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So the story goes like this: My dad said in 1967, He and his buddies could ski off the back of his Whaler with a 40 Johnson pulling them. Even on 1 ski. So fast foward to 2007, I purchase a 1967 13, Just like my Dads, But it has a 1980 40 Merc. pushing it. It will pull me out (with some work) on 2 skis, But to drop down to 1 skis is not happing. So the current question is, Does an OMC motor have more low end tourqe than a Merc of the same vintage?

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dirk,

I use to ski behind my 13' sport with an Evinrude 35hp.

It would pull me out of the water with 1 ski but I had to drag the other foot before I got up and then I would put the other foot in the binding.
Once up on one ski, no problem.

I'm not sure about the Merc... Maybe a prop change?

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a Ski prop is needed, it has more low end torque to get you up and out of the water but, you'll lose some speed at top end.
mw

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How can I tell what th current pitch of my prop is?

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Something tells me some of us were much lighter in weight back then, Joe & dirk 109, ;) I can't imagine a 40hp pulling me out of the water, no matter how many skiis I had on now. But if the engine compression is good and it's tuned right what's needed is a different prop and I forget how that works, others here will know. Your prop should be typically labeled with the diameter and pitch on the hub. For example , mine is a 14.5 X 19 but it's on a V6 225 so don't go by those dimensions. This is an example only.

Peter

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Peter,

Now the truth comes out...

Yes, I was about 30 years of age and weighed in around 170 pounds...

Since then I have been on a Sumo Wrestling training program...
Have to keep my fighting weight up you know.... :o

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I'm sure a 40 hp would be groaning for a long time before it pulled my 265 lb butt out of the water.

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OK I must add my 2 cent on this... Many years ago in a galaxy far far away a 1958 30 HP Evinrude pulled me on a slalom ski... and yes I always dragged my back foot. They don’t make small outboards like this any more…:(

Although a year or two ago I experienced a somewhat similar experience with my then 15 year old 170 LBS teenager. The difference is a 15 ft modified V jon boat and a 25 HP Yamaha. He was on a wake board, no dragging feet here. The people relaxing in the shoreline having BBQ's cheered as he slowly got up, and the crowd riding in the $50K Malibu where horrified… It was very cool, wish I had pictures.

Now a 265 LBS gent trying to get up off a 40 HP on a slalom ski....:o If you pull this off please post pictures and use the smallest pitch prop you can find…..B)

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Been there done that.... I skied a early '80s 13 for 2 Seasons at age 15 or so ~180lbf kid. Took my Dad out with me once, really laid into a turn, pulled the boat off plane and cavitated the engine. Dad and I started shopping a 15 soon after.
Good Dad ;)

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I had a very early 13' Whaler with a '73 40 HP Merc when I was a kid and we used to slalom off it all the time (dragging a leg as above, and the spot as far fwd on the bow as possible). I had a cousin who was well over 200 lbs but a good skiier, and after realizing the boat couldn't pull him up normally, he hopped from shore with many coils of slack to let the boat get going. Where there's a will, there's a way!

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O.K., I gotta get this one in, when I was like 12 yrs old (Mrs mw still claims that I'm like 12 yrs old), I was fishing on a pier in the channel (Pt. Lookout), when a boat pulling a skier pulled up to the dock, an intoxicated passenger got off the boat and onto the dock with a pair of ski's on saying "I can do this". The skier put the ski's on while still on the dock, and yelled out "Let it happen captain", the boat pilot hits the throttles and yanks the guy right out of the ski's as he went tumbling down the dock collecting splinters, and rolled off the end with a big dull splash, people on the dock looked on in horror as his friends picked him up moaning, as kid's we were so hysterical with laughter, that we could hardly ride our bikes home afterwards...
Everyone has a great "Ski Story" I would love to hear more, LOL !
mw

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Being as how I just crashed my Harley a little over a month ago and cracked a bunch of ribs and my sternum, I don't think water skiing is in my near future. That coils of rope trick hurts me thinking about it.

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Very funny stories but we need to answer & help dirk109. Best I can do is suggest reading this older thread.
13 prop discussion

This article is for another boat type and twins but it may help explain how prop pitch can effect performance.
http://www.whalercentral.com/readarti...icle_id=35

There's another thread around here from a few years ago where some people were helping me with this type of concern, like where to find the info on the prop, but I can't find the thread. Try searching with some different parameters.

Peter

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ski design has changed through the years. newer slalom skis have a very narrow tail width, which means less surface area and more difficulty getting up. the old wooden skis from yester-year were generally very wide in the center and the tail.
Before running out for a new prop try these ideas if you have not already:
place weight in the bow
leave all passengers on the dock
place the spotter in the bow until planed
experiment with motor trim
and most definitely get the ski out of the water as much as possible, hold your breath, drag that foot, and rest your chest on your knee until you are planed out.

best!

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Error

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Very good advice! However, you can slice and dice it all kinds of ways, a 33 cubic inch outboard will have a very difficult time pulling a slalom skier unless you are about 80 lbs soaking wet. I also would try (borrow) a wake board as it is much wider. May have better luck.

If I recall that engine dropped to a 35 HP rating when merc began prop shaft ratings. Recommend RPM may be 6000. Even with a wake board you will need to spin close to the max RPM to develop the HP to be pulled. I do believe an OMC of the same era had more tourqe than a Merc.

Seems that jaemrich has been dragged in the water bit and has found the proper airo-dynamics to make it happen. I wore nose plugs when I did this, how goofy is that :D

Good luck

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Ok guys, Thanks for all the help. My current prop is a 10.38 x 13. Should I get a 12?

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dirk,

It's been too long since I owned my 13' so I can't help with the pitch...

Do you have a tach so you know the RPM's?
A tach is always helpful to determine if the engine is over redline.....

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Try the wake board or jaemrich strategy frist. What RPM are spinning? You will need to know that before fooling with props. I think you may need to go even smaller than 12.

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Where can I get a cheap Tach?

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I'd try E-bay, got a brand new Merc tach a few years ago for short money comparatively. But you can go used too as it's cheaper and sounds like it's just going to be a prop testing instrument for you...

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Ok, Lets try this. Does anybody have a Pre 1972 13' with a early 1980's 40 Merc? And if so, What pitch are you running on yourmotor?

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Dirk,

Unfortunately, the old two cylinder Mercury 40 was a real dog. It is going to be tough to waterski behind it. If you want to give it a try, at least drop down to an 11" pitch prop.

I had a 13 with a 1977 Johnson 35 and like Joe, I could waterski behind it on a slalom ski. I think I was wrestling in the 148 pound class at the time ;-)

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I know the last of the 4 cylinder 40 HP merc's made were actually putting out 47 H.P.
mw

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I have located the original 8mm films of us five kids, pulled up and water skiing behind the Nauset with the original Merc 650 SEL, off of Dockham Shore, Lake Winnipausaukee, probably around 1965...actually watched 'em on the old Bell & Howell....
I remember being yanked off the dock at speed, and never gettin' wet as you parked the ski on the sandy shore and walked out of the binding...lookin' like 007...
I also remember coming in way too fast and getting the world's worst raspberries as I tumbled/skidded across the creosote soaked telephone poles that formed the boat ramp when the ski stopped a little too quickly for a graceful exit.....
Magic moments....
I want to transfer 'em to DVD...but haven't figgered that out yet.
Any suggestions would be appreciated....