HIGH SPEED OPERATION
MasterCraft boats are designed to accommodate professional drivers with advanced operating skills who can perform high-speed maneuvers and turns on-a-dime. DO NOT attempt to duplicate or simulate these feats. Paid, professional drivers log thousands of hours on the water and carefully choreograph every move. Plans are made in advance in the event the routine must be aborted. Maneuvers of this nature could cause serious injury or death, as well as damage to your MasterCraft boat that will not be covered under warranty.
For the best engine performance and longevity, the wide-open-throttle (WOT) engine operation must be near the top of, but within, the specified WOT operating range. To adjust the WOT operating range, select a propeller with the proper diameter and pitch. The propeller supplied on the boat was chosen for best all-around performance under average operating conditions.
Load, weather, altitude and boat condition all affect WOT engine operation. If the boat is used for several different applications such as wakeboarding, barefooting and cruising, it may be necessary to have two (2) or more propellers of differing size and pitch to allow the engine to operate in the WOT range for each application.
Propping the boat should be done after the boat is loaded in the manner in which it would normally be loaded for each application. For example, in propping the boat for wakeboarding, fill the ballast tanks and add the people and gear that normally would be expected in the boat. Take the boat out and after warm-up, run it at wide-open-throttle and note the maximum RPM. Electronic Fuel Injection engines are equipped with RPM limiters to prevent over-revving. Take note if the RPM limiter is activated.
If the WOT RPM is higher than the maximum RPM in your engine's WOT operating range, the boat is under-propped. Installing a higher-pitched propeller will reduce the WOT RPMs. An engine that is over-revving may quickly experience catastrophic damage, which will not be covered under warranty.
If the WOT RPM is lower than the minimum RPM in your engine's WOT operating range, the boat is over-propped. Installing a lower-pitched propeller will increase WOT RPMs.
An engine that is under-revving is lugging. This places a tremendous load on the pistons, crankshaft and bearings and can cause detonation, piston seizure and other engine damage, which will not be covered under warranty.
Elevation and weather also have a very noticeable effect on the wide open throttle power of an engine. Since oxygen gets thinner as elevation increases, the engine begins to starve for air.
Humidity, barometric pressure and temperature have a noticeable effect on the density of air since heat and humidity thin the air.
This phenomenon can become particularly apparent when an engine is propped for use on a cool, dry day in spring and then is operated on a hot, humid day in summer, and does not have the same performance. Although some performance can be regained by dropping to a lower-pitch propeller, the basic condition still exists. The propeller is too large in diameter for the reduced power output. An experienced marine dealer can determine how much diameter to remove from a lower-pitch propeller for specific high-elevation locations.
MasterCraft's engine manufacturer suggests that consumers consult with the Dealer from whom the boat was purchased regarding the best propeller for the application in which the boat will primarily be run. However, be aware that changing the propeller may void the warranty. Again, working with an authorized MasterCraft Dealer is your best bet to ensure excellent performance.
