[Rhodes22-list] Hull speed under power

[Steve Alm]

I'm wondering if I have the right prop.  I have a '97 Mercury 8.0 two stroke
that runs great and starts on the first or second pull every time. (Don't
worry--I'm not going for the two stroke vs. four stroke issue here.)  With
zero wind and at full throttle, I can just barely make hull speed of 5.9 or
6.0 knots.  In a light head wind, I can't even come close to that.  But I
don't like to run the motor at full throttle for long.  Typically, I run it
at about 2/3 or maybe 3/4, and I get about 4 or 4.5 kts. depending on the
wind.  It seems like I should have a little more umph than that, so I wonder
about the prop.  I don't know what kind of prop I have--there's no number or
anything on it.  How do you tell?

Slim