New 2021 23hps 250sho 5300 rpm max

[Speckeled pup]

Today was the big Day. Break in on my new 23hps.  250 sho.   I did the first and second hour break in per owners manual.  After the first two hours of break in  I stopped and fished for 30 minutes. Motor turned off. Then I ran back up river to another spot to fish and I picked up speed but nothing crazy yet just getting the feel of the new boat.  At 2.7 hours. I found a light chop and decided to open her up. I have never owned a boat with a power jack plate. I kept the jack plate all the way down and just used the trim to try to get max speed and rpm. It looks like 5300 was all I could get and the prop was throwing a roster tail. How easy is it to starve the motor of water? How do you use the jack plate or is it for shallow water use.  Also with motor trimmed down and jack plate all the way down when I start from a stop to get on plane it’s easy to get prop slippage.  
Any help is greatly appreciated  my experience has been running a 23 Gradywhite for 20 years. I have had bay boats before but nothing like this boat this is a different kind of animal.  Maybe I have to keep trimming it.  

[AFE CUMMINS 6.7]

I have HPS 2300 w/ a F300 w/ 25” shaft, I run my jack plate at 2.5” to 3.5” depending on conditions and trimmed up at least 60% when running the rpm range 4000 to 6000 rpm to get the best cruise efficiency and top end. If you run your jack plate up and trim the motor with only getting 5300 rpm, then you may be over propped. What prop are you running? 

[AFE CUMMINS 6.7]

The forum prop section has a lot of post on propping the 2300 HPS. 
 

https://mbgforum.com/forum/74-pathfinder-prop-discussion/

[SCFD rtrd.]

I also have a 23 HPS with 250 SHO. The prop is a stock Yamaha 4 blade, but can't tell you the diameter or pitch because it's stored away from my home. I get my best speed with the jack-plate all the way down and motor trimmed up. 57 mph at 5700 rpm. 

[nhinshoreangler]

I got the same #'s as SCFD assuming the prop is a HS4 15 X 23 pitch. 

I was told by a Yamaha mechanic that RPM's should be close to 6K. I recently swapped out to a Power Tech Universal prop 4 blade, 15.25, 19 pitch. Speed matches RPM's up to 6000, so 4000 RPM's/ 40 MPH etc. I actually liked the Yamaha prop better, even though it's a little slower. 

When I can get one (back ordered), I will switch over to a Mercury Bravo 1 22 pitch. I think that prop or a Yamaha HS4 22 pitch will do the trick.

 

Best of luck. There's a lot of guys on here that know a lot more than I do.

 

[Josh B]

Your boat motor combo always performed best for me with jackplate about 2-3 inches up. 

You shouldn't be throwing a rooster tail, you'll want your prop wash just below the surface. Some boats do get best speeds throwing a rooster tail, but not this one.

Best hole shot is with motor trimmed all the way down, jackplate all the way down. (tabs aren't really needed, but can put them down if you're trying to jump out of a hole in short distance). Once you're on plane make sure trim tabs are all the way up, then raise jackplate to 2-3". Then trim motor up, keep trimming up until you start throwing a rooster tail... then trim back down until your prop wash is just under the surface. You can experiment with adjusting jackplate and trim up/down a little each way, but that should give you a good starting point. 

Once you get top speed dialed in you can back off on the throttle down to the 3800-4000 RPM range and you should see your best economy (MPG). 

If you're not able to get 5800-6000 RPM in that WOT scenario you'll have to look at a lower pitch prop. Either the Yamaha HS4 in 22p or Bravo FS in 22p should be the ticket.

 

Josh B.