samsturdy said..
Yes you are right Cisco. The graph shows max torque at 2600 rpm with a fuel consumption of one and a half litres per hour.
Now that's almost the revs they're telling me not to exceed for 20 hrs, so it looks like there will be no harm done sitting at
maximum torque when I get going again.
Regarding the exhaust situation, it also states that the exhaust back pressure should be kept to a minimum, so that means
no under water exhaust as that will dramatically increase back pressure. So, going along with resizing the prop to correct
size to keep the exhaust outlet above water seems the right thing to do.
I wouldn't be changing the prop so the boat goes slower at cruise revs.
If the engine runs at or near full revs with the prop you have then the prop is OK. A smaller prop to stop the stern squatting will mean the prop is too small for the engine and the engine/prop won't perform well nor will the engine be under the optimum load.
If the stern is being pushed lower in the water it is because the engine and prop are pushing the boat faster, causing the bow to lift and the stern to squat.
It is possible that your engine/prop combination is too powerful for the hull. Not much you can do about that now and it can be beneficial in some situations.
I still believe you will be best served by raising the exhaust outlet to get it out of the water when at cruise speeds.