Reliance SDS Results

[DaveyJ]

I installed a Yamaha Reliance SDS 14.5x14 on our boat today and was reasonably happy with the overall performance. I bought the prop lightly used off Ebay as there was no way I was going to be able to justify $500+ for a prop to my wife. It was far from a perfect day for boating as gusts were in excess of 30 but I headed over to the "calm" side of the lake to give it a shot. Bimini was in the boot, just me on the boat, overall as tested weight around 4,400 lbs. Max speed was achieved with the trim in the 3/4 up position which resulted in a WOT of 5,750 RPM's and a 2 way average speed of 32.5 MPH. The prop seemed to have good traction and I'll be interested to see how it performs loaded pulling our tube, however, the season is fast coming to an end so that may have to wait til next year.

 

[DaveyJ]

Update: ran 23-24 at 5,300 RPM’s with 9 adults + cooler, bimini up, into a 20+ mph cross/head wind this past weekend. Happy the RPM’s stayed up in the WOT range considering the load and conditions.

 

[Chris Z]

One of my favorite "benefits" from my switch to Reliance SDS is the lack of blade flex under heavy load. Now that I have the bulk of a season behind me, the only change I may make in the spring is lowering the motor from hole #2 to hole #1. I think that I would like to have it a bit deeper.

 

[lakeliving]

Same here Chris. I might drop mine down a hole next time I have the boat out as well.

 

[DaveyJ]

I’m as low as I can go. Thought about raising my motor 1 hole which might allow a bit more water past the back Sea Legs when I’m at speed. Never satisfied.....

 

[Chris Z]

Same here Chris. I might drop mine down a hole next time I have the boat out as well.

Selection of the correct height of the motor on the transom is a dubious task with twin straked ellipticals. Your issues with the SPS triple tube bottom may be similar. Yamaha tested my boats exact configuration back in 2010 and ran the motor in hole #1, they then re-tested the same configuration at hole #2 in 2014 (returning similar performance results). Running my boat as they did both times, lightly loaded and weight centralized near the helm I can see where both settings would work well. Move a few more people onto the boat and bias the weight towards the bow and you find hole #2 wanting a bit. More sensitive to cavitation.

Dave, are you dragging some of the Sea Legs structure in the water?

 

[DaveyJ]

Not dragging in the water, just creating drag by taking up space where the water coming off the toons would normally flow through. Between the legs and the lack of underskinning, the more space I can create the better (within reason). My cavitation plate is around an inch below the bottom of the toon right now. I know it’s a fine line, especially with as heavy as our boat is. Definitely don’t want to lose too much traction....