Seafury

Ok, I called around and the nearest prop repair shop seems to be almost 2 hours away in Charleston SC. Local marina/shop can get me a new Solas SS in 2 days. They want $247+tax for this one. SOLAS New Saturn 12-1/2 x 13 RH 2331-125-13 stainless boat propeller (propellerdepot.com) Is that what I need or do I need another pitch for SS as someone mentioned 12 I think someone said? Yes, I will try to get mine off today or tomorrow to see what exact size it is. I will also save my old prop and try to get it repaired later to have as a spare

Thanks I will call around to see if/how soon I can get this done, and at what cost.

Pics of the final install! More pics of install! With the motor installed! More motor install pics! Final install pics!! ------------------------ The motor worked awesome and was able to hold us very well in rapid incoming tide within 3-5ft of spotlock location even between two laydowns where it was too shallow to pass until the tide got higher, then we dead floated over a fallen tree and went another 1/2mile up river to my fishing spot. This thing is a game changer! Made my fishing time SOOOOOOOO much more enjoyable and less stressful not having to constantly worry about where the boat was going! Also I can move around the boat anywhere I want and don't have to stay in the bow cockpit with that old dumb foot pedal! Best piece of fishing equipment ever, outside of having a boat itself lol. If you fish from any kind of boat and don't have a spotlock trolling motor, your doing yourself a HUGE disservice! Thanks for everyones's help, advice, and guidance for helping me make this install possible. You guys are awesome! 👏😎

Thanks for sharing good info! Yea I don't use my live well (no need for it currently) and I need to get the pumps working to even use it. My boat is currently only carrying one 6 gallon red plastic fuel tank. I'm debating adding another one but so far, I've been able to go about 10miles round trip up and down current/tidal flow and still be at about half tank. No idea how boat will act if this huge livewell was filled. Itis the entire center bench seat area and has a divider inside it. ------------------------- Pics of the damage! 3rd blade seems fine. Insert your laugh emoji's now!

Thanks for this information! I will also look into this option. Pics coming to thread soon as prop damage!

This is the information I was looking for, thank you! So, your saying a 13 pitch, correct? I'm seeing options from 11-17 pitch. You reckon that applies for a stainless prop as well? When looking up stainless props I am also seeing a hub dimension listed, and even the 13 pitch shows several options for hub sizes. 11 1/8th inch 12 1/2 inch Also, some say "pressed hub" some say XHS-211, or RBX-111 More things to learn..... Crazy how complicated it is just to replace a prop. I am also seeing something about hub kits? What's that about? I'm also gonna check youtube for how-to's on prop replacement to get some education tonight. Awesome this is exactly what I was looking for. The tracker panfish is tracker version of the same boat as my Lowe, they are almost identical and have same size outboards. so 13 pitch is stock prop size, why should I do 12 for SS? Also what about the diameter options I am seeing? 11 1/8th for 13P 11 3/8th for 12P Yea I figured the weight distribution change from having my first passenger was going to affect things and it did. Until yesterday I had only gone out alone and my big ass 255lbs driving in the front of this boat makes it light in the ass I think lol. Not worried about maxing out speed or anything, just want what I had that worked fine and did 28-33 mph depending on wind and current direction. Thanks! For sure, fan blades for any application are a pita to figure out imho. I also suck at math and trig is certainly a foreign language to me so no way I'm going near that lol.

As I explained in some of my other replies, aluminum is not an option where I am boating here in the SC tidal low country due to the huge number of stumps and trees in the "fresh" water I fish in. The rock was an extremely rare event and there are virtually no other rocks where I have been boating except this one place and I won't make that mistake again! It also was not really captain error as I was several feet off the rocky shore in what "should" have been safe water 4-5ft deep, and I was trimmed up a little, and at idle speed, executing a U turn in about a 15 yard wide channel in high current. It's a very odd place I was at and I got close to look at how the water was moving into this huge lagoon off the main river body though this narrow channel. When we first got there mid-day the tide was just starting to come in. Water was pushing inland, but this lagoon narrow channel access actually was higher than the river at the low tide, so water was draining OUT of the lagoon into the river that was flowing inland the other direction. It exposed rocks and riffles in this narrow channel access at low tide and was wild looking as the 2 opposing water directions collided. When I hit the rock was 2-3 hours later otw out to the ramp and the tide was now up about 2.5ft and starting to flow back into the lagoon, but I got to close and the high current started to pull us into the riffle area so I tried to turn around, and found this gd rock where it shouldn't have been lol. This was the first time I was on this river at low tide. It was wild seeing all the stumps and trees I drove over at 20+mph every time I went here previously during high tide. I learned I need to be WAY more careful around here, and pay VERY close attention to the tide situations and water depth. I am going to start looking into whether this outboard can be converted to a jet drive for when I move back north to rocky river country. I know nothing about jet drives other than they are slower than prop drive but safer to use around rocks and in shallow water. If this motor can't be converted, I will have to look into buying an old used jet drive that will be compatible with the rigging already on my boat but I really don't want to deal with all that and really hope I can just convert the lower unit of this one which should be much simpler. (I hope) Thanks!

Basically I'm not trying to get max anything, right now. I just want to replace the prop with the same setup in whatever brand, it was working fine for my needs and was safe for the outboard. Boat has no console or gauges. I'm sure I could buy and install an RPM gauge for testing, but seems a waste of time for my needs. Yea I figured the old prop might have some markings inside where I can't see it. I did not remove it yet, probably should have done that today before I put the boat away /sigh. I'll try to do it later this week as it's too late now with rain and storms here and daylight fading fast. As for the lower unit yes, the prop shaft has a very slight wobble to it, but it may have already been like that for all I know. The boat still ran fine even after the tip of 2 blades were damaged yesterday. No noticeable performance, or sound changes. I really only nicked the rock and it was unexpected as I was in what I thought was and should have been, a safe spot when it happened. I can't in good conscience run an aluminum prop where I am boating here in SC low country. It's stumps and trees galore in tidal, sometimes very shallow water, outside of when I go to lake Moultrie. I have bumped stumps at idle almost a dozen times already with no issues with the stainless. My understanding is a standard aluminum prop will be toast the first time that happens. When I finally move back to VA, or Mid-upper NC next year I will be out of stump country and back into mostly rocky rivers. Aluminum may make better financial sense at that time as I will be more likely to hit more rocks unless I am VERY careful. For now down here I require the strength or stainless. This rock event was extremely unlucky and should not occur again as there are basically no rocks around here at all. This happened on a section of the Coosawhatchie "River" within 10 yards of I95 and a bridge over the river where they put rocks all along the shoreline I guess for erosion control. Aside from this spot I have seen no other rocks anywhere around here when out boating, just a ton of stumps and trees. I REALLY don't want to rebuild the lower unit right now, I'm trying to be ready to get back on the water next weekend, while working 8-5 M-F and it's dark when work ends and no garage so I have to use my lunch breaks to try and get this resolved before next Sat. Trying to get all the fishing in I can before it gets too cold here (if that ever actually happens, I'm told it will, while it was 75 yesterday and 72/rain today lol) Due to traveling for Christmas-New Years starting Dec20th, I won't have another chance to take the boat out again until Jan 6th so next weekend is my last shot for a few weeks.

I was affraid of this. I don't have money to buy multiple props right now and do trial and error. I figured this old motor and boat (with several identical models across different brands) would be fairly well known already as to what I need. Thanks!

So I found one of the very few rocks on the river I have been fishing lately. My stainless prop is trash now, curled off a half inch of the tip of one blade, and bent another blade, still ran fine and got us back to the ramp with no noticeable issues. Also looks like my shaft is slightly bent now, but it may have been that way before, I never really looked at that. The prop on the boat has zero markings that I can see with it still mounted. Guy I bought it from doesn't know what the pitch is/was. Boat currently does 29-33mph with me and/or 1 person on board. 16ft aluminum front stick steer Lower 162 1994 model hull weighs about 700lbs give or take. Original outboard motor. Gets up on plane fine more or less from my limited experience. With 2nd large passenger in the rear, it was slower to get up on plane but then had better top end due to better balance of weight I think. It's tough to find info on this topic or this specific older motor. I already know I'm buying another stainless (I need the durability, I have already bumped into many stumps/trees at low/idle speeds with no issues) Can anyone tell me what pitch prop I should get to take the guess work out of this for me? Thanks for your time.

Aluminum hulls are mainly best for rocky environments, places with a lot of stumps or underwater obstructions, and very shallow water where you may scrape bottom at times to get through an area. They handle abuse to the hull without catastrophic damage much better. It's traditionally a lot harder to punch a hole in an aluminum hull than a fiberglass one. They come in welded or riveted. Welded is much more expensive, but way more durable then riveted which can leak if abused/stressed too much. Aluminum hulls are generally much lighter than fiberglass boats. They also tend to be noisier in rough water, (rattles etc) and typically don't handle rough water very well being lighter. They often have much less flat deck space, and often the deck is not level with the top of the side rails. But there are exceptions depending on the type/configuration of the aluminum boat your looking at. Fiberglass hulls are meant for speed and are very delicate and heavy. I would never beach a fiberglass hull, maybe if it had a full-length keel guard (which lowers speed/efficiency) but otherwise you should ALWAYS anchor offshore and wade/walk in the water to the beach/shore. I would be very leery to run a fiberglass hull in waters that have lots of stumps/hard underwater obstructions, or rocks. Fiberglass damage can be repaired in most all cases, but it's costly and time consuming. Aluminum hulls with major damage/holes are often a total loss as it's near impossible to weld/repair a hole in aluminum hulls from what I have seen. If you fish mainly lakes and soft bottom deeper water with very little/no rocks, and your VERY careful to avoid stumps, and if your fishing larger bodies of water that can get rough, fiberglass is the best choice. Me I fish rocky rivers/creeks, stump/tree filled waters, very shallow waters, and open water lakes. Basically, I prefer to be able to go anywhere freshwater. I have and prefer aluminum for this reason. I stay out of the middle of big rough bodies of water though. If I was rich I would likely also have a big fast 20ft fiberglass bass boat for big lakes/water only. On trolling motors: I also second the fact that a good trolling motor with more than enough power, in 24v or 36v is worth more than all your other equipment to enjoying your fishing time. Spotlock is also a MUST HAVE for any serious fishermen, foot pedals are a joke. I find them extremely uncomfortable, difficult to use, and your stuck standing at the pedal at all times. I just upgraded from an edge 45lb foot control to a 55lb Riptide with spotlock and wireless remote. My first fishing outing yesterday with it was life changing! Boat control became a non-concern thanks to spot lock and the remote and I was able to focus 99% on fishing. With the remote I can move around the boat anywhere at any time front or back, and have full control of the boat still, and spotlock in current or wind is a godsend. With the foot pedal setup I was 60% dealing with boat positioning and 40% fishing at best. Very nerve wracking and annoying, not enjoyable at all.

Good to know, thanks for sharing! I'm already deep into this wood project now, but I may want something aluminum in the future!

Here are roughly where the holes will go guessing by eye. First pic black holes are plywood to bow deck. Second pic yellow holes are quick release puck to plywood. Obviously, I will have to line it all up once I have the cut board to get them exactly where they need to be, then drill baby drill!

Thank you, your awesome! They only had 4x8' sheets of marine grade so I went with your exact recommendations. Cardboard template is made and traced onto the wood and dropped off with my cousin-in-law to cut out for me later today hopefully. (90% of my tools are packed up in a trailer) Then I just have to line it all up, the quick release bracket, and trolling motor, then mark all my holes, drill them all out, then seal it all up with the polyurethane, then let it dry a day or 2, then coat it again. Then when I mount it I'll put some of that 5000 RTV or whatever its called on the bolt holes that I used to mount my Transducer on the transom. Here are some good pics (I remembered this time!) Thanks to everyone's input I am able to complete this fairly properly, even if it's with wood. I'll also post pics when it's all done and working! I must say I almost wish I had bought the scissor style trolling motor like the edge that came off the boat, it would have easily bolted right on the same way the old one was. But those models with ipilot were WAAAY to expensive!

Understood, pressure treated lumber is bad with aluminum. I will see what they have at Lowes/Homedepot tomorrow. All specialty places will be closed in this town on a Sunday so hopefully they have what I need. I would prefer the marine grade if possible, might as well use the best if I can buy a small piece of it. They seem to have it at my local Lowes online in stock for $150 4x8' no other listing so maybe they have smaller pieces in store, I'm not paying that much when I only need a small piece of that lol. This listing also just calls it douglas fir, no mention of "marine grade". It does say it's for "use in marine applications like boats". It also says you must seal the edges AND exposed face for high moisture environment, which is what I will be doing with it hanging off the bow lol. 3/4-in x 4-ft x 8-ft Douglas Fir Sanded Plywood in the Plywood & Sheathing department at Lowes.com Now about this BCX which should be have much cheaper. So Lowes does not list anything called BCX, they have "Severe weather" "pressure treated southern yellow pine". Severe Weather 23/32-in x 4-ft x 8-ft Pressure Treated Southern Yellow Pine Plywood Sheathing in the Plywood & Sheathing department at Lowes.com That acceptable or is that the wrong pressures treated again? Thanks for everyone's advice btw!