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Prop pitch

What is your usage and accommodations in the boat? How do you normally run...cruise or top end? I had a 2002 1750 Fish Hawk with a 115 Merc 2 stroke and boated alone for several years. I ran a Ballistic 22P at 5250 RPM.....why? Because that engine had a rev limiter. I touched 50 numerous times especially in cooler weather when air is more dense. Considering the hull to water contact, I had room to go if the rev limiter would let the engine do its thing.

I had a 90 2 stroke on a lighter boat, 17.5' aluminum stepped hull BB....used to be in my avatar.....and it would do 50 at 5500 RPM with a 24P Ballistic with me alone.

So knowing the Crestliner with its V hull, dead rise at the transom, and reverse chine, on a 16' boat, If you boat alone and want to put the ponies to the test, I'd go for a 19 P SS Laser or Ballistic on that 75. You won't overrev and should stay in the top half of the recommended RPM range.....that's where I'd put my money. If you want to water ski, I'd go with the Laser II which is ported and you can buy different diameter port plugs to fine tune your performance.

I had a 1989 Forrest Tucker Ranger BB I bought new with a pad hull, 16.5' with a 115 Merc I6 Tower of Power. Ran it with a 19P Laser which was ported. The ports let my son pull me up on skis 200+#, yet when boating alone it would be another 50 MPH boat since the ports would seal off with water pressure at the higher speeds. Being a Ranger BB, it had a pad upon which you could get up on at around 35 MPH and essentially get the boat out of the water.....excluding the "water ski pad". I would get on the pad and trim out until the RPMs started to increase and speed to fall, then back off slightly. I could hear the engine singing at around 6k RPM and the prop blades hitting the water making a humming noise since the prop tips they were partially airborne. Had loads of fun with that boat.

This is an accurate representation of my boating life and its a no brag, just fact testimonial. I built my first boat alone in my garage when I was in high school. Boated ever since and that was 1955+ time line.
 
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