2001 Nitro 188 Fish & Ski setup

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Nitro_188

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I recently purchased a 2001 Nitro 188 Sport so I could do some fishing with my son, and am starting to wonder if there is something off with the motor height or prop selection. The boat has a Mercury 150 XR6 that runs well, which the previous owner paired up with a Laser II 22P prop. The motor is mounted as low as possible on the transom's mounting bracket.

At WOT I am hitting 49-50mph at almost 6,000rpm when trimmed up with 2.5 people on board, empty livewells, and 1/2 tank of gas. From what I've read, this seems a little slow and my rpm seems too high for a 22P prop. This is my first outboard so I don't know much about setting them up, but am willing to take any measurements or provide whatever info is needed if someone could help me get this thing dialed in.

On a semi-related note, does anyone have a suggestion for a hydrofoil that will work well on this boat/motor? I would like to get the boat to stay on plane at the lowest speed possible so that it's easier to control when pulling kids on a tube.

Thanks!
 
I put a 4 blade prop and a SE Sport 300 Hydrofoil on my Z19 Sport. It jumps out of the hole and I can stay up on plane as low as about 12 mph. I stay hooked up in the turns when swinging a tube.
I rarely run wide open but I didn’t lose any top speed switching to a 4 blade prop.
 
My 189 sport has a 115 optimax. For the wife and I it's fine. Top speed with a stainless 18p 3 blade is about 42mph. It gets on plane quickly and wi stay on plane at 12 to 15 mph depending on wind and weight. It will pull a tube with 4 adults in the boat and one on a tube.

Never used a hydrofoil
 
I put a 4 blade prop and a SE Sport 300 Hydrofoil on my Z19 Sport. It jumps out of the hole and I can stay up on plane as low as about 12 mph. I stay hooked up in the turns when swinging a tube.
I rarely run wide open but I didn’t lose any top speed switching to a 4 blade prop.
Have a 2021 Z19 Sport also with the Fury 25P prop. My top end is 55 gps. What is yours. I like the idea of planning at 12 mph.
 
I am up and jumping on the step, (wow, learned a few new words), at around 12 to 15 kts. top end wide open with full load of 4 adults full tanks at 5500rpm = 49kts. Might go faster if we pull up the trolling moto, LOL. By myself, running down the lake with my hair( or what's left of it), on fire around 54kts. Original 3 blade prop, no Hydrofoil. p.s., I don't run wide open very much, maybe once every 50hrs or so just to blow the carbon out.
 
I put a 4 blade prop and a SE Sport 300 Hydrofoil on my Z19 Sport. It jumps out of the hole and I can stay up on plane as low as about 12 mph. I stay hooked up in the turns when swinging a tube.
I rarely run wide open but I didn’t lose any top speed switching to a 4 blade prop.
12mph would be great, what was it like before the hydrofoil?
 
I am up and jumping on the step, (wow, learned a few new words), at around 12 to 15 kts. top end wide open with full load of 4 adults full tanks at 5500rpm = 49kts. Might go faster if we pull up the trolling moto, LOL. By myself, running down the lake with my hair( or what's left of it), on fire around 54kts. Original 3 blade prop, no Hydrofoil. p.s., I don't run wide open very much, maybe once every 50hrs or so just to blow the carbon out.
What boat & motor do you have?
 
Have a 2021 Z19 Sport also with the Fury 25P prop. My top end is 55 gps. What is yours. I like the idea of planning at 12 mph.

I can get 55 if the water is right. Easily 52-53 mph

12mph would be great, what was it like before the hydrofoil?

Before the hydrofoil I could barely keep 15 mph and the bow was still high. The hydrofoil brought the bow right down.
The 4 blade prop brought my speed down to 12-13 mph.
I’d definitely change the prop to a 4 blade then get the hydrofoil if your bow is staying up.
 
I have 97 185sf with a 120 on it. Has a laser II 3 blade 20 pitch and a hydrofoil. On plane right out of the hole but my top end is somewhere between 40-50 mph. Speedo says 50-52 but gps on my graph reads anywhere from 40-48 depending on conditions.
 
So I went through this process extensively when I re-powered my 2003 288 Sport with a 225 Evinrude Ficht. I used a jack plate and had to reset the bolt-on height once to accommodate the maximum and optimum prop height below the keel dimension. You basically raise it as high as she'll run safely without slipping at all conditions such as WOT, turns at high speed, chop, and different load conditions or arrangements. Its all about the drag of the gear beneath the keel and of course be mindful of adequate water flow at these conditions so you don't cause overheating. I have a spec sheet of general proportions and a diagram to get you started but its pretty much trial and error. I got my rig up to 60-62 mph at WOT at 6100 RPM into the wind, against the current at the time, not too bad. I'm considering raising the jack plate bolt -on height to get more upward adjustment and perhaps squeeze a little my top end but I'm a little worried about whether or not the fruit of my labor would pan out and it also puts the top of the motor a bit higher and potentially messing with skiers or wakeboarders of the pylon on deck. Let me know if you might be interested in the sketch/diagram.
 
So I went through this process extensively when I re-powered my 2003 288 Sport with a 225 Evinrude Ficht. I used a jack plate and had to reset the bolt-on height once to accommodate the maximum and optimum prop height below the keel dimension. You basically raise it as high as she'll run safely without slipping at all conditions such as WOT, turns at high speed, chop, and different load conditions or arrangements. Its all about the drag of the gear beneath the keel and of course be mindful of adequate water flow at these conditions so you don't cause overheating. I have a spec sheet of general proportions and a diagram to get you started but its pretty much trial and error. I got my rig up to 60-62 mph at WOT at 6100 RPM into the wind, against the current at the time, not too bad. I'm considering raising the jack plate bolt -on height to get more upward adjustment and perhaps squeeze a little my top end but I'm a little worried about whether or not the fruit of my labor would pan out and it also puts the top of the motor a bit higher and potentially messing with skiers or wakeboarders of the pylon on deck. Let me know if you might be interested in the sketch/diagram.
I don't have a jack plate and the motor mount is already on the lowest setting which is a little concerning since I won't be able to lower it if needed. I'm going to check it next time I'm at the lake to see which direction it needs to move based on the cavitation plate height once I get up on plane.

Funny you should mention the ski pylon because I'm in the process of extending mine right now. It doesn't clear the outboard, which seems like such a massive design flaw I feel like I must be missing something.
 
That's interesting about the pylon, mine is plenty high even though my motor is a long shaft on a jack plate but perhaps the motor part is the same height regardless of shaft length? Anyway, I'd think I may have issues towing a low on the water item such as a tube or knee board on a short rope but with my 45 foot wakeboard rope I was ok getting pulled out of the water last year when I first attempted to get up, until the handle gave way due to an inexperienced operator who did not understand the "bury the throttle" concept of wakeboard starts and I simply plowed a big water mass in front of the board way too long!
 
Same here, I'm going to have to gps clock mine next time out, I've been using the speedometer that frequently clogs up while at WOT!
 
I have a 2000 205 sport 200 Optimax 4 blade 24p prop goes 62 on GPS. at 5800 rpm
just ordered a 5.5" CMC hydraulic jack plate and hydraulic steering as the motor steering cables are situated too close to the rigging hole to move the motor back with cables. I hope to have it installed next month and I will post updates as it progresses.
 
I have a 2000 205 sport 200 Optimax 4 blade 24p prop goes 62 on GPS. at 5800 rpm
just ordered a 5.5" CMC hydraulic jack plate and hydraulic steering as the motor steering cables are situated too close to the rigging hole to move the motor back with cables. I hope to have it installed next month and I will post updates as it progresses.
You really should have hydraulic steering on a motor that size anyway, way too much torque for cable steering. It was one of the must do items on my repowering project. That hydraulic plate will surely be an advantage while dialing in the performance. How did you select the prop by the way? I don't get the advantage of 4 versus 3 blade.
 
boat came that way. and when letting off throttle at high speeds the steering wheel wants to pull me out of the seat. I installed a hot foot to keep both hands on the wheel. the 4 blade I am told is best for hole shot and pulling a skier thru turns ( was told it keeps the boat planted when changing direction with a rope out and the extra weight pulling). Also going to install "blinker switches" for the trim and tilt as well as the jack plate.
https://www.nitroowners.com/threads/2001-nitro-188-fish-ski-setup.85325/
 

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