Re: Bass Boat Max HP rating
I'm just throwing this in the mix again.
My boat is rated for a 120 hp but I'm chatting with guys on the Scream and Fly forum who have 225 hp on the same boat.
There are videos on you-tube of it going over 100 mph.
Personally I don't want to go that fast in a 16' boat, I'm hoping to prop out in the 70's.
Just saying it depends on your boat and how it was built.
My Baja or whoever mentioned an Allison can't really be compared to a little aluminum boat.
It seems to me that multiple forces need to be addressed when designing a boat. Like I said before, hull design must take into account the ability to resist the rotational forces exerted when making a hard turn. With the prop at an angle to the stern it is forcing the boat to lean, and the hull must cut into the water enough to resist going into a full barrel roll. I would presume that the max HP rating takes this into account, so by overpowering it one could conceivably flip the boat on a turn if the thrust exceeds the hulls' ability to resist.
Add in the extra weight of a large motor and the strength of the transom and you have a recipe for disaster.
Then consider the required floatation; it is supposed to keep the boat level if it goes down...the extra weight of a larger motor couldcompromise that.
When I think more about this it just doesn't seem prudent to overpower a boat.
The comparisons made with cars is a moot point as a car deals with exerted forces in an all together different way; a car deals with more lateral forces than a boat, and also has the ability to create more friction giving it a better grip (must have good tires). In fact, a car rolls opposite to that of a boat, which can actually be used in the cars' favor through sway bars and the like. Two different animals.
With a boat the turn forces the hull to lean and push harder into the water. This displaces more water which in turn exerts a greater force to hold it in place. If you overpower you risk exeeding the angle of approach thus causing the boat to roll too far and theoretically go into a full blown barrel roll. Once this happens all opposite forces are negated and you simply skip across the water uncontrollably.
Bottom line is don't overpower your boat as there are too many variables to consider.
