can you put on a long shaft onto boat with short shaft now...?

[bluebrownie]

got a 12 foot deep v heavy aluminum boat...real heavy... my 15 hp gamefisher is a shortshaft, but doesnt' push it all that well... have a chance to get a johnson tracker
20 hp with 20inch shaft... i think that'd make it a long shaft????? but can i put that on my boat

 

[JB]

Re: can you put on a long shaft onto boat with short shaft now...?

You can, but the extra drag from the leg sticking down below the boat would probably make it slower than your 15.

 

[cbar423]

Re: can you put on a long shaft onto boat with short shaft now...?

you can use a long shaft but looking from the back of the boat you want the top of the prop to be a inches below the keel of the boat. If the long shaft is to long shim up the motor on the transom to make the prop be in the correct location. If the short shaft prop is currently below the keel I would stay with short shaft.

 

[Sea18Horse]

Re: can you put on a long shaft onto boat with short shaft now...?

No chance you can find out why your twelve foot aluminum boat is so heavy? Water logged flotation foam? Hard to imagine any 12' boat too heavy for 15hp. What hp is the boat rated for?

Cheers...................Todd

 

[1946Zephyr]

Re: can you put on a long shaft onto boat with short shaft now...?

Yea, I haven't yet seen a 12' aluminum boat too heavy for a 15hp motor. Most 12' aluminum boats are overpowered with a 10hp.

 

[BonairII]

Re: can you put on a long shaft onto boat with short shaft now...?

A 12' aluminum being "really heavy" sounds a bit odd. Either you are terribly weak or you've got a waterlogged boat IMO. You can use a longshaft as long as you install some kind of jackplate to mount your motor higher. If you are getting some killer deal on the bigger motor...I would go for it. If you aren't handy....commercial jackplates are not cheap.