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prop size and 'big eared' prop?

boatman37boatman37 Member Posts: 798 ✭✭✭
edited September 2021 in General Boating Discussions
May have already asked this so sorry if I did

Hey guys. Dock neighbor just bought a 1994 Wellcraft Excel 26. Has the 5.7 Mercruiser Alpha 1. Any idea what prop should be on it? Another guy noticed the prop looked really odd and owner said he was told it had a trolling prop on it? No idea what it should have but another guy there has a 1999 24' Martinique with Alpha 1 and told him he needed the 'big ear' prop and they were different than his 24'er? Any ideas? Thanks!

EDIT: went to the Solas props site and put in 'general' numbers for size and weight and got a recommendation but is there a 'big eared' prop? is there such a thing? Boat is 26', dry weight is about 4700lbs. it's a cruiser much like the 26' Fiesta Vee.

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    aero3113aero3113 Member Posts: 8,810 ✭✭✭✭✭
    My old 242 had a prop like that. It really depends on the drive ratio though. If I knew more about props back then, I would’ve tried something different. It wasn’t the best getting up on plane.



    2008 330EC
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    Handymans342Handymans342 Member Posts: 10,375 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Call Hill marine. 
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    boatman37boatman37 Member Posts: 798 ✭✭✭
    I think he wants to keep it cheap. He is trying to get a used prop from dock neighbor with the 24' Wellcraft but he told him he needs the 'big eared'. The guy doesn't know much and bought it pretty much sight unseen and had to do a bunch of unexpected repairs so i don't know him well but think money is a little tighter than he lets on. and he doesn't have any way of towing it so i will probably be pulling it and towing it to his winter storage. it does have a pretty decent trailer at least...lol
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    LaReaLaRea Member, Moderator Posts: 7,553 mod
    Could he have meant the Hill Marine "Big Cow" prop?
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    boatman37boatman37 Member Posts: 798 ✭✭✭
    Doubt it. The guy that said that to him is a pretty basic boating guy. Probably never heard of Hill Marine. Likely all he has ever bought were the off the shelf replacements. I had a 1986 250 Sundancer with an Alpha 1 which is very similar to what this guy has and I just bought a regular prop from Solas. Think it was a 14.5x17 but it worked fine. No mention of 'big eared' or anything when I was shopping for it. Guy #2 with the 24'er said he has a bunch of used props laying around. He has had his boat over 15 years. He told guy #1 (26'er) that he would being him one of his old ones to use then said 'oh you need the big eared prop. I just have the regular ones'. Unless he just didn't want to be bothered?
    Guy #2 texted me last night. He just bought this boat about 2 months ago and told me his toilet was backfilling so I told him he needed to replace the joker valve. Well he never did and last night he told me his toilet won't do anything when he pumps the handle now. Told him to change the joker valve and see if that fixes it. But the day after he bought it he put a new stereo and speakers in it...lol. Priorities. I know I should just ignore him since he doesn't want to seem to help himself but I'm trying to lead him in the right direction
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