Look at possibly rearranging your load.

 

Check for a hook.

 

I have a friend with a Checkmate 283 with the same problem. He has to run 40 mph to have a good ride. He switched to a three blade prop and it helped a lot.

 

I agree with the previous, check for a hook or irregularity in the the hull, try switching the load around, or hell talk to checkmate and see what they say. They might be willing to help. After all it is there hull... :ninja:

 

70
I have a check 253 convincer. I also have to run the drive all the way down while cruising, and sometimes run a little tab. Not a big thing to me, thats what the drive and tabs are for.
As far as having a hook, I think you will find that you do not have a hook in your hull, if you did then the bow of your boat would stay down while cruising. A hook acts like trim tabs, but is not good for top speed (harder to get the bow up) because its being forced down. As you said its fine at top speed. I believe checkmate designed it that way.

 

Yea, a "rocker" can cause porpoising, a hook can stop it.

 

Mirage props have LOTS of bow lift. Great top end but no stern lift or decent mid range capabilities. Try to borrow someone's Bravo 4-blade and let us know what happens. --- JP

 

I was speaking of the "keel" of the boat not being straight, like side to side type of hook. I can see why it would porpoise if the bow was trying to stay down and there was to much lift for it to stay down.. hence the up and down motion. A 4-blade could help with that, I guess...

 

A hydromotive quad-4 is a stern lifting prop (which helps drive the bow down) see if you can try one, I had one on mine for years, and liked it. I'm now running a Q-4X by hydromotive. It has a little more bow lift.

 

thanks

thanks everyone,
what type of "rearranging of the load" are you talking about..... too much rear weight,front weight, or what?

i looked at the bottom with a straight edge and its very straight, as compared with other boats ive seen, no hook in the last 4 feet or so.

anyone got a Q4 to try????

thanks
kevin

 

also,

any of you checkmates running more than stock power. just wondering what seems to run best, upgrading power is in the near future.

any input?

kevin

 

also,

any of you checkmates running more than stock power. just wondering what seems to run best, upgrading power is in the near future.

any input?

kevin

253 convincer. (stock 454mag efi 385 hp) top speed was 64 mph. Now running a M1sc pro-charger 5lbs of boost, gil exhaust, inconel exhaust valves fel pro head gaskets, arp head bolts. top speed is over 80.

 

thats what im talkin about!!

well thats my next step too. i just need the mag motor, at least a short block to start it!!

what is your hp on that set up, im trying to calculate about what i need to see speeds like that!!

got any photos of your setup??

maurer70@hotmail.com

thanks kevin

 

QUAD FOUR

Kevin we shipped you a quad four to try out.Hope you like it. Darin

 

Now that's service

 

Wait until you get the bill when you want to keep it.

 

Bill???

thanks again Darin!! that is service.......god, i hope i dont hurt that prop!!!

hey, i tried just a regular mirage prop 23, it performed well, better top speed.....almost 3 mph!! not quite as much porpoising but still some. had to use the trim quite a bit more!!!

lets see what the Q4 does.

 

quad four

the picture of the above prop, is one we labbed for a customer,the one I sent you is satin finished ,so do not worry ,I think I said 375.00 and if you want it polished like above another 50.00 just hope it solves your problems????Darin

 

got the prop today Darin, will be trying soon, ill let you know

 

nice prop!

well, i got to try the quad 4 sunday, worked well. seemed to reduce the propoising alot, however nnot completely, trim tab usage was much lower. i do like this prop for my boat.

time to plane seems less, porpoising seems less, top speed 58.1 gps vs. 59.8 gps with mirage 23 but i added 200 lbs of passenger too. midrange punch was good too.

all around.............two thumbs up for the hydromotive prop for all around usage!

now what should i keep or sell, i need to buy this hydro prop and sell my polished 23 mirage plus accelarator or a 23 mirage prop.........hhhmmmmmm.....

anyone?

kevin

 

with a quad 4 you need to trim out farther to get your top speed than you did with your old 3 blade.
I tried many props on my 253 convincer and never found anything any faster than the q-4.

 

BOATN70, My suggestion...Try a Hydro Q4-x, it is a bow lifting 4 blade. I am running one now and it is averybit as fast as a Mirage plus. Throttle up did a tiny bit of modifying to it to get me 200 more rpm's. I do not know what Matt did, but it is awesome. My porpoising is all but gone, even at 3000 rpm's! I suggest you call Julie and ask her about what Matt did to my Hydromotive and see what they say about that for your boat. Oh, my name is Bill Fischer, Matt and Julie no the name. They are great people and have done me perect with my props!!!!

 

CONFUSED!

now im confused, i thought the 4 blade hydro was a stern lifting prop, therefor eliminating bowlift and eliminating porpoise. if the Q4X is bowlifting wont i be back to sqaure one? Matt or Julie, if your reading this chime in would you!!

thanks
kevin

 

Kevin, some try and tell you that all 4 blades are stern lifting props, not true. i was in the same situation as you were with porpoising, but new that this generation hull needs bow lift to gain optimum performance. Now, the Hydro Q4 is a stern lifting prop, the Q4-X is a new prop and designed after a lab finished Bravo 1 prop but the blades are not thinned like a lab finished Bravo, so you can work it if you want to. I had horrible porpoise with the Mirage plus, got better with the Bravo, but when I put on the Hydro Q4-X, I had to use no tab at all and had no porpoise. At WOT, it carried the whole boat so much better than any prop I have run. After I took deivery of the boat, I worked with Kip at checkmate on prop testing, so I have tried many. Between the Q4-X and what Throttle up have done, Checkmate claims I have the fastest ZT240 with the engine and drive package I have.

Back to sqauare one, no, because there are many, yet sublte differences between the 2 Hydros and the Merc props you have run.

 

shameless,

thanks for the input, its amazing at the propoise problem that the checkmates have, hopefully ill be able to eliminate it like you did, but, i think i may just wait on the Q4X till i get the hp i want, i dont think ill invest in the one until then, but its great to hear that it corrected your problems!! i will take your advise the prop.

i WILL be buying a prop, i WILL try that Q4X before i buy, im glad to hear that youve had such great relults.....i still would love to hear input from matt also...

Darin at Houston has been great helping me and i will get in touch with him also.

thanks

kevin