Confused/issue with stainless 4 blade

[NEboater28]

I recently purchased a stiletto bay pro 2 (4 blade stainless). It's 14 1/4 x 18 pitch. I was replacing the stock aluminum 14.5x19 that came on my 2012 Hurricane 187 sun deck. The engine is a mercruiser 4.3 MPI 220hp. The numbers I was getting on the aluminum prop were as follows:

49 mph at 4900 (rev limiter kicks in). Hole shot is decent.

I use the boat primarily for watersports. I swapped out my prop for the new stainless today and was totally disappointed...

My numbers with the stiletto under the same condition are as follows:

46 mph at 4900 rev limiter kicked in. Hole shot is poor.

Then I went and did some skiing and it was horrible out of the hole. It felt like there was no teeth to the prop. The RMPs kicked in high and quick, but the boat wouldn't get up and go as expected. While towing a wakeboard, I was fighting the throttle the whole time (which I thought the 4 blade was supposed to eliminate)

I switched back to the 3 blade aluminum and my hole shot was better and my hole shot towing a skier was better.

I'm bumming because I did a bunch of research, dropped the pitch because of the extra blade, and had expected a much better hole shot with the stainless and 4 blade.

Anyone have a recommendation where I should go from here? Help please!?!?

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Confused/issue with stainless 4 blade

It's a pity that sometimes 4 blade props don't work as expected. If engine is already over reving with rev limiter kicking in, could go for a larger 3 blade pitch prop to lessen revs to maintain max wot before rev limiter kicks in. What's the wot parameters factory stated for that engine ?

Happy Boating

 

[dazk14]

Re: Confused/issue with stainless 4 blade

Is that a Vented Prop?

I could look it up, but feeling lazy tonight.

If so, plugging the vents would make sense, since your 220HP doesn't need to "Slip" at lower rpm's to get into it's power-band.

 

[NEboater28]

Re: Confused/issue with stainless 4 blade

The max on the engine per manufacture specs is 4800, so the limiter is doing its job.

Yes, it is a vented prop. Do you think that plugging the vents would help? If so, how should I plug them. I don't want to permanently change the prop as I'd want to sell it if its not up to speed.