2005 270FV cruising speed/rpms, etc

BellevilleMXZ

Just wondered what some of you other 270 owners see for a best cruise speed/rpms? And maybe a max? After using this a few times, I see why some older owners with the 250hp 5.7 find them a little under powered. This thing is working hard with 6 people in it, with the 280hp Volvo. I am soooo sooooo glad I didn't buy the 99 with the throttle body 5.7 I was looking at. I think 400hp would be perfect lol......probably wouldn't want to feed it though!

MarkB

Isn't 5.7 350 MAG over 300 hp? 

BellevilleMXZ

I thought mag mpi was 300 even?  I guess I sounded like I was complaining above, but not really. It works well, I'm just used to small boats. I guess just more asking what to expect, as I'm still feeling this thing out.

raybo3

5.7 350 MAG is 320HP.......

Lobodemar

I have the 8.1 volvo with DPS B outdrive

howardrams

Don't have a 270FV but my somewhat comparable 260EC with the 300HP Merc 350Mag does 42 mph @ 5400 rpm max.  Best cruise is 30 mph @ 4000 rpm.  Lightly loaded it planes in about 5.5 seconds on a calm day.  My guess is your 270 is a bit heavier boat, my beam is only 8'6".

BellevilleMXZ

Thanks guys

Lobodemar

I run 40 mph at 4000 rpm half tank water half tank gas 3 adults and one kid.
Best cruise at 3400 rpm 30 mph

Lobodemar

This with a 2006 270

MarkB

My 260 EC with the 350 MAG MPI does about the same as howardrams. The only thing to add is it seems 30 mph is the best fuel economy as well and I get about 2 mpg at that point.

06Rinker270

Do all 350's have 5.7L?

Glassguy54

350 & 5.7 are 2 different ways of saying the same thing. 350 cubic inches is the same as 5.7 litres.

BellevilleMXZ

Lobodemar said:

I run 40 mph at 4000 rpm half tank water half tank gas 3 adults and one kid.
Best cruise at 3400 rpm 30 mph

That works well........don't see many with the 8.1

06Rinker270

@Lobodemar dang, was the 8.1 an option?  

I do about 25mph at 3800 I believe with my 06 270 350 mag.  My first season so still getting a feel but I found that is around my best cruising speed.

Lobodemar

Probably was not an option I got the boat 2011

Lobodemar

Would not want smaller engine love the performance it gives me

06Rinker270

A PO put it in after the original?  I bet that 8.1 is lovely! 

Lobodemar

The only thing imlove more is my admiral ķ

Michael T

Yes, a 5.7 and a 350 mag both have the same displacement. The similarities end there. There are a host of different internal engine components that make the 350 Mag quite a bit "beefier" than a 5.7L I have had one 5.7L and three 350 Mags. The twin 2013 350 Mags I had in our Rinker EC 310 were 300 HP.

rasbury

I am right there with 06 rinker on my 05 350 MPI- 25 mph seems to be a nice speed for me and the rivers I run that is the max speed anyway-does not seem over tacked at that speed. If I run faster, my temp climbs a little as well so I'm happy with that.

randy56

having a 2003 270, WOT is 38 mph, curse at 4000 rpm 28 mph, has arch, generator, 300 hp mpi, and a few beers stored below,

Michael T

@randy56 ...you can't count beers in any loss of boat speed as they are considered essential equipment!

randy56

"R" mate, there also maybe a we bit of rum onboad this vessal, new to this rinker forum, I tryed to do a search on how the wired remotes that work the radio, mine are not working, looking for a place to start trouble shooting. Or has my life expectency been used up, and replace the whole system? 2003, 270

rasbury

@randy56 I had the same problem with my remotes and I think the weather just got to them. They are not really well protected and if you open one up, it's just a circuit board. I discounted my remotes from the back of the radio, there was one plug and then you can manually use the knobs to work the radio. I think mine was "stuck" somehow and would not work with the knobs until I disconnected them. As far as your speeds and RPM's your running about the same as me, I have the same motor, genny as well and arch. I do store an awful lot of Evan Willams however. I see I made a comment above being an 06 but mine is an 05 but I think that has no bearing as I'm sure the hull is the same. Welcome to the forum!

diggin2day1

Question: What is considered "best cruise speed"? Is it the speed at which you are getting the best MPG while up on plane? With my 2002 w/350 MAG MPI.... I usually cruise at 25mph at 3500rpm and get around 12gph. I find that to be a comfortable speed, best GPH while planing and I have no interest in finding out what WOT speed is... Can't afford the fuel bill!!!

Michael T

@d2d1, that seems pretty normal to me. However. load, wind, water surface and current and air temperature and humidity can require big changes. Of course, altitude above sea level is another huge factor but you' are okay there LOL. 

Best cruise speed is somewhat of a personal opinion but "usually" when your boat feels most comfortable (as in not having to work to stay on plane and just gliding along)....I call it the feeling that the hull is freeing itself of the water - you will be close to your "best cruise speed". Of course, the RPMs required to maintain this speed will vary according to load and the other conditions mentioned above.

I have a feature on my vessel view 7 that is called Eco Drive. If I activate it I get a window of suggested RPM settings that will give me the best MPG.

It's interesting that the recommended setting is usually within 50-100 RPM of where I think the best cruise will be based on the feel of my boat.

So, fwiw this is what I do: When the boat is on plane I reduce throttle until the boat seems to be working then I increase the RPM 100-150. Then I increase the drive trim until the boat starts to porpoise. When that happens I tap the trim down until the bow comes down and the boat seems to glide across the water. I adjust the trim and RPM throughout the day based on changing load, wind and water conditions.

You don't have to "drive" your boat very much to just "know" where your cruising sweet spot is for its normal load. Then you can make minute adjustments as you go along.

I use my trim tabs to get on plane then completely retract them unless I have to use them to balance the boat.

That would be my 2 cents :-)

diggin2day1

Michael- That is exactly the way I operate my boat... Was just wondering why there was such a big variation between what I think is optimal cruising speed and what others think it is. For example: on  my boat there is a huge difference in GPH and RPM between 25mph and 30mph. To me that extra 5mph doesn't feel worth it... Ahhh crap, I'm getting old!!! 

Michael T

d2d1...you are right. The "loose" rule of thimb is that to increase a boat's HP beyond its rated HP with mods will require 12HP for every 1 MPH you want to gain. So - it takes a lot of HP and FUEL to take a boat up 5MPH.

I cruise at about 3400 RPM. On a good day I'm doing 32+ MPH I have hit 34 MPH at 3400 RPM a number of times. If I want to go up 5 MPH (from any speed) the fuel consumption really jumps! What you are seeing is, imo, normal.

Unless I'm humiliating some poor Sea Ray owner who thinks his tub can actually catch a Rinker - I don't think running 40 MPH is too smart either.

The boaters' mantra:  less fuel = more beer!

randy56

thank you rasbury, thats kinda what i figured, will be repacing it in the spring, what brand did you go with? and are you happy with it? thank you Michael T, good info, It seems to drag under much 3000 rpm,  and the nose comes up to much, do you have a 270?
diggin2day1 gas is cheep this year, i read somewhere we have about a 200 mile range on a tank, at cruse speed. floatin and drinkin, saves fuel,

diggin2day1

Randy- Not sure how tech-savvy you are, but take a look at Fusion Marine radios.... I bought the MS-UD750 and I'm amazed at its performance. Has multiple zones, internal iPod/smartphone dock, amplifier outputs, NMEA2000(For FULL control from my garmin Chartplotter), Bluetooth, wifi(I'm going to start another thread about this soon!), XM/Sirius radio and a sweet color display. You'll have to auction off your first born child to buy it, but it's a great radio! Once you get it linked to NMEA2000 network you can add remotes by running one NMEA cable to a TEE in your network. Oh and the best part is with the wifi hooked up to a router, I can sit on my dock 25' from the boat and control everything(volume, iPod playlists, separate zones, Sirius channel, EVERYTHING!) from the FusionLink app on my iPhone... Yes... From 25' away!!

randy56

rasbury, I toured the evan williams sunday, got a few samples, I liked the 12 year the best, they said they only sell there at the shop and Japan, living in southern IN, when't to the Louisville KY boat show, ate at Joes crab shak, a little bourbon, great day!