Royall Blue Posted May 3, 2021 Report Share Posted May 3, 2021 I took delivery of my 18 HPX V a few weeks ago and it is without a doubt the best boat I have ever fished out of in shallow water. I wanted the extra performance of the 150 SHO, knowing it will sit stern low in the water. I don’t mind that at all since I am 6’4” 250. The draft seems to be excellent with me in the bow fishing. I am having difficulty running the boat and I feel that the lithium ion battery set up is partially to blame. Instead of a heavy lead acid battery or two in the bow I have two light weight lithium ion batteries in the console(one 12V cranking and one 24V trolling motor battery). This setup is a true game changer when grouped with the a Power Pole charge system. I don’t think I’ll ever have to plug in my battery charger!!!..... Having said that, the boat porpoises like crazy at 30-40mph with 3-6 bars of tabs and there is fairly significant prop turbulence from 40mph and up with the Mercury 23 pitch prop. I think this is partially due to the absence of the weight of the battery in the forward compartment. I know these skiffs are sensitive but this is a little too extreme. I have different “plugs” on order for the prop but I’m not sure what to do. I will add some weight to the bow but I’m looking for consistent smooth performance. With the current set up I am only able to hit 54-55 mph at 5,000 RPM and if the conditions aren’t near perfect it is tough to get control of this boat. Definitely seems like a prop issue. Can someone provide me with a couple of recommendations to help take care of this issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Posted May 4, 2021 Report Share Posted May 4, 2021 We do have some HPX owners who can help you.. They may take a few days to check here... There is a prop solution, I’m sure. Which Merc prop are you running now ? MM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geeviam Posted May 4, 2021 Report Share Posted May 4, 2021 Reach out to @dabear on this forum. He ran a Yamaha F150 on his HPX 18 and would definitely know what you need to get it right. Is your 150 SHO on a jack plate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mulligan Posted May 4, 2021 Report Share Posted May 4, 2021 This may help some. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Royall Blue Posted May 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2021 On 5/4/2021 at 7:05 AM, Moderator said: We do have some HPX owners who can help you.. They may take a few days to check here... There is a prop solution, I’m sure. Which Merc prop are you running now ? MM I am running the Tempest 23 right now. I’m wondering if I moved the monitor up a notch it would help. We are running with a heavier load than most. I weigh 250 and usually have my dad with me and he weighs 215. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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