The V 20 hits 50mph tops, but any faster ?

[RABBITFISH]

I have pushed the limit with my 225 Yamaha once or twice and it ran up to 54 mph, by gps, however it was not very reassuring the way the boat felt under me....It felt like at any minute it would lose control...much more stable around the 40 mph range.....

[cterrebonne]

im sure a single 300x on a adj jackplate with it propped out for top end would run 60. strong engine. i think though that going over 65 with out any serious amount of hp would not be possible.

[kraken]

are all of you guys running outboards only? I havent got mine into the water yet but the engine is the merc 470 with 170 hp. Seems that motor would push a 20 footer a bit faster than 55.

[cterrebonne]

Originally Posted by kraken

are all of you guys running outboards only? I havent got mine into the water yet but the engine is the merc 470 with 170 hp. Seems that motor would push a 20 footer a bit faster than 55.

i can promise you that 470 wont get you past 55. on radar or gps.

and about the v-20 chine walking, it would probably ride like a checkmate or a baja (if im thinking of the older 80's v hull ski boats) where was it feels like the front end is hanging out there and it will rock but not too bad. not if the weight dist is all messed up then who knows. maybe a up and a hard roll to the right.

[RidgeRunner]

Hope not. It would be a shame to come this far with this project to see it spread all over terrebonne bay. (Captain included) Baby steps.. but that image will be burned into my mind from here on. Thanks

[Bonita Dan]

With the old 3.7l(in newer condition) I was able to pull off 52mph on the gps,light load,top folded up,trimed out to the max,etc and it didn't really chime walk but there wasn't much of the boat in the water. Didn't really feel unsafe either just very light on an extremely calm day. With the new tricked out plant we're talking about speeds up to if not in excess of 60mph so we'll see what happens and I'll keep yall updated when it happens. I hope the old girl can handle it but if there are no more posts from me,well ya know what happened then. Bye,Bye Bobo!

[CaptJ]

When my dad bought my boat brand new right out of the box with the Yamaha 225 in 1989, I was pushin high 50's. Talkin' 57-58mph. According to the speedo. Don't think it ever hit the 60 mark. I have heard they called that model 225 "a cheater" motor because she was pushin more like 235 hps. I am sure one of you guys would know if this is true or if it was just a rumor. Wish I knew more about motors in 1999 when I traded the 225 in for the 200, would have never done it.

Boat use to rip. Now she is old and water logged but I still love her so much. Had a great day with my girls on the water Friday fishing and clamming. Full tank of gas four year old, two tear old, wife and me. With the '99 Yamaha 200 and the Bimini kite up and the fastest I could go with flat calm water was 47mph. Trimmed to the max and pushin only 5000 rpms (the highest I could get them). I think I have to much prop on her.

[warrengee]

I had a 19' Renken with 225 Merc that would approach 60 and that boat had a similar splash roll (not quite as pronounced) as the V20 I have now. The splash roll caused a lot of lift issues when it started creeping up over 55. Had a Glastron with a 200 Merc that hit 60 easy but the tiny splash roll on that one caused some issues. I think these things get aerodynamically limited as to what they can achieve due to that huge splash roll up front. You don't see Scarabs, Fountains or Apaches with splash rolls and bass boats sure don't have 'em. Not a boat I'd want to do 60 in but it sure is solid in the low 40's!

[RidgeRunner]

"Not a boat I'd want to do 60 in but it sure is solid in the low 40's!"

I agree, I am not saying 60 is practical. Just having a little fun. Boat handles great all thru the 30's 40's and low 50's. You are probably right, aerodynamics are killing it. The console on mine is custom, modeled after a Fridgidaire then there is the t-top out there catchin wind. She was never made for the speed I am seeing now, but the hull has always been capable of speed. The wetted surface of this boat is not that different from the boats you mentioned. You probably already know this but, the steplift design as introduced by Ray Hunt on the Bertrams held quite a few records of endurance and speed. I am just proud to have what I have.

[redfish chaser]

Fellas, Fellas, the fish don't swim that fast. I like to get there in good time too but it's a V20 not a bass boat. Once you reach 60 mph windage issues become a much larger part of the equation. The company I work for put Gas Turbine engines in go fast boats back in the years. One hull I can remember was a 43' Black Thunder. We put (2) 1400 hp turbines on surface drives, she ran 108 mph and would start trying to swap ends (turn around) after 95. The boat builder claimed the bottom was engineered for 75 mph. The person that pointed out, in the above post, that deep vee hulls will continue to climb out the water the faster you go is correct. Couple that with the windshield, height above the water, load and ever changing natural wind conditions could provide a recipe for a crash. The good thing is the stability issues will probably scare the crap out of the driver way before the hull loses its grip on the water. Remember fear and respect are still the best throttle. I have been 142mph in a Nortech 50' supercat with twin 1400 hp turbines, great ride, rock solid. But it demanded respect at that speed, I would be very careful and creep up on that 60 mph mark for a V20.
Calm winds, little other boat traffic and light on fuel is what I would look for. As a general rule for every 140 pounds of weight added to the boat you will lose 1 mph. That number is a little askew for a V20, it was part of a formula for much higher speed boats but brings attention to the weight vs. speed issue.