How fast is your Gambler?

[MotherNature]

We have a very good friend that had a Gambler and it was one of the fastest boats I have ever road in. I am just curious how fast your boats run and if you spend time tinkering with them to make them go faster or if they are primarily for fish and go fast enough as is.

[RiverRatMD]

Hello from Maryland...

I have an '02 Gambler 2200 with a 250 ProXB. 

Best Prop so far:  28P Bravo I blueprinted & balanced with 8 PVS holes.  82 GPS at 6200 rpms.  The boat planes out almost instantly and pulls strong all the way to 80 then eases into 81 and 82.

The only mod I've done to this motor is the "cowl mod".  I raised the rear section on the top of the upper cowl by 7/8 ".  I drilled a series of 1" holes in the inner liner to help pack in the air.  I gained an addl 150 rpms or so by spending $5.35 at Lowe's. 

I also set my TPS to 1.0V at idle.  If your XB has a lean sneeze, this will help fix that. 

I'll be trying a 27P Fury next time I go out.  I have to wait until about the middle of April due to recent rotator cuff surgery and PT is kicking my tail.

[Mike Cork]

Beautiful Rig

I'll be interested to hear how the Fury Does 

[hunter85]

My 19ft Intimaditor is running 73.2 GPS with an empty boat and two men running a 200 merc with a 25 tempest plus prop.

[hunter85]

Prop is a trophy plus not a tempest

[swoop_g]

I was told my new(to me) Gambler will do 83 GPS but I haven't had the chance to test that yet.  Its a 90 model 206GS with a Mercury 225 EFI.  I did get to 74 but it started chine walking and it kinda freaked me out a little.  I have been taking it slow(pun INTENDED!) while trying to learn to drive a fast boat.  I have been testing out jack plate heights and trim settings trying to tame the slow speed porpoising AND the high speed chine walking.  I bought a piece of aluminum plate so I can fab up a small foil similar to a bryan's foil or an allison foil to help the porpoise but the chine walking will only take seat time to figure out.

[Mike Cork]

Yep seat time is the best cure for chine walk. It's a spooky thing because to practice it you have to have the boat wound out. So error gets bigger very fast.