Mercury Performance Report - 36 Invincible/triple 350 Verados/220 gallons fuel/81 MPH

[eliteftlaud]

thanks, starting to make a little bit more sense. i wish it would warm up too! i could see my breath outside just a minute ago... maybe i need to migrate down to cuba or something. hopefully the cold will turn the bite on next week though..

[ken2]

i have a question for you ken or anyone else that knows, i always thought that 3 blade props gave you more top speed and 4 blade gave you more acceleration. my question is, if you have three engines i.e. 3-350's like in this case, why wouldnt you use 3 blade props for more top end? i gotta believe with the 3 engines it would still be able to pop it out of the water just fine... i must be missing something, bc i aslway see multi engine boats with 4 blade props instead of 3....

Three blades are faster "most of the time" Not always.

Engine height has a lot to do with it, as well as the hull itself.

Some flats boats and bass boats are actually faster with 4 blades, cause they can jack the motor real high and reduce the drag of the lower unit.

But it also depends on the boat, Some boats like sternlift, others don't.

Fountains seem to like sternlift, they always run Bravo 1 propellers or Hydromotives.

I've sent a set of Mirage 27 3 blades to propbender, but I don't know if he's ran them yet.

He was going to stick them on his outside motors just to see what happens.

I think they are going to blow out easily and run the same speed if not slower, but if something good happens, I'll be sure to post it.

[eliteftlaud]

very interesting, sounds like Bob was right on the money. i'm curious to see what happens with the fountain

[Cosgrove]

i have a question for you ken or anyone else that knows, i always thought that 3 blade props gave you more top speed and 4 blade gave you more acceleration. my question is, if you have three engines i.e. 3-350's like in this case, why wouldnt you use 3 blade props for more top end? i gotta believe with the 3 engines it would still be able to pop it out of the water just fine... i must be missing something, bc i aslway see multi engine boats with 4 blade props instead of 3....

Hey Guys,

As the former VP of Invincible I figured I'd chine in. On the original 36 Inv (my boat) we tested the Mirage props which is what Mercury was recommending for the boat (I don't know if they still are). We originally put the boat in the water w/o a t top and it ran 70.4 with conditions optimal in Miami, remember, no top, no Ising glass, no Radar. The guy from Mercury thought the boat would handle 22' blades but when we hit the throttles, the boat acted like a dragster and hit 65 banging the rev limiters. We figured the Mirage props were going to be the answer so we didn't really think we needed to go elsewhere. The props we had were NOT labbed, just stock. I fished the Hogs Breath Tournament in Key West and had a very bad problem when it got rough with cavitation, the hull design of the INV is unique and we were still in the learning stages. To make a long story short, we tried the Rev 4 Blades from Mercury and after adding a t top, radar and all the other normal items associated with a guide/fishing boat we came to the conclusion that this was the prop for us. One guy at Mercury said "no way, that prop won't work for you". Later after seeing the performance no's he changed his mind and admitted that there is still some "gray" area when it comes to propellors. The prop that I ended up with was a 25" Rev 4 (4 blade). I can honestly say that I have NEVER heard the engines cavitate since changing to these props. (Obviously they scream when you get airborne). The boat jumps out of a hole like a jack rabbit and tops out any day of the week at 65 and change, it'll hit 67 if a scrawny midget is at the helm. Again, not labbed props on the 275 Verado's.

The Blue Bayou (now Mikes boat) had the 300XS's on it and was built without full Ising glass and had no radar. Mercury did lab the props on it and it would run 76, it's hit 78 but not normally- once again the midget had to be at the helm.

In reference to the Grove Slam last year, Fountain won, give em their kudo's. I would like Fountain to show up with an OPEN FISHERMAN, not a cuddy, with triple 350 Vrods. I'd also like Deep Impact to do the same. While YF is a great boat, I think it is safe to say that short of the other mfg's all breaking down, they will not be the first to cross the finish line. I really wish Inv would have a quad 36 to run Homesite but to date, I don't think they have one and it's not financially reasonable to "make" a quad boat for a 10 mile race that probably isn't going to get any sales for them anyway.

I do find it funny that Homey won't drive his own boat but Reggie's not stupid, he put Alden at the helm not some keyboard jockey. (The owner of Inv wasn't driving their 36 either).

While not my style of boat, the Deep Impact held it's own and I'm sure after last years "mishaps" they'll be there ready to rock and roll.

I like everyone else on these forms see how this boat and that boat perform but when you put em side by side and watch those helicopter shots it really seperates the "bay" speedsters from the big boys.

Basically the race is between Kosker (Deep Impact), Reggie (Fountain) and Michael Peters (Inv)

all of which know their stuff.

I was there at the finish line last year and I'll be there again this year.

For those of you that would like some aerial shots of your boats via helicopter, this is the time to do it.

The guy that puts on the Grove Slam is TOP NOTCH.

Rob Hammer

[eliteftlaud]

Thanks Rob very interesting, and welcome to RB!!

[Blue Bayou]

Rob, welcome to RB!

[Chisox]

Rob,

When you were working at getting the props dialed in, were you working with perhaps my good friend John Litjens from Merc?

[wiley]

I say the race needs to be from FLL to Bimini and not some 5 mile "around a bouy" race in bay waters.

Mid September where the seas are calm but the stream a bit floppy. See how the engines sustain and who has less injuries after the race.

I'll see if this can be arranged sometime in the future.

[team oldschool]

Rob, I have never met you, but listening to you defending the invincible on the other site last year really peaked my interest in the boat. A few things go right this year and you never know.

[DJWILLIAMS]

I say the race needs to be from FLL to Bimini and not some 5 mile "around a bouy" race in bay waters.

Mid September where the seas are calm but the stream a bit floppy. See how the engines sustain and who has less injuries after the race.

I'll see if this can be arranged sometime in the future.

Wiley,

I believe we need a refined set of rules, such as how much gas is in the tanks, windshields, tackle, ice, ect...

We should have "set" rules, so there is not bi$ching, and wining about my boat did not have this, and my boat had this ect... Also my boat went into guardian mode, ect...

Give plenty of notice so the owners/drivers can have there $hit together, and no excuses. Grove Slam (no offense to them, a very nice event ) has had so many variables with the race that it's not even funny. Also Wiley have alot of beautiful girls there ( I know you have the connections ).

My opinion:

Set the rules (firmly)

Have the boats equally loaded, and fueled

If you lose you lose, and that is that, no whining ect....

Reelboating is about the truth, and no BS so Wiley set it up and

David