Convert runaboat to twin outboards?

[Captrsq]

Just bought a '72 Del Magic Tri-hull. It is a fixer-upper, but the motor won't start. The motor is a '74 115hp Mercury. I'm thinking about retiring and do not want a motor I have to work on all the time. I would like to have new twin outboards- (am really anal retentive about not being stranded) and am only a recent convert to bass fishing. Does anybody sell the equipment I need to convert? I can't find anything by searching the internet so far, and didn,t find anything searching this forum. I'm not really in a hurry when I'm fishing, as long as the boat will get up on plane, so I was thinking about 2 small (small enough to dismount by hand) motors. Am I nuts?

 

[Capt. T]

Re: Convert runaboat to twin outboards?

In a word... yes, for the following reasons:<br /><br />1) Two engines of the size you describe will NOT get that boat up on plane. There's a reason why someone put 115HP engine on it and 20HP (assuming twin 10HP) will NOT do it.<br /><br />2) Twin engines of any reasonable size (say 25HP) will cost far MORE than the boat is worth and considerably more than a single engine of equal HP. <br /><br />Just buy a new 4 stroke O/B (imho - buy a 115HP, nnobody ever said "I bought too much motor") and a cell phone.

 

[ddaigle]

Re: Convert runaboat to twin outboards?

You would probably be better off with a single large outboard and then mount a small kicker motor on a bracket to the side. There are even kits to link the small motor to the big motors steering system. Check here in iboats mall.

 

[JB]

Re: Convert runaboat to twin outboards?

Good advice above, Dan.<br /><br />An EFI 4 stroke 115 from Johnson, Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda or Mercury is very user friendly and reliable, not to mention smooth and quiet.<br /><br />A small kicker, 8hp or more, will provide insurance against being stranded.<br /><br />Welcome to iboats, and don't be a stranger.

 

[Captrsq]

Re: Convert runaboat to twin outboards?

Thanks for the advice fellows. It seems to be the consensus of everyone I know. The idea about a kicker is really what I needed, I just didn't know I needed it. Thanks for taking pity on a lubberly novice.