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Kingofwylietx · 03-04-2021, 09:53 PM

I was just thinking that I would build my ramp in the most aerodynamically efficient way as possible.

Thank you JRMichler for taking the time to actually throw out some rough numbers.

I was a little surprised that a group of people who will discuss the tiniest advantage of taping body panels on a Prius didn't feel it worthwhile to even try to help someone hoping to gain a small advantage on what would be 6-9 square feet of frontal area. While no huge gains are apparently possible, what is wrong with trying to get some small ones? No matter what I'm driving, I still try to drive it in the most efficient manner....which to me seems like what Ecomodder is supposed to be about.

I might just mount the ramp on the side via a hinge. That will be the most convenient place to put it. I was only going to do the front if there was an aero advantage. Tough call! The front would be nice when we park straight into a dock. The side will be better when loading from the boathouse. I have 10-14 weeks to decide where to put it and get all the materials together.

Moving on. This toon was ordered with the 350hp Mercury Verado. We don't plan to run around the lake at full speed, but want to have the reserve power for when the boat is fully loaded and we are pulling people on the water (tubes/skis/etc). Like a car, having access to more power doesn't mean you have to use it all the time.

Most driving will be done around 18-25 mph, which should be the sweet spot for this motor. I did research data on the Mercury website where this engine was tested on other tritoon boats of the same length and similar weight. 2500-3500 rpm is the most efficient.

Prop selection is key, and I've begun researching what size and pitch will give the best midrange efficiency. From the factory, props tend to be sized for a better holeshot with full weight. This boat is rated for 15 people, normally it will carry 5-8 (with 2-4 being kids). Our 80-90% use case will be far lighter that full rated capacity, so a numerically higher pitch should give an advantage. The Mercury data indicates a top speed between 46-52 mph from the factory...as well as info from other owners of identical boats on brand specific forums.

We'll probably never run at 50 mph, as we didn't buy it to be a speedboat. I'm sure on some random day when I wake up early and the water is glass smooth...I'll take it out just to see what the gps says is top speed. A same sized but slightly heavier tritoon with the same motor drinks 5.4 gallons of fuel per hour at 18.5 mph. At full throttle, it drinks 25 gallons of fuel per hour and runs 50.9 mph. At 20-25 mph, we should be able to stay on the lake all day with factory 54 gallon fuel tank. There will be plenty of times when we'll zip to a cove, drop anchor, and float/play with the kids. That won't use any gas while we do that!

03-04-2021, 09:53 PM	#8 (permalink)
Kingofwylietx EcoModding Lurker Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: Dallas, Tx Posts: 13 Thanks: 3 Thanked 8 Times in 5 Posts	I was just thinking that I would build my ramp in the most aerodynamically efficient way as possible. Thank you JRMichler for taking the time to actually throw out some rough numbers. I was a little surprised that a group of people who will discuss the tiniest advantage of taping body panels on a Prius didn't feel it worthwhile to even try to help someone hoping to gain a small advantage on what would be 6-9 square feet of frontal area. While no huge gains are apparently possible, what is wrong with trying to get some small ones? No matter what I'm driving, I still try to drive it in the most efficient manner....which to me seems like what Ecomodder is supposed to be about. I might just mount the ramp on the side via a hinge. That will be the most convenient place to put it. I was only going to do the front if there was an aero advantage. Tough call! The front would be nice when we park straight into a dock. The side will be better when loading from the boathouse. I have 10-14 weeks to decide where to put it and get all the materials together. Moving on. This toon was ordered with the 350hp Mercury Verado. We don't plan to run around the lake at full speed, but want to have the reserve power for when the boat is fully loaded and we are pulling people on the water (tubes/skis/etc). Like a car, having access to more power doesn't mean you have to use it all the time. Most driving will be done around 18-25 mph, which should be the sweet spot for this motor. I did research data on the Mercury website where this engine was tested on other tritoon boats of the same length and similar weight. 2500-3500 rpm is the most efficient. Prop selection is key, and I've begun researching what size and pitch will give the best midrange efficiency. From the factory, props tend to be sized for a better holeshot with full weight. This boat is rated for 15 people, normally it will carry 5-8 (with 2-4 being kids). Our 80-90% use case will be far lighter that full rated capacity, so a numerically higher pitch should give an advantage. The Mercury data indicates a top speed between 46-52 mph from the factory...as well as info from other owners of identical boats on brand specific forums. We'll probably never run at 50 mph, as we didn't buy it to be a speedboat. I'm sure on some random day when I wake up early and the water is glass smooth...I'll take it out just to see what the gps says is top speed. A same sized but slightly heavier tritoon with the same motor drinks 5.4 gallons of fuel per hour at 18.5 mph. At full throttle, it drinks 25 gallons of fuel per hour and runs 50.9 mph. At 20-25 mph, we should be able to stay on the lake all day with factory 54 gallon fuel tank. There will be plenty of times when we'll zip to a cove, drop anchor, and float/play with the kids. That won't use any gas while we do that!