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New Member- 1996 Cheetah 21'

midwesternboater

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Hello all, long time lurker, first time poster here on RDP. Living in Kansas, always been a fan of the Havasu boats and atmosphere from afar.

First time boater as well (although I grew up at the lake), I have a 1996 Cheetah 21' with a 200 Mercury I bought last summer. No jack plate or tabs, but I do have a 15" setback bracket the outboard is mounted to. Last year was all about having a good time on the water, this year I have been playing around with some props and now mounting height, trying to maximize performance and learn the ins and outs of operating a boat. Started with a 21" Mercury High Five, and have also tried a 22" Bravo 1 and now currently running a 21" 3 Blade Michigan Rapture prop from a local prop shop in Kansas City.

I'm running at ~ 5200-5300 rpm at WOT and getting 53 mph on GPS with a typical load (maybe 350-400 pounds total onboard including persons, gear and fuel). From what I understand, this motor is rated for up to 5800 rpm. I'd also like to get a few more mph if possible. Mounting position is in the middle slot on the setback bracket, which I raised up one slot this past week. I cannot ventilate the prop while trimmed all the way out. I plan on raising the outboard another slot or two which should be about .75" each.

My questions are, if I cannot achieve max height with the current bracket, would a jack plate be at all a consideration? Or am I underestimating the effects of raising the motor 1.5"? Thanks all!
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hallett21

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Have you measured to see where your prop shaft is in relation to the bottom of the boat?

As you raise the motor just keep an eye on your water pressure. Eventually you get high enough that you need a low water puckup


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havasuhusker

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Welcome to RDP. Where do you typically boat in Kansas? Used to boat at Harlan County Lake on the NE/KS border when I was a kid.
 

midwesternboater

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Welcome to RDP. Where do you typically boat in Kansas? Used to boat at Harlan County Lake on the NE/KS border when I was a kid.

We typically go to Milford Lake in the Junction City/Manhattan area. About a 45 minute drive. I believe Harlan flows directly into Milford
 

midwesternboater

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Have you measured to see where your prop shaft is in relation to the bottom of the boat?

As you raise the motor just keep an eye on your water pressure. Eventually you get high enough that you need a low water puckup


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Only with an eye test. Looks to be right above the drain plug, so about 2" above the bottom of the hull. Here's a picture of it running in the water
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