Horsepower Question...

[HollaGeo]

What happens if you put an outboard engine with more horsepower than the recommened horsepower on a boat? I am being conserative...Boat says 10h.p. and I put a 15h.p. engine on???

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Horsepower Question...

The boat will go faster.

 

[HollaGeo]

Re: Horsepower Question...

I am concerned that the extra weight will make the boat look like it's doing a wheelie. How is the recommened h.p. rating rated?

 

[diesel5599]

Re: Horsepower Question...

Googling brought me right back to this forum:

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=204174

 

[Mr South]

Re: Horsepower Question...

2nd post made me laugh

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Horsepower Question...

What happens if you put an outboard engine with more horsepower than the recommened horsepower on a boat? I am being conserative...Boat says 10h.p. and I put a 15h.p. engine on???

What's very likely in that situation is that you'll soon get yourself in trouble with that boat. Boats rated for 10 hp are not speedboats. They get really squirrelly when you increase the horsepower by 150%.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Horsepower Question...

I am concerned that the extra weight will make the boat look like it's doing a wheelie. How is the recommened h.p. rating rated?

Actually, a 15 hp Johnson or Evinrude weighs exactly the same as a 9.9 hp Evinrude. And it'll get you in trouble PDQ. Boat manufacturers, especially in the smaller types of boats make their recommendations very carefully. It doesn't take much to turn a 12' little boat into a dangerous boat for the driver and its passengers.

And guess what? The lake patrol people know that 12' boats aren't rated for 15 hp. They'll bust you for it.

 

[HollaGeo]

Re: Horsepower Question...

What will happen if I put a 15h.p. on a boat rated for 10h.p.? Is that a death sentence?

 

[security6]

Re: Horsepower Question...

If the DNR police see it, you'll get a ticket (at least in Wisconsin).

 

[FunInDuhSun]

Re: Horsepower Question...

Put 9.9 decals on it.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Horsepower Question...

Put 9.9 decals on it.

That trick never works. Every DNR or other lake patrol person knows the difference in performance between a 10 and 15 hp on a boat that is rated for 10 hp.

If your little 12' aluminum boat is going down the lake at 20-25 mph, you'll get a visit by the guys with the lights on their boats. They'll check the model tag on the outboard and you're busted.

Bottom line is that the price of a 14' aluminum boat that's rated for 15-20 hp is about the same as a 12' boat rated for 10 hp. At least it is in my market, which is chock full of little aluminum boats.

Why court trouble?

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Horsepower Question...

What will happen if I put a 15h.p. on a boat rated for 10h.p.? Is that a death sentence?

It could be, actually. Most of the boats rated for 10hp are 12' aluminum boats. With a 10 hp on a properly set up boat like that, you'll do about 15-18 mph on plane. Put a 15 on the back and you'll do well over 20 mph.

Those little aluminum boats are not designed to go that fast, and they get pretty squirrelly at that speed. They're basically rowboats, really. It's not a safe thing to do, actually.

If you want to go fast, I suggest buying a boat designed to do that. Forcing a design to do what it isn't designed to do is never a good idea.

 

[mike343]

Re: Horsepower Question...

The poster seems not to be in doubt. But an increase from 10 to 15 hp is an increase of 50%