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In spring of 2014, I repowered my 1990 19' Outrage with a new 2014 Mercury 150 HP Fourstroke engine.

I now have 2 seasons of experience with it, and 72 hours of engine operation under my belt, mostly on Lakes Superior and Michigan, including substantial time in Green Bay from both the western shore and Door County, along with few hours on larger inland lakes in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

The following is a performance report on the engine, undertaken in the following conditions:

Date: 10.22.15
Location: Milwaukee Harbor, Lake Michigan
Air Temp: 60 degrees F
Water Temp: 57 degrees F
Wind: Light and variable, 5-8 MPH from NE and SE
Waves: < 6" in the harbor
Load: One person, light gear, no canvas, half plus fuel (30 gallons plus a few I suspect)
Prop: Stiletto Advantage P/N E600319 three blade and I believe 14 1/4" x 19 (please verify or clarify if you know)

Speeds were taken in both directions available, with minimal difference and varied results whether with or against wind in each test. Speeds were read from a Lowrance HD-7 Chart Plotter / GPS and are presented in MPH.

RPM SPEED SPEED
1000 4.5
2000 9
3000 26 25
4000 36 35
5000 45 45
5600(WOT) 51.1 51.2

Minimum planing speed was 2200 RPM and 16+ MPH

While receptive to evidence to the contrary, I posit that this is the fastest legal HP outboard ever presented on a stock 18 Outrage. Of the many reports I've read over the years on all the various 150 HP outboards installed on 18 Outrages, consistently tops speeds of 45-47 MPH have been reported. Occasionally, a 49 MPH report shows up, but those are quite rare and seldom shown in a performance report, most often simply referenced in passing.

This rig can hit 50 MPH as a matter of course, even with a fuel tank more full than ideal for maximizing speed.
I'll follow up with some subjective thoughts on the repower performance, particularly in comparison to the previous power.

Patrick
Milwaukee, WI