How to get more Speed out of a 200 Select?

[springer3]

I think the boat speedo would say the same speed regardless of direction up or down the river......

Correct except the boat uses quite a bit of power to overcome the wind resistance. Assuming you can run 50 MPH in still water, you will be faster than 40 MPH running into the 10 MPH current. Running with the 10 MPH current, the boat speed will be considerably less than 60 MPH. Put both the wind and the current to your back, and you will easily get 60 MPH from your 50 MPH boat.

 

[Lazy Daze]

Correct except the boat uses quite a bit of power to overcome the wind resistance. Assuming you can run 50 MPH in still water, you will be faster than 40 MPH running into the 10 MPH current. Running with the 10 MPH current, the boat speed will be considerably less than 60 MPH. Put both the wind and the current to your back, and you will easily get 60 MPH from your 50 MPH boat.

Now you bring wind in as a factor? Do you know what that's doing to my brain at 8:30 in the morning! :smt101

I'll be back when I can think more clearly...

 

[Lazy Daze]

First, Juice, sorry for this hi-jack - I know we're getting off on a tangent here. Just say the word and we'll stop.

OK, here's my line of thinking...

Let's continue the assumption that 50MPH is the boat's true (GPS) speed when measured with no current. This is also referred to as Speed Over Ground.

Remember that the boat's speedo works off pressure.

If the boat is already going 10MPH in a current (speed would register 0MPH at this point) while in neutral, then when the boat gets up to speed, shouldn't the speed read 50MPH? Even though the SOG would be 60MPH.

Now against the current, there's going to be an extra 10MPH of "pressure" coming in through the pitot, on top of the boat's 50MPH of pressure. So, then, wouldn't the speedo read 60MPH? Although the SOG would only be 40MPH.

I don't know... the more I think about this, the more confused I'm getting. What about the propellers ability to only be able to displace X amount of water in every revolution? Does this come into play?

 

[Sundancer]

The boat doesn't know that it's in a current and there is no additional pressure running up or down stream! This is just like when you are flying an airplane and you turn into the wind vs. downwind. The plane has NO idea there IS any wind! The ONLY time it makes a difference is when you make your base leg turn to land. Would you rather land into the wind at a sog of 40 mph or downwind at a sog of 60 mph? The planes pitot speedo is still going to say 50 mph in either case!

Now, is the top up or down on the boat and how many people are aboard? I think we scared the OP off, he hasn't returned!!

 

[Lazy Daze]

The boat doesn't know that it's in a current and there is no additional pressure running up or down stream! This is just like when you are flying an airplane and you turn into the wind vs. downwind. The plane has NO idea there IS any wind! The ONLY time it makes a difference is when you make your base leg turn to land. Would you rather land into the wind at a sog of 40 mph or downwind at a sog of 60 mph? The planes pitot speedo is still going to say 50 mph in either case!

Now, is the top up or down on the boat and how many people are aboard? I think we scared the OP off, he hasn't returned!!

Hmmm. Still not totally following. If the boat was tied up at a mooring, wouldn't the 10MPH current cause the speedo to read 10MPH? I guess the question then would be if the boat could obtain a 50MPH SOG into a 10MPH current once on plane, or would it only be able to obtain a 40MPH SOG?

If you start adding more variables, I'm out!!! :grin::smt101

I'd say we should start a new thread, but I think we at least answered his original question. If he doesn't object, it would be good to keep going here and keep it all together.

ON EDIT: I think I'm following what you're saying now... took a little while to sink in. So, the boat's speedo will always show 50MPH, regardless of direction? That makes sense to me, now. Going into a 10MPH current, the boat's SOG will be 40MPH, but the speedo will register 50MPH.