with it till i can trade up

that boat should have a 40 or 50 horse on the back

Still don't sound right to me.. I have a 16.5' astro, just like a tracker. It came with a merc 25 and would plane out and run 26mph. I upgraded to a 50 merc and can now get 38.

i agree that a bigger motor should be on the boat...but cant change that right now...stupid question but if the diameter of the prop is not posted on the prop how do you measure it??? measure from center of hub to end of one of the fins and double that??? should i be using an 11" prop??? i have seen lowes and other boats equiped like mine and they blow right by me....something is gotta be off

Yes that is the way to measure the diameter of the prop. However, the diameter affects it very little. Its the pitch that matters.

That boat is way too heavy for the 25hp. You will just have to live with it until you can get a bigger motor...Doh