That would be me...

[Admin]

Time to get back in the game...

Glad to see you back Bob...

[seabob4]

Glad to be back...at work, as well!

[bwano]

Hello Bob.
I just bought a 93 Proline W/A with a 200 Carburated Merc. My fuel gauge seems very innacurate. The motor runs rough from idle to 2000 RPM. Mechanic replaced one coil, and did various fixes. Supposed to be new powerhead.

Is this a good boat compared to other brands as far as ride offshore? I am just getting used to boat. Any insight would be good. My last big boat was a Skipjack Fisherman with twin 140's, and was a gas hog, even though one motor was brand new, and the other very low mileage. Other than that, it was a fantastic boat.

I will look at the sender in the next few days, and am considering replacing with a Moeller reed switch style. Then get a Flow Scan Tach combo unit from Defender costs about 400.

I use this boat for Spearfishing 80% Hook and Line offshore, 20%. San Diego

What kind of MPG and GPH should I expect from the Merc 200 if it is running ok?

John

[231CALIFORNIA]

tell us what mod /length you have?    1993 ??ft walkaround, model #2##?etc

20/21/23/24 etc

it could be lighter and more efficient than a skippy of comparable length but if you have the "signature" large  for size proline fuel tank  it runs the weight up fast.

I have a flowcan no tach mod and i love it(got from defender) less than 299.
my sending unit is starting to go on the fritz but with the flowscan i dont rely on it anyway.

your 200hp carb merc is  likely going to use more fuel under most condition than an dfi 2 stroke or a  4 stroke but it is light comparatively.

depending on which model you have and the beam and deadrise specs
offshore ride can be from excellent to average but seldom bad.
mine likes the chop to be less than 2.5feet and the swell less than  about10ft at 10seconds otherwise its slow down to a crawl.

boats that ride good in rough stuff often have deep sharp hulls and eat fuel.
high mpg boats often have flatter profiles and low deadrise angles but slap you in chop.
all is a compromise IMHO

[jcole4455]

Bob, My name is Jerry and I just found this site yesterday. I have a 2005 Proline sport 19 with a 2006 Honda BF135, prop 15.25 x 17. I am looking for the specs on the boat and how (what hole) the install of the motor should be, also any prop info you could provide. obtw, love the boat and motor. Thanks

[seabob4]

jcole,
Well, first, have you contacted Jim Kogler or Faron Mack at Proline Cust. Serv.?  (352)795-4111.  They can tell you the engine mounting height, as well as the prop size that was specified for that particular model/engine combination.

When on plane, at a good clip, observe the cav late in relation to the water surface.  It should be about level.  If it's buried, raise the motor 1 hole.  If it is exposed, drop the motor 1 hole.  Simple as that.

Bob C

[Victor]

Bob,

Please see my reply sent today on flushing motor.

[seabob4]

Victor,
Please see my reply...

[Victor]

Hi Bob,

This ones just for you. Just in case you don't remember my boat (2008 23 sport open fisherman). I have two extra switches (to the right of all the switches) at the helm. I know that they are there just in case I want to install something in the future, I can use them. What I don't understand is how come the switch to the left lights up when I turn it on and the one to the far right doesn't. Is the one to the left connected to something?

[seabob4]

Victor,
Yes, I remember your boat!  Tilt down the helm, and look for a little black jumper wire that terminates on the top spade on the switch to the right.  That is the ground wire that allows the switch indicator light to light up.  It may have pulled off, as some of our panels come wired a little "tight"... 

Bob C

[jpaul72]

Great to meet you seabob, sounds like a lonley job. I just purchased an 06 24 super sport and am excited, Im coming from a crownline of 10 years and it didnt fit the florida boating style. I looked hard at a 22 vector and went with the 24 SS because of value. In your honest opionion(you cant hurt my feelings) was it a good choice? Also, what type of windlass would you recommend?

[seabob4]

jp72,
You have chosen an EXCELLENT boat!  The 24 SS and Walk are the same hull, albeit stretched just aft of the helm, as our 26, which is an awesome hull.  The 22 Vector is what I would call a comparable boat, the Hydra-Sports might have a little more "bling" in the hardware department, but that "bling" doesn't make it a better boat.  I hope you have at least a single 250 or greater.  I liked her with twin 150s, twin 200s being REALLY fun...

We use Lewmar V700 windlasses.  Excellent windlass, but look at Maxwell, as well as Quick, an Italian maker.  Both good windlasses also.  Used Maxwell at Wellcraft, and have installed a number of Quicks on my customers boats.

Enjoy your boat, and post any questions here.  I am not the only "expert"...

Bob

[jpaul72]

Great info on the windlass, thanks Bob. I agree about the hardware and some frills of the Vector 22 being a bit nicer but didnt think that was worth close to the dollar amount difference. Glad to get an honest opinion, its a cut throat industry buying a boat and all most manufactuers do is bash the competition and in the same breath tell you their product is superior. Proline however did not seem to do that. I had a great experience with my dealer and loved the boat when I saw it, so the decision was easy. It has a 250 verado,which is my first outboard and so far I really like it. Can you tell me some good tips that I can do to the engine as far as maintenance that I can do myself and should be doing? I always have had my I/O 's in the past serviced once a year and will for sure take the verado to the dealer yearly as well. Just looking for some maintence tips and trying to find if I should run a different prop onn the boat than the stock one. Any info you have is greatly appreciated.

[seabob4]

JP,
The Verados are excellent motors.  Case in point, brad1951, myself, Jerry Deem, and James Caudill more or less rebuilt a 3 year old 32 Express this past week, that, based on all of our opinions, including our Kohler repairman (we had to yank the gennie, it was in such sorry shape!), we believe was sunk.  Anyway, Jerry and I fired up the 250 Verados yesterday, doing absolutely nothing to prep them, and they both started and ran like brand new.  Both motors had 500+ hours on them.  We even used the old gas that was still in the tank, god knows how long it's been in there, and we all know the issues that ethanol has presented.  Yet the Verados started and ran just as if we hung and rigged them yesterday right out of the box!

Verados are very complicated motors, so maintinance is minimal from an owner's standpoint.  Water pumps and oil/filter changes, of course, but after that, well, this is what I would do.  Join Verado Club.  Excellent people over there that know absolutely everything about Vrods.  Ask about your prop, also, I'm sure they will have some good advice.

Anything else?

[jpaul72]

Thanks Bob, I will look into the vrod site.

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