I picked up my 1998 Checkmate 21' with a 1999 Mercury 225EFI last weekend and took it out twice the week. The first time out we hit 76-78MPH on the speedo. Tonight I opened it up with the other prop (Mercury Marine Tempest 25P)that I got with it. The previous owner told me that it would be stabler and faster but to be quick to engage the gears. I see what he meant now. It engages like the prop weighs 100lbs. It was just little slower out of the whole but it cruises a lot better, you have almost no chime walking ever and with the other prop you better be holding on tight around 75mph because the chime walking will start. This prop trimed out a lot furhter and the speedo was over 80. It looked like it was running were 83-84 would be and the motor wsa at full trim and running 5800 RPM. There is a jack plate on the boat and it is set almost max height. Do these Specs on the speed sound right??
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TOP SPEEDS
- Thread starter TLT
- Start date
Sounds about right BBB, although you'll want to borrow a hand held gps to get your true top speed. On my 21' Pulsare bow-rider with the 225 Promax I could easily bury my 80 mph speedometer so that it was pointing straight down. GPS speed was 73 mph.
You didn't mention whether you have the open bow or the long deck, but if you have the open bow you'll find free 5 mph by putting a bow cover on it
You didn't mention whether you have the open bow or the long deck, but if you have the open bow you'll find free 5 mph by putting a bow cover on it
It is a long bow and after today I realized how much weight makes a difference in the boat. The boat was loaded today and the speedo would only run about 75-77mph, and if the majority of the weight was in the back seat in would start chine walking pretty bad. Before I put the boat on the trailor I took a quick ride by myself anf the speedo went straight down agian past 80 and was pretty stable driving. Are the boats known for chine walking. The last checkmate I had was about 12yrs ago, it was a mid 1980,s closed bow, about 14ft with a 90hp Johnson. By myself, on empty with a SS prop it would hit 54mph and you better be ready to countersteer the chine walk. This boat, just like the old one will only walk within 5mph of top speed.
Hoser
New member
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by RaisingKane:
Hoser, Have you done any major modifications to the motor or hull? I read numerous post on this site and others regarding modified engines, various amounts of setback and different props for Starflights. You’re the first to get one out of the seventies and into the eighties, "upper eighties." Anyone have a Matco prop for sale? I have 89 Starflight, 91 2.4 Merc. zero setback at 67-MPH. I’m adding 10” of setback and a 25” Michigan Ballistic prop, raising the compression and hoping to hit 73. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Raising Kane, I bought the boat last year from a guy who used to run the Barcardi Offshore Race team. To the best of my knowledge there are no mods to the engine or hull. Checkmate produced the Starflight for one year(1986) rated @ 300hp. It was designed for the Johnson 300hp and was allegedly derated the very next year because it went too fast. The only thing you have to do besides running the big prop is to throw 150lbs of sand in the nose of the boat to balance things out. The prop is actually a Mazco RE29 3 blade paddle prop. It cavitates quite a bit coming onplane but then is fine thereafter. I also have a 23 pitch renegade which is great for skiing and makes the boat steer easier (the 29 pitch prop puts a lot of side torque on the steering system). I spoke with Mike @ Checkmate and he recommended a nearby marina for additional info on setting up Starflights. Think it was Kunkel's but would have to look at my notes. The guy I spoke with at the marina said about the same for the 300hp and suggested a 29 SRX or 26 Raker. He agreed with the speed I was getting with the 300hp and suggested that even more could be gotten out of the hull with the right tuning - which he was reluctant to talk about. Hope this info is helpful. Please let me know if you want some pictures of my setup. Would be glad to email some to you. Best, Rob Vose
Hoser, Have you done any major modifications to the motor or hull? I read numerous post on this site and others regarding modified engines, various amounts of setback and different props for Starflights. You’re the first to get one out of the seventies and into the eighties, "upper eighties." Anyone have a Matco prop for sale? I have 89 Starflight, 91 2.4 Merc. zero setback at 67-MPH. I’m adding 10” of setback and a 25” Michigan Ballistic prop, raising the compression and hoping to hit 73. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Raising Kane, I bought the boat last year from a guy who used to run the Barcardi Offshore Race team. To the best of my knowledge there are no mods to the engine or hull. Checkmate produced the Starflight for one year(1986) rated @ 300hp. It was designed for the Johnson 300hp and was allegedly derated the very next year because it went too fast. The only thing you have to do besides running the big prop is to throw 150lbs of sand in the nose of the boat to balance things out. The prop is actually a Mazco RE29 3 blade paddle prop. It cavitates quite a bit coming onplane but then is fine thereafter. I also have a 23 pitch renegade which is great for skiing and makes the boat steer easier (the 29 pitch prop puts a lot of side torque on the steering system). I spoke with Mike @ Checkmate and he recommended a nearby marina for additional info on setting up Starflights. Think it was Kunkel's but would have to look at my notes. The guy I spoke with at the marina said about the same for the 300hp and suggested a 29 SRX or 26 Raker. He agreed with the speed I was getting with the 300hp and suggested that even more could be gotten out of the hull with the right tuning - which he was reluctant to talk about. Hope this info is helpful. Please let me know if you want some pictures of my setup. Would be glad to email some to you. Best, Rob Vose
JUPITER PULSARE
Well-known member
HEY BBB, IS YOUR CHECKMATE A 21' PULSARE? ALSO WHAT MOTOR DO YOU HAVE; IS IT A 3.0 LITER 225 OR A 2.5 LITER 225 AND HOW MUCH SET BACK IS ON YOUR JACKPLATE? I MAY BE RUNNING THE SAME BOAT AND LOOKING AT TRYING A TEMPEST PROP.
heavy duty
New member
My first boat was an 18' Eluder with a 225 HP Merc. The boat was rated for 175 HP. I could turn a 26" Chopper to 5800 rpm. The speedo was flakey but this calculates out to low 70's for speed. I now have a 96 Pulsare with a 225 EFI Merc. It ran 78 on the speedo with a 25" Laser II turning 5900 rpm. A 25" Mach would get it a little above 80. A 26" Chopper would get the needle to go straight down (past 80) or a little better at 58-5900 rpm. I have done some set-up work & can now turn a DLH worked OMC SRX 27" prop to 5900 rpm which pegs the speedo back around to the 20 mph reading. Makes good bar talk but the GPS says 76-78 mph.
fnshrmaster
Member
Hoser,Send picks of your setup please.My 92 Starflight needs more motor.Im running 68to 69 GPS solo,25 Tempest w 5.5 setback.Thinking of a 260 or 280 dropon or a new 3.0 litre 250 EFI.
fnshrmaster
Member
E Mail is fnshrmaster@juno.com
DONCONVINCER
Member
I have a 1977 Convincer(19'6 open bow I/O) The boat chime walks to the point of being real scarey with the spedo just above the 80 MPH mark (82-84?). The boat is powered with a Chevy S/B 400 Edelbrock Preformer manifold with 780 Holey, Custom ported 194 heads,a tow truck grind cam,Jacketed S/S headers througn the stock transom outlets, ect... After building the motor I broke the stock 230 outdrive twice, first twisting the upper gears off then grenading the lower end before I went with an Alpha case and Merc performance gear sets... The engine spins about 5500-5600 at 80 with a 23 cleaver with very little rooster tail on light chop. The best speed on smooth water is about 75 when the prop blows out from over trim
Before the Convincer I had a '78 Predictor with a Merc In-Line 140 with mod's to the reeds, carbs and exhaust.. That boat would get wind under it at about 70 MPH + on radar.. After it blew over I decided I needed a bigger boat....
Before the Convincer I had a '78 Predictor with a Merc In-Line 140 with mod's to the reeds, carbs and exhaust.. That boat would get wind under it at about 70 MPH + on radar.. After it blew over I decided I needed a bigger boat....
85Predictor
Member
With the new stainless prop 13 1/4 X 22 I got 51.5 mph on GPS. I am pleased with this. Will try pulling a tube and skiers on the 4th.
'85 Predictor and '87 Merc 115
DONCONVINCER
Member
Chinaride, You got an 18 foot boat... If you actualy got 400hp and doing 67 you got the wrong prop for going fast...
You ain't going fast till it chinewalks....
once you get there you will find its much easier to control with someone in the port seat
You ain't going fast till it chinewalks....
once you get there you will find its much easier to control with someone in the port seat
DONCONVINCER
Member
CHINEARIDE... SOMETHING TO WATCH ON ON YOUR BOAT IS OIL TEMP.. SUSTAINED RUNNING AT HI RPM'S PUTS A LOT OF STRESS ON THE MOTOR. AFTER 5 MINITES AT 4800 TO 5000 OR ABOVE MY OIL TEMP GOES TO ABOUT 325 OR BETTER... I LEARNED MY LESSON WHEN I SPUN OUT A SET OF MAINS.. AFTER THAT I PUT AN OIL TEMP GUAGE ON AND RUN SYNTHETIC OIL... SYNTHETIC OIL IS GOOD FOR A FEW HP AND THE OIL IS MUCH COOLER JUST CRUISING AND SKIING AT 3500 - 3700.... WATCH YOUR OIL PRESSURE, A DROP IN PRESSURE AFTER HIGH SPEED RUNNING IS A GOOD INDICATOR OF HIGH OIL TEMP
montiboats24
Member
my 86 enchanter with a 97 200 yamaha vmaxx pased my friend doing 75 on gps in his velocity it has a 10 inch setback and a 6 inch jackplate
montiboats24
Member
i got at 24 pitch Mazco 4 plade that cavitates really bad out of the hole if the jackplate and the tilt are all the way down i got a bobs machine 10 inch setback and a 6 inch jackplate that work great. i bought the boat a few months back for 6 grand moter traler and boat i thought it was a good steal but it ended up all the wiring exept the ignition and the tach needs to be replaced the guy had a nice sterio in it that when he took it out he just cut all the wires and put them back in rong spots... some ppl should never mess with wireing.
