What speed are you getting at WOT and the size of you boat

[RcgTexas]

At WOT I get way too much vibration from bent shaft on 1980 70hp Johnson on 1975 24ft Kayot...oh well the admiral doesn't like to go over 8 or 10 mph anyway. I need to figure out if a lower end rebuild is doable this winter without special tools or if the parts put it out of the budget. First motorboat, having lots of fun boating and fixing her up. I have to resist the urge to put any real money in her and save it for the big upgrade in a couple years when I retire. This is a testbed to figure out what I want/need and make my mistakes on something that won't brake my heart if I put a dent in it.

If you haven't already, Check boats.net for outboard parts. They will give you an idea about what a rebuild might cost. and yes you will prolly need special tools or a machinist son in law like I have to rebuild it!

[TDJ2591]

27 mph GPS. 14.25 x 13 prop, 2 people, full tank of gas, 2 batteries, heavy boat, 26" toons, no underskinning or strakes (but installing underskinning today). Same speed with bimini fully open or folded completely down.

[jayw]

Well.....Dang.....I never!

Jay... lighten up! you don't have to believe and that is OK. The fact is that these toons, which were manufactured for only a few years, are of a very efficient design. Why tracker quit making them I don't know.

I have seen 39 MPH GPS out of mine but it will not sustain that over a significant distance, so I say it is 38 MPH. I does turn a 13.25 X 17 prop at approximately 5800 rpm. It does this with a 90 HP four stroke Mercury. My boat likes to be trimmed almost flat in the water to get best speed and very little of the logs are in the water, about 1/3 of the length. There are several other owners here that will attest to the same level of performance.

I have seen it run at approximately 32 MPH with 6 adults (several of us are well fed), 3 dogs (70 lbs total), 20 gallons of gas, cooler and trolling motor and battery. It was a lot of work to get it up on step with this load but when it got there I was amazed at the performance. Yes, the lifting strakes make a huge difference in performance.

The downside is that it is a toon (2 tubes) and is very sensitive to water conditions. A little chop has a significant effect of speed. That is where the Tritoon excells. It is not a perfect world is it?

Yes, It runs better than it should and it does it reliably!

Oh not to worry, I'm light...

I haven't followed the NV log discussions (I didn't join the forum until I bought my first TT in Oct of 2010) but I did go back and read a bunch of posts. Plus, out of curiosity, googled around about the NV toons.

I've also seen these on our chain, a few weeks ago noticed a smaller Tracker with the huge strakes zipping along and do recall being quite surprised once I saw it had a 90. He was flying, but definitely not doing 38. Or even 35. Sounds like it's possible from what everyone says. The Tracker 22 on boattest.com with the NV logs and 115 showed top end of 36, so how you guys with the 90s get 36, 38, 39 is beyond me. Tracker claimed "speeds in excess of 30 MPH with a 90" that's all they said. Also, how can that motor carry a load of 6 adults plus gear to 32 MPH, to even get up on the strakes? It would have a hard time on a planing hull boat of same weight. Not getting it.

It just all seems so surprising, so un-businesslike, that Tracker had a product that so vastly outpaced its competition BUT stopped making it mysteriously. Why? And why hasn't anyone else ben able to match that formula for success? You just don't see numbers like that from pontoons or tritoons with lower HP motors, and I see a lot of them.

If Tracker had such a golden goose, why kill it? Why has no one else even come close? Have they? Does anyone else know of another pontoon maker with these #s?

Our chain is incredibly choppy every weekend and any windy weekday so the TT is the right boat for us. It cuts thru most waves & wakes like ripples.

Read my last post above as the possible answer as to why they stopped making them is explained...

Yeah but a lot of manufacturers use big strakes. Their boats get shook just the same. I don't see them changing design. In fact, they're coming up with NEW designs that are sure to make the problem worse. All the big center toons now with flat bottoms. Never been on one but I guy at a big marina near me just told me the Premier PTX is the hardest riding toon he's ever been on, they're still making those.... As they try to make pontoons faster and faster they're becoming more and more like... deck boats.

[jayw]

2009 JC Neptoon triple tube 21TT, 2010 Suzuki DF150 with a Mirage Plus (Thunderbolt) SS prop, 19P. No strakes but plan to add finally, next yr. I can touch 38 alone, very light load, ideal conditions. Wife and I can run strong 37, with regular gear, good conditions.

This Sunday it was HOT and HUMID, lost about 1 1/2 MPH off the top end. Also, one of the choppiest days I have ever been out thanks to all the monster cabin cruisers and off shore boats. 3' wakes on the choppier spots.

[woolznaz]

2007 South Bay 925 with 5.7 Volvo Penta I/O, tritoon, lifting strakes. Top speed of 74 MPH and there was plenty left in it.

Of course when I take it off the trailer it slows down considerably.

[rhorne]

2007 South Bay 925 with 5.7 Volvo Penta I/O, tritoon, lifting strakes. Top speed of 74 MPH and there was plenty left in it.

Of course when I take it off the trailer it slows down considerably.

You had me there for a second. LOL

[eekman56]

2013 Crest with 90 hp Yamaha 26 MPH with 4 people and a full tank of gas.

[Blessed]

2010 21' fishin' barge 90hp Optimax 2 stroke w/underskin... 2 men 240 lbs. ea., 42 gallons of fuel, trolling motor, 2 battries... cooler...fishin gear... bimini top open... 29mph

[Mosnowman]

Ton of crap on board..extra gas tank....3 AGM batteries...2 biminis....4 lives on board....

25 Foot Harris..Merc 150 Verado....36-37 mph.....but the Verado is soooooo quiet!

[VaGent]

1984 24ft JC with 2011 E-TECH 90 turning a Hydrus 13-7/8X11 prop. LOADED with 24 gal. of gas, 2-120qt coolers(full) plus 1-40qt cooler(full) PLUS 12 passengers consisting of 6 adults (3 @ 225lbs) & 6 teenagers. Bimini top deployed, anchor & spare prop & tools plus all the other stuff like towels, food, etc etc. Dual batteries, & fishing gear. PLUS battery & trolling motor up front. WOT 4850 RPMs & GPS is 18MPH using a Hummingbird 597ci HD DI with 11 hrs on the engine in fairly smooth water considering all the other boats on the water at the time. HEAVY for sure but pleased with the speed. Have never checked the speed under any other conditions so I have no idea what the speed might be. Not into all out performance. More into dependability & safety. I'm pleased with the results.

[pelicantooner]

22' Misty Harbor with a Yamaha 115 4 stroke.

2 people and 25 gal gas 26mph at 6000 rpm

[Mood95]

Hoping that I get some close to 40mph numbers with the tritoon I'm looking at purchasing. Should the test run for a 2014 Harris Cruiser 200 with 115hp prove less than satisfactory, I'll opt for the G3 V322C tritoon with the 150hp Yamaha.

[smoker62]

115 is not going to get you close to 40 . Better plan on the 150 and Id bet you might be close . Just being honest. I have a 300 and can only run low 43 when loaded with 6 adults and 45 gallons fuel and gear. Got 46 by myself with a 16 pitch Enertia.

[wrd1972]

Late to the top speed party.

I would love to see someone with a Sun Tracker toon and a Merc 90 hit 38, or turn a 17 pitch prop -even a 13" diameter one - to 5800 RPM on same boat for that matter. Unless that prop is flexing insanely. My DF150 can turn the Mirage Plus to 6050 full trim. I have 2.9L of displacement AND 2.5:1 gearing. Strakes or no strakes, sorry, with all due respect I am not buying it.

A few people 'round here claim their 90s run mid 30s, even upper 30s, just not gonna happen. Yes I've seen the ultalite little toon on Youtube run 40, that is a stripped boat. Like the folks claiming 45 from their 150s. Sorry.

^ Per your request

21' 2008 Suntracker PB - 90HP four stroke Merc - factory NV lifting strakes - full weight
38MPH @6KRPM w/2 on-board all day long (smooth water)
36MPH @6KRPM w/2 on-board all day long (rough water)
34MPH w/ 4 on-board all day long
31MPH w/ 6 on-board all day long
18MPH w/ 8+ on-board (slower than NON straked boats)
41MPH best ever with big ass tailwind
30MPH pulling a tube or skier

Tends to go fater with the Bimini up...provides lift when the bow is up out of the water. Fastest 2 toon boat on the lake. GPS shows 37MPH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJaqg9nhzig

Getting a 150HP Merc one day.

[mzodarg]

wrd 1972,

Curious as to what prop your running (specs) and what's your final drive? I've got a Sun Tracker 22" fishing barge with the 90 Fourstroke and the 2.38:1 final drive (command thrust) with a 15x17P black max prop. Best I hit was 33MPH at 5100 rpms.

I've recently removed the v guard on transom and that cured my cavitation but the best speed I could hit was 26 MPH at 5000 rpms no matter where the motor was trimmed to.

Mercury prop selector suggest I go with a black max 15.5 x15p, I'm just curious as I spoke to tracker marine yesterday and they said I have the right prop.

Granted I have no lifting strakes (YET) but I'm trying to dial my top end in.

TIA,
MIke