TOPIC: New toy

I snagged a re-cored 1979 Hydrostream VIPER in October.
Came with an 1150-6 that runs fine.
I have mounted my carbureted 200HP stock 2.5 v6 on it, with solid mounts, Sport-Master, & hydraulic steering.
The seat is out being reupholstered.
I hope to get her wet this spring.
She should go pretty good, but the ole 200v6 will best be kept alive under 6000 RPMs. Built up, the 2.5 can turn upwards of 10,000 RPMs, but am currently not in the mood to bust out that much more money,...Currently
doc

Wow! Very cool!

Outstanding Thom that should be fun to run around in!!!!!

Bob

Nice boat Thom! I need to schedule with you to have the 650 merc on my glasply serviced and tuned up for next summer. Thanks for your help this past summer! The family and I had a great time boat-in camping on lake chelan.

Jesse @ seattle boat

Really happy to hear you & your family had a great experience on Lake Chelan.
It has so many awesome little go by boat to camp-sites, and always great weather.
I'll put you on the Spring Schedule,
doc

Nice rig Doc. I see it appears you have both hydraulic transom lift controls and also trim controls on your steering column... so assuming that means likely you are doing a foot throttle since that boat will really go... and the solid mounts. I still have my Land and Sea dual action foot throttle out of my old Viking Hydrostream. I used it because I could use the full shift and throttle hand set alone for skiing... or just cruising. Then when cruising I could leave the hand set like cruise control at about 22 and let go and then uses the foot throttle for performance running and just let off to go back to hand control. Pretty cool set up. I no longer use it, so if you ever have a use for one, just let me know. The solid mounts used to make my dashboard buzz with vibration at a certain rpm... I never minded that because it was only about a third of the throttle and I didn’t spend much time there. I love flying the Hydrostreams. Had my Viking almost 10 years and my Voyagerxt almost 30 years. Can’t wait to see pictures of it aired out next season... but who has the other fast boat to take pictures from????

I'm not sure if another boat will show up in my "pond" that will be able to keep up with it, but we are saving up to purchase a GoPro, and maybe a related drone.
I'll probably need to trailer out to a larger lake to really turn her loose, but I have several candidates within an 8 mile radius.
Videos will eventually be posted, but for now in the Great PNW we are hunkering down for a few more months.
We did launch the Carlson today and did a few hot laps, but no bragging yet,...More troubleshooting to do.
doc

Nice pictures and rig. I might steal some ideas from your tunnel bunk trailer. Carlson looks great on the water. Maybe I should move someday since you can drive a truck on our water now. Since you will be flirting in the triple digit range in that Hydrostream, will your drone be purchased through our military to keep up? ... or use the off the shelf drone with camera to catch “fly bys” of the boat. I loved DRIVING my Hydrostream as I stayed very focused as the adrenaline rushed. You are fortunate to have many lake choices so close that aren’t frozen half the year. I once saw a drone that had a round belly so it would float... then it had a wrist gadget that allowed the drone to follow wherever you traveled.., not sure how fast they were. They demonstrated with a kayaker. Fun stuff! Keep the speed coming please.

Why am I skeptical about YOU having a STOCK 200 with a Sportmaster and solid mounts???? Seriously, if you keep that 6000 rpm limit, I would like to make an early prediction. 86 mph with a 30p chopper style prop. Interested to see how close I am. Any other predictions?

That is a knowledgeable target speed. I ran a 30” chopper on my Viking Hydrostream with a 2.4 200. That boat is lighter and I am sure Doc is at least 201 HP lol. I was naughty and would not run the rev limiter. It was fun to peg an 80mph speedometer. Doc will need a gps for that toy. I like your 86 with your rpm limit. I will say 88 with the perfect motor height and trim and the perfect light wind ripped on the water to break suction... tail wind of course.

SIGH,...I "wish" I had a fancy 9-10,000 RPM hot-rod v6, but mine was a free-bee with external issues I was able to resolve.
Only because of this 'gift", was I able to afford solid mounts, used Sportmaster - which I have rebuilt & added an expansion tank to, hydraulic steering, a used Power-Lift, and use of a 'few' hot-rod props I've accumulated.
My biggest pitch props on hand that will fit the 19 spline propshaft, are a 28p chopper, and a 28p "Buckshot" semi-cleaver.
I'll be as happy as a turkey that escaped Thanksgiving Dinner if I hit mid-80s.
More when I launch in the Spring,...
doc

My Viking was longer and heavier than yours and my 28 pitch chopper could peg my 80mph Merc gauge. Not sure how accurate that was, but you surely should get mid 80’s. I can’t remember rpm, but you should easily bump against a 6000 rpm rev limiter... I think my brother had disabled our rev limiter... older brothers are always bending the rules lol. I would loved to have run a cleaver because I didn’t need the bow lift to the extent a chopper would provide, but I skied daily with mine and would speed run later in the day when the tank was closer to empty... and the chopper had the bite on the hole shot to pull up a deep water start slalom or barefoot skier. I had always read where a cleaver might ventilate hard on hole shot. Also extra money and daily prop swaps for a few more mph. On a small lake, I liked the quickness of the chopper hole shot. From a standstill, you could skip the tail of the keel and launch past a 45 degree angle. Quite fun. I believe 30 to 60 was timed at 3.8 seconds... not too bad for stock boat and motor set up. I did run the hydraulic transom and old modVP low water pick up lower unit with built in torque fin molded into the skeg with flat plate where old torque tab usually is. 60mph with transom down and trim tucked in at WOT with a full wet running hull... the climbed to 70 raising transom while keeping motor tucked.., then the rush of feathering the trim enough to free the hull from friction and fly it on the pad... acceleration at that point is a rush as you peg an 80 mph speedo. Wish I would have had gps back in 1983 when that rev limiter was off. Have fun finishing your set up. P.S. I still do have my 30 pitch chopper.

Nice!! I really love those vipers!! just great looking boats. some day I will have one in my fleet!! beautiful boat doc!