Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

[ctc1111]

Hey, I'm new to this forum. And I was wondering if anyone thinks putting a 115 mercury 2 stroke onto a Tracker 175 TWX would be over-powering it? I know what the max recommended HP is (75) but all the pictures of the boat on the tracker website show it with a 90 hp merc. And I would like to get this boat without a motor (cheaper) because I already have a nice merc 115 2 stroke. Could I pull this off or should I look at a higher horsepower boat?

Thanks

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

we never recommend overpowering a boat. there are too many safety factors involved. then there are the legal factors involved. the water police can red tag you as an unsafe boat, if an incident occured the courts will fined you as operating an unsafe boat, thus you are responsible. hunt a higher rated boat.

 

[ctc1111]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

Ya thats what I thought to. Does anyone know of a similar boat that has a HP rating of atleast 115? Are the ratings due to transom strength or speed safty?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

both, hull construction, and how the handle.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

Rivertrail.com My avatar is a boat built by them: alum BB, 17' with 86 beam rated for 130 hp.

I am running a 90 Merc on mine and have had it to 52 speedo, 50 GPS. Avatar pic is from my cell phone camera at 50 mph.

Mark

 

[alangf]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

There is a lot more to determining maximum power than transom strength. Overpowering can force a temporary (or possibly permanent) hook in the boat's keel. This causes the bow to plow and creates a dangerous condition from a handling standpoint. For some reason bass fisherman (at least locally) think it a macho thing to do to grossly overpower bass boats.

Overpowering a boat can also create insurance problems in addition to legal ones.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

Well, I'm not the one to ask!

Bass boats are meant to go FAST

I have a 14 foot flat bottom originally rated for about 35-40 HP. I have a 125 on it and am trying to get from 60 to 65 GPS.

In all fairness, this is not my everyday boat and has been extensively modified to handle the high horsepower. I basically use it when there is not much traffic. I run it flat-out for about an hour or two on a Friday or Saturday, use fifteen gallons of fuel, then take it home and glue it for eight hours during the week.

"Too much power is never enough!"

 

[alangf]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

Well, I'm not the one to ask!

Bass boats are meant to go FAST

I have a 14 foot flat bottom originally rated for about 35-40 HP. I have a 125 on it and am trying to get from 60 to 65 GPS.

In all fairness, this is not my everyday boat and has been extensively modified to handle the high horsepower. I basically use it when there is not much traffic. I run it flat-out for about an hour or two on a Friday or Saturday, use fifteen gallons of fuel, then take it home and glue it for eight hours during the week.

"Too much power is never enough!"

This degree of overpowering defies polite comment.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

Well, I'm not the one to ask!

Bass boats are meant to go FAST

I have a 14 foot flat bottom originally rated for about 35-40 HP. I have a 125 on it and am trying to get from 60 to 65 GPS.

In all fairness, this is not my everyday boat and has been extensively modified to handle the high horsepower. I basically use it when there is not much traffic. I run it flat-out for about an hour or two on a Friday or Saturday, use fifteen gallons of fuel, then take it home and glue it for eight hours during the week.

"Too much power is never enough!"

Good luck with all that. Fortunately, I'm not in Florida, so I won't ever have to pick up your pieces.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

Wow man, if you suddenly stop posting it won't be hard to figure out why.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

Cats, fools, and drunks have 9 lives. LOL

However, I did not just slap on a 125 and go "Yahoo! Let's see what she does!"

I freely admit it is grossly overpowered if it were stock, but as I said, it is EXTENSIVELY modified to handle the horsepower. From the hull up it has more and stronger stringers (fiberglass) and crossbraces, the halves are glassed together instead of bolted or screwed. Gunwales are also glassed to the base hull. Battery and box is encased in a rock-solid mount, seat is bolted solidly to the hull with a 2 X 4 frame mount. Fire extinguisher is mounted directly behind the seat and the deadman switch lanyard is always used as is the PFD. The transom is completely reinforced with aluminum and integrated with the splashwell and hull so all thrust is distributed throughout the hull instead of concentrated on the transom. All gear is mounted; nothing is left loose to rattle around.

The boat is my experiment and is only used for about an hour at a time to test modifications added to affect speed. AND---It is only used when there is little to no other traffic.

The boat has had a variety of increasing horsepower engines on it starting with a 55 to test its ability to take higher HP engines and handles impeccably.

As the man in the asylum joke said: "I'm in here because I'm crazy, not stupid." LOL

And by the way: That's my everyday boat in the avatar. It is a 21 foot cuddy rated for 170 and powered by a mere 140--there, that's not so bad now, is it?

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

I don't scare very easy, but I think that 65 MPH in a bathtub might just do the trick!

 

[Benny1963]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

man ya play with your life when ya overpower but like frank i have a boat thats a bit of a freak but i watch myself and have run bunches of motor on my boat ,currently runnin 175 crossflow on 17ft mckee hull with mods
have run from 50 to 175 hp on this hull and its rated at 140 but the mckee
is not a tracker, probaly wont float well , its the weight that hurts certain hulls so if you were to run a heavy motor on a boat that wont float it then
pull it to 60 mph you will probaly have serious probs , i have overpowered 4 or 5 boats and to be honest it has not givin up much to the good .just wasted time ,modding the proper motor and getting the setup right will yeild all the speed the boat can handle ,im currently ,trying to repower my mckee with
a 140 looper , its not woth it if ya want to run faster get ya a hull
for that 115, viper or old checkmate or something solid that will let ya use it
best of luck

 

[EARLS BOAT]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

that sounds like something i would do if i could afford it. thats got to be quite a ride!!you only live once might as well have fun. i have a 70 horse rvinrude on my bass tracker i can only go 33-35mph one day i will add a power tilt and trim unit and maybe go a little faster. if anybody wants to donate one holler at me hahaha!

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: Overpowering a tracker bass boat??

For safety and insurance sake you should stay within the max rating for the boat.