painkiller
New member
I recently purchased a 2010 Cobalt 232. It has the VP GX 300 engine and a DPS-A drive. My last 3 boats were a Baja 252, and Formula 252LS, and a Cobalt 262. Baja would run 67 mph WOT and cruise comfortably at 45-50. The Formula was a very similar boat, at least in terms of dimensions, but it weighed close to 1000lb more (the Baja was a piece of junk). It ran about 60 mph at WOT and cruise comfortably at 45 mph. The 262 is kind of a luxury cruiser and would top out at about 55 mph and cruise comfortably at 40. The 232 tops out (with F4 props) at 47 mph (5000 RPM), and cruises comfortably at around 33 mph. I realize my previous boats were all bigger, more powerful boats, where my 232 is more of a runabout. So I get that I’m dealing with Apples and Oranges, but I’m looking to see if I can boost the mid-range cruise speed up a bit with a steeper prop so I can get closer to 40 mph without sounding like an F1 race car.
I grabbed a set of used F5 props for a comparison. Here’s the results on the same day, with same fuel load for the F4 and F5, using GPS:
F4
RPM Speed
3000 25
3500 32
4000 37
4500 41
5000 47
F5
RPM Speed
3000 28 (+3)
3500 33 (+1)
4000 38 (+1)
4500 43 (+2)
5000 50 (+3)
I sorta expected a bigger difference with the F5s. I was able to run both prop sets up to the 5000 rpm redline so there’s clearly enough power to push the deeper props. Should I try a set of F6s? Or am I trying to make a sports car out of a Honda Civic, and should just quit?
I grabbed a set of used F5 props for a comparison. Here’s the results on the same day, with same fuel load for the F4 and F5, using GPS:
F4
RPM Speed
3000 25
3500 32
4000 37
4500 41
5000 47
F5
RPM Speed
3000 28 (+3)
3500 33 (+1)
4000 38 (+1)
4500 43 (+2)
5000 50 (+3)
I sorta expected a bigger difference with the F5s. I was able to run both prop sets up to the 5000 rpm redline so there’s clearly enough power to push the deeper props. Should I try a set of F6s? Or am I trying to make a sports car out of a Honda Civic, and should just quit?