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242 Limited- big drop in speed over 2 weeks

Texatl

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Hi all-

I know, I know... another cavitation, loss of speed, gunk in the intake thread. :) (and sorry its a long post, but I did try and do my home work first). Not new to boats, and not new to mechanical thingies (built/rebuilt lots of cars, trucks, motorcycles)

But, I have been searching and reading and still a little lost. My 2011 242 Limited is new to me and my first jet anything. Had it about 6 weeks. It is wet slipped at a marina, dirtiest water I have ever seen.

Been using it a bunch the first 4 weeks of ownership and its been great. Love the boat., family loves the boat. We love it, I love it, everybody loves it. It could hit 50-ish mph at WOT, cruise at 6k rpm at a comfortable 30mph. All was good. We have been busy the last couple of weeks. So its been 2 weeks since we have run the boat. This morning we head out for a day of fun and sun on the lake (5 of us, 2 adults 3 kids... which is about normal for us) and even at WOT it just barely makes 30mph. It won't go any higher. I noticed this because I was going to cruise at 6k rpm on our way to a cove and it wouldn't go above 20mph. Bewildered. There are 160 hrs on the engines (one has .5 more), all fresh water (my use and previous owners use).

The engine(s) also cut out twice over big wakes. First one was both engines (caught us by surprise), and then next time it was the port engine. (I did figure this out. top wasn't latched all the way and the bouncing popped it up enough to trip the cut offs). Solved :cool:

So I cut the trip short. Came home. Came here and did a bunch of searching and researching (thanks to you all!!!). Then went back to the marina, with tools and checked the following (along with a test quick run by myself to see if anything changed):

- Oil is good and about 1/2 way between low and full- clean and clear (Oil and filter change right when I picked it up)
- Engine bay is clean and looks great. All hoses, exhaust clamps, air intakes, air cleaners, exhaust, mufflers, hoses, clamps- look good. No water in engine bay and no fuel smell. Bilge blower and bilge pump working good.
- *Fuel - its full and I filled it up last day we used it. (filled it up at marina pumps, 87 octane, then did some slow speed action teaching my 13 year old how to drive) then put it away in its slip (2 weeks ago).
- Spark plug caps and wires look great. Didn't check spark plugs themselves due to not having the correct long enough socket (what size it it anyway? So I can buy a proper socket, its clearly not car sized plugs)
- Clean out ports were well seated. I pulled them to check for anything clogging that I could reach from the hole- nothing, nada.
- Doesn't overheat.
- Both Pissers are moving water, that does change pressure and volume as rpm increases/decreases

So- I am at a loss. I bolded Fuel above, because it was the only thing that changed, between. But, I cannot imagine it being the marina gas. If it was bad gas the whole marina would be flipping out. AND- see below... It hits max RPM fine. Meaning air/fuel/spark is ruled out. right??

I can pull plugs but I'm not thinking its that. Both engines will hit 7,200 - 7,500- ish RPM at WOT no problem. Doesn't miss at all. It pulls great and feels good torque wise (on the butt dyno) and it feels like the same power. Like rolling start at WOT feels the same. Its just doesn't go beyond 30mph.

Intake clogged at the opening? That cannot be reached from the clean out port? Should I pull the boat? Could the front of the intakes at the hull be clogged?

Could, maybe, the yucky lake water that has now gunked up my hull over the past 6 weeks really slow me down and hold me back by 20mph overall??

What am I missing? Did I do something stupid? Am I moron? Something I didn't check?

I am all for having a "oh duh" moment. In fact I would feel better if it was... cuz I am confused.

Thoughts? thanks in advance.
 
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HangOutdoors

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Could, maybe, the yucky lake water that has now gunked up my hull over the past 6 weeks really slow me down and hold me back by 20mph overall??
Can you pull the boat to look under at the hull?
 

Texatl

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Yes, I can tomorrow/Monday. I was under there today (in the water)… I can’t believe how bad it’s gunked and covered in just 6 weeks. And that was just seeing/feeling the nozzles, fins, checking the gates.
Was hoping I could get to the intake to feel. But no dice without a snorkling mask.
So- yeah I’ll probably pull it out.
 

HangOutdoors

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Pull it out and clean that hull with a good hull cleaner and make sure the pumps are clean to. What I would do before doing anything else, is then to put it back in the water and then test it. That way you can start to eliminate things.
 

Julian

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Betik

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Yes, I can tomorrow/Monday. I was under there today (in the water)… I can’t believe how bad it’s gunked and covered in just 6 weeks. And that was just seeing/feeling the nozzles, fins, checking the gates.
Was hoping I could get to the intake to feel. But no dice without a snorkling mask.
So- yeah I’ll probably pull it out.
Please do not go underneath your boat and fidget with the intakes. Escapologist in dirty water. That being said in all probability your have shit growing on your hull. These boys are not meant to be wet slipped.
 

Julian

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:eek: Wow. Ok.


I was afraid of that. Told my wife this afternoon that it might be time for a lift or back to trailer and ramping.
Any boat with lose serious speed due to a dirty hull.

I now have an airdock lift and all the other owners on my dock are always stopping and asking about it as their boats are dragging (outboards, IOs inboards....doesn't matter).
 

HangOutdoors

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I have been curious. When a boat is on a trailer what is the best way to clean the areas that sit on the bunks?
 

mraz72

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A dirty hull was the culprit of my speed loss a while ago (I thought it was mechanical). I wet slip as well and I'm happy with 30ish by the end of the season. I don't know how to calculate the the loss of MPGs during the season due to dragging a carpet around, probably substantial!

The only options for wetslipping are
1. painting the hull (yearly I think) with some anti-growth stuff
2. one of my neighbors at the marina has some sort of inflatable system that he hooks up to the dock every year. Drives onto it, pumps it up and it lifts it out of the water.
3. pulling the boat mid season and get the hull acid washed. I go to my local dealer, they pull the boat off my trailer and acid wash the bottom. The boat comes back looking great and my trailer doesn't take a beating. It think the charge is $12 a ft?
4. Ignore it and expect that by the end of august, 30 - 35mph is good. :)

With our short season, I just ignore it and let the dealer acid wash it once a season.
 

Texatl

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I have been curious. When a boat is on a trailer what is the best way to clean the areas that sit on the bunks?
I was wondering the same... :cool:
 

Julian

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DRAT

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This exact thing happened with our boat. Bought it last April, would do 49-50 mph initially, wet slipped it for a couple weeks and same as you, 30-35 mph at WOT. Definitely algae/scale on the hull. I ended up paying a neighborhood kid who details cars to clean it with StarBrite because, well, I don’t crawl under boats with acid. He did a decent job but it’s no perfect. I’m back up to 45mph and certain that a full acid wash/hull wax job will get her back to where she was.
I checked all the usual suspects, by the way; changed oil (it needed it), replaced a perfectly good set of spark plugs, set throttle stops, tested air filters, aligned jet nozzles… nothing made a difference until she was clean.
 

DRAT

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I can already see the comments coming. The neighborhood kid was fully apprised of the acid content of the StarBrite, lol. HE SEEMS FINE.
 

Evil Sports

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Had this exact thing happen to my bass boat in the late 90s after 5 weeks in the CT river. The dragging carpet analogy is the best Ive heard. Now my boat only stays in the water for the weekend and only if Im going to use it.
 

Texatl

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If anyone is interested I'll post some pics of what I find after pulling it from the Army Corp of Engineers' swamp they created called a lake. LOL

I should be thankful I haven't "found" a rogue log or tree right under the surface. Someone did yesterday, ripped his outboard off. (granted he was hauling ass and out of the channel trying to short cut a poker run).
 

Texatl

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And here we go- 7 weeks to make thick pile carpet o_O
5FC0D2AC-34B5-4819-8602-D8161830ADB2.jpegCE458388-D4BB-4CBA-873B-F588BCDCA65D.jpeg
C22DABCB-41C5-4CF0-A307-A2F77F62C3DE.jpeg88074E71-C026-4D7D-AB1F-A3D80F359AD1.jpeg
Spent most of the day, on my back pressure washing most of it off. I am now going back with hull cleaner and a blue sponge (non scratching abrasive side- like in the kitchen)…

this may be the reason I:
A- break down and buy a lift
B- ditch the slip and use a ramp in/out when we go for a float.
Ugh 😑
 
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Crob83

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And here we go- 7 weeks to make thick pile carpet o_O
View attachment 159433View attachment 159434
View attachment 159435View attachment 159436
Spent most of the day, on my back pressure washing most of it off. I am now going back with hull cleaner and a blue sponge (non scratching abrasive side- like in the kitchen)…

this may be me being the reason I:
A- break down and buy a lift
B- ditch the slip and use a ramp in/out when we go for a float.
Ugh 😑
Ya bro fuck that if that's only 7 weeks worth!!😂😂
 
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WildCatFan54

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Wow !! Worst I've ever seen. You may not want to say but I must ask , what lake ??
 
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