www.iFourWinns.com

Hi there,

I just wonder if it is normal that the boat doesn't want to glide with 7 people in the boat anymore. It has the Volvo Penta 5.0 Gxi-B with 230hP I think.
The underwater hull is clean.
I wonder if this is normal or if the boat should still get into gliding easily.

I also use it for wakeboarding and it could have some more power with 4 people in the boat and towing as well.

Is there an option to change the propeller to have more force at lower speed? if so to what kind and size?
Is there an option to modify the engine power easily? easy stuff like a performance air filter or are there chips for tuning those engines? 230Hp out of a 5.0 Liter V8 seems pretty conservative.

Thanks for your support
ANdi

Never heard the term "glide" when referring to boats. Not sure what you mean.
Your engine is 270 HP according to FW 2002 Fast Facts.

You can change to a 4 or 5 blade prop for more holeshot.
You can add a K & N air filter which will not hurt, but will not be real noticeable.
Not a car, so adding a chip would not be recommended or gain much if any performance.

The engine you have is adequate at best for that boat. With a load of people and pulling toys, it will
seem underpowered. Basically, it is what it is.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

sorry maybe planing is the better word? basically coming out of the water and flying over it
In the owner Manual it states 250hP for the GXi-B.

I just wonder if something is wrong or if it is what it is.

Hopefully you are getting up on plane? Just taking a long time to get there?

It would help to know what speed you are getting up to at full throttle with a certain load. Then we can critique your propeller. A GPS speed is the best, even if it is just an app on your phone. Boat speedometers are not very accurate.

With 7 people in a cuddy cabin boat, you probably have a lot of people in the back and none in the front. That makes it hard to get on plane. How big are these 7 people? You may also need a couple of your heaviest passengers to move forward during the initial acceleration (stand up next to you the driver). Then they can go back after on plane.

You should also make sure you trim the outdrive all the way down while accelerating. When you are on plane, then you can trim up some for best speed/handling.

Ray

_________________

"Knot Easy" 2000 Horizon 240 Volvo 5.7GS /SX
tow: 2017 Honda PILOT EXL-AWD
prev. boats:
'87 Chaparral 198CXL 4.3 OMC Cobra
'69 Jetstar 16ft Ski Boat, 115hp Yamaha
'68 Aluminum Jon Boat, 3hp Sears
'64 Water Wings

You should be able to get up on plane with that combo and 7 people. I regularly have up to 10 people on my boat or up to about 8 adults any never have issues. Make sure you have the right prop. Trim tabs or something like smart tabs may help. As someone else mentioned a 4 blade prop may help as well. Before you look at changing your prop, record top speed and RPM at WOT (wide open throttle). There are many guides online that can help with prop selection. The more information you have the better (Boat and engine weight, gas weight, passenger total weight, gear weight, etc).

_________________
-Andrew

1984 Four Winns 225 Sundowner
5.0L Mercruiser, Alpha 1