Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

[jwinte6]

Looking at purchasing a 19 foot 1994 roughneck flat bottom boat with a 2004 50 hp mercury tracker outboard motor. Is this motor going to be big enough for the boat? It will be used on the river. The boat has a steering wheel.

Their asking price is 4000. Is this a reasonable price or high? What would you offer?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

depending on the weight of the boat. what is the max hp rating for the boat. the rule of thumb, is less than 70% of rated hp, will not perform well. if the boat is rated for a 70 hp the 50 is minimum.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

The manufacturer lists the max hp at 105.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

It sure as heck wouldn't be for a "Vee Hull". You might get by on a flat bottom but better check the HP rating and as suggested don't go less than 70% (75% in my view).

 

[kandil]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

I would keep looking for another boat

 

[mthieme]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

Since it's basically a big jon boat, the 50 might be okay - depending on what you plan to load it up with.
But personally I wouldn't pay $4K on this boat.

 

[mickjetblue]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

That's a nice big jon boat, and would be really stable.
If, and I mean a big IF the motor is in excellent condition,
along with the boat in very good condition,
I'd go $3k.
So, where is this boat?

 

[mrdancer]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

Assuming that is the Lowe Roughneck 1960 mod-V flat bottom, that is a good boat. It is lightweight, yet extremely tough. I ran one with a 60hp Merc Bigfoot and it was plenty of power - you could load the boat down with plenty of weight and it would still jump up on plane. It had some broken welds near the transom, but was easily repaired with a little welding and boat is still running strong. The newer style of Roughnecks are pretty worthless compared to the older ones.

Boats with narrow hulls don't seem to require as much power to get performance. I'm running a 2560 w/ a 115 Merc four-stroke that will still get on plane with a dozen people on board, although it does have a custom prop on it.

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

Being basically a non-planing hull, you will be fine. I have seen 50s on 24' Carolina Skiffs before that pushed them fine...not fast, just fine.

 

[mrdancer]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

Being basically a non-planing hull, you will be fine. I have seen 50s on 24' Carolina Skiffs before that pushed them fine...not fast, just fine.

Err... the Roughneck is a PLANING hull...

 

[fishmen111]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

Err... the Roughneck is a PLANING hull...

I do not know the boat, but the OP called it a flat bottom. Because a typical flat bottom will only sink a couple of inches when stopped, it takes very little power to raise it back. Around here, generally considered a non-planing hull.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

The boat would be a planing hull, not a non-planing hull. If it were a displacement hull, it would be able to go faster than its "hull speed,"

Assuming that the waterline length of his boat is about 17 feet, hull speed would be about 5.5 knots. Since the boat obviously goes faster than that, it is rising upward, out of its own bow wave, and is planing.

 

[mrdancer]

Re: Will a 50 horsepower motor be enough for a 19 foot boat?

I do not know the boat, but the OP called it a flat bottom. Because a typical flat bottom will only sink a couple of inches when stopped, it takes very little power to raise it back. Around here, generally considered a non-planing hull.

Actually, it is about the easiest-planing hull there is. Even though it only drafts a few inches, it still "rises" out of the water under power and planes out. This is why they make ideal workboats, they can carry a heavy load and still get on plane easily.