Is this engine big enough for this boat?

[golf101]

I have gotten a few responses in response to another post (Tashasdaddy, thank you very much for you response), but I am continuing to get conflicting feedback from friends and dealers about whether a boat I am looking at has a big enough engine, and I am hoping to get some wider thoughts/input from people on this forum. I am looking at a 2006 Four Winns 224 (23') that has a Volvo Penta 270 HP engine with duoprop. It is low hours (54) and in great shape. I will likely have 6-8 people on the boat (1/2 of those teenagers or younger), and pulling 2-3 on a tube or 2 on skis (those are not included in the 6-8 on the boat). In your opinion, will this engine be big enough? Compounding the problem is that this is the only deckboat I am really interested in because it has the seating configuration I am looking for, and there is not much out there for sale in this model across the country with a larger engine, and none close to me in Georgia. Thanks for your help.

 

[haskindm]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

I am not sure that your boat is big enough, much less the engine. What does the capacity plate on the boat say? To expect a boat two carry 10 passengers AND pull 2 skiers is asking allot. You may need to revise your expectations or ask a few people to wait on shore while the others ski. I know that 12 people on any 23' boat (even a deck style boat) is going to be crowded and asking allot from the engine. I once towed in a disabled 23' boat with 11 teens on board and it looked like they had people stuffed everywhere. Remember that you need room, not only for people but their "stuff" (life jackets, drinks, towels, suntan lotion, skis, tubes, etc).

That said, performance is subjective. What may be "wicked fast" to me may be unacceptably slow for you or vice versa. The only way to know for sure is to take the boat on a sea trial and detrmine if the performance is adequate for your needs.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

I agree that 12 people (10 plus the two skiers) AND the associated ski gear (jackets, skis, ropes) will make this a tight fit. Leave half the passengers at the dock and it will be an adequate boat with nice power for skiing.

 

[tmh]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Here's a long answer to your fairly short question ...

Too many people for that boat ????? Nah - heck, family and friends out for fun on the boat - if you need space for let's say 9-10 total then that's what you need! leave some at the dock? I wouldn't. You need to get a boat that meets your needs - that's all.

First off, that FW 224 funship can hold 12 I think. heck, 4-5 in the bow EASY and 5-6 in the cockpit - why not? Barely cramped IMO (some would feel overcrowded, but I come from a big family and we pack in well). it has a wrap around bench - plenty of seating. You won't be able to have a dance party onboard with that many, but sounds like an active family+ so it's about crsuising and water sports. Souns like my rew - we load the 19' boat to max allowed capacity all the time and have a great time!

Now to your question. You're on the edge for power for what you plan to use it for. If the design is the same as 2009 model then it has a not-too-deep 17 deg. deadrise which wouks in your favor. Dry weight 4200 # PLUS all gear and people (maybe some of them a pound or two overweight) - that works against you. Duoprop - that will help get you up and going with a load.

You will not know until you test it with a load you'd expect - not so easy to do, I know. So, here's my best guess; you would have not great performance doing the things you want to do. However, I would guess you CAN pull a tube fine with that load - make sure the tube is plenty full of air. Two skiers? Maybe if they are good skiers and on two skiis. New skiiers or slalom skiers - they'll get dragged through the water unless they are good. Smaller load of people, you'd be OK I guess, still not flying out of the hole. It has a wake tower, right? that may help get skiers up if the boat is struggling. Run a lower pitch, four or five blade SS prop for a big gang and water sports and maybe you get it done pretty well.

There are certainly other sports/deck boats out there with similar layouts - but the 224 Deck is a nice one for sure. Getting one with a 5.7L fuel injected (approx. 320 hp) would be the ticket. If you can't and go with the 5.0L injected, you'll have to compromise but you may wind up OK for most things. Still guessing, mind you, with proper set up and folks sitting in the bow to move the weight a bit forward, low pitch 4-5 blade SS prop I'd say you'd be OK and have a ball. Not the fastest, not the best pull for sports, but OK.

Sorry i couldn't give you a specific answer to your question - i doubt you'll get one unless someone has the same boat/engine combo and is maxing it out like you will - maybe they could tell you with more certainty. Or tell us where you live and we'll come test it out with yuo!!!! You might have competition for the purchase though ...... Good luck - don't leave us hanging on what happens because i for one want to know if it works out. Your needs are just like ours and i do love that FW F224 from the boat show!

 

[golf101]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

haskindm: Thanks for your response. This is a deck boat that is rated for 13 people.

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

If you look at the www.fourwinns.com website, you can go to past product info and specs and find the performance of this boat with the different engine packages. Looks like the largest engine this boat came with was the 5.7 liter which, according to their stats, didn't really have that much difference in performance.

I think you'd be fine with it and the part to really pay attention to would be the propellor. You'd need to find a prop, or a buy a couple of different props and just prop it for what your use would be that day.

here is the link for the performance of that boat:

http://assets0.fourwinnsmarketing.com/past_product/specs//2006/17 224 Funship (p50-53).pdf

 

[Rogue427]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

If you boat at a place where you can leave some people at the beach like we do it makes things easyer. Some of the kids like to keep swiming. This is easy to do when grandparents or older kids come with.

 

[RotaryRacer]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

I am looking at a 2006 Four Winns 224 (23') that has a Volvo Penta 270 HP engine with duoprop.

I don't think anyonelse mentioned this.

The duoprop is probably a bigger benefit in this situation than having another 30-50 hp. The duoprop from what I have read and seen makes much better use of the available power than a single prop.

I think the set up would be fine for your needs.

 

[QC]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

I hate a crowded boat, but . . . I think the power and boat are technically enough for what you want to do. Even empty that boat may not reach 50, but it will get out of the hole well even with your big load if it is propped correctly.

 

[tmh]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Well, I'm going to disagree with some of what was said about performance. While the performance charts from the FW web site is indeed intresting, it may not have much significance on this fellows primary issue - water sports with a boat FULL of people and gear. I would expect the FW folks didn't take the boat out full of people, skiis, tubes and beers for that test. IF avg. person onboard is 125# that, plus gear will easily add 33% to the total weight. That's A LOT different.

Also, keep in mind that looking at those performance #'s you'd think "heck, no one would pay a LOT extra to upgrade to the 5.7L engine - but THEY DO. Why? two reasons - low end torque for getting out of the hole (water sports) and more umph with a big load onboard. Heck I upgraded my old boat from a 5.0L to a 5.7L for just that reason - we almost always have a boat full of people and we are almost always doing water sports. it makes a big difference - granted mine is carbed and the 5.0L had a 2bbl and the 5.7 has a 4bbl so more difference than he would see.

That said, I do think you'd get by with the 5.0 270 hp with proper propping - which isn't cheap in DP's. i'd just hate to see the OP buy the boat based on the performance #'s from the FW site and expect the 5.0l to perform 96% as well as the 5.7L - it just flat out won't with the load onboard.

 

[QC]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

That data from Four Winns is all messed up . . . I thought something was wrong because I have never seen a sub 25 foot runabout that wouldn't achieve 3 MPG somewhere in the operating curve. Look here though.

With that said, Boatest.com data on the F204 shows the same Volvo 270 engine (SX Drive) only reaching 37 MPH, so who the flip knows . . . ??? BTW, it's not the drive difference that accounts for 10 MPH less on a smaller and lighter hull . . . In fact single prop drives if anything are faster at the top end.

I still think the hole shot will be good enough with the 270 DP

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Maybe this is gonna start a firestorm who knows. Big block 7.4 is the ticket in a boat as that. Coupled to a bravo 3 or a volvo duo prop.

You want the TORQUE and hp that it gives. 5.7 is nice but to do what you want to do there is no substitutions for raw power.

Gonna burn more gas but no you don't have to go full all out all the time. Getting to a swimming spot on a lake don't mean you have to go wot.

Gonna have 12 people on the boat and pull 2 skiers your asking a lot from a motor.

One last thing i weigh 225 maybe a bit more ( wink ) young ladies 120 maybe more maybe less. Wife what i know bet shes near 180 maybe more ( hope she ain't reading this ).

So the numbers don't tell the whole story 10 people average,say 2 thousand pounds maybe a little less maybe a little more.

Pulling tubes take a lot, pulling skiers takes a lot.

Bite the bullet get the 7.4.

 

[QC]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Well chief . . . then you better get on the horn to Four Winns, and Merc for that matter . . . You can't get a 7.4 anymore period, and Four Winns doesn't offer the 496 or even the 6.2 . . .

 

[Cptkid570]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

TMH - I completely agree with your assessment. Four Winns definitely would post the most optimum numbers that they can on their website. I was just putting it out there for more info...

 

[scoutabout]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Sounds like a very nice boat. Couple of semi off-topic thoughts:

1. Make sure what you buy can accommodate those skiiers inside the boat in case you need to pull them in. That adds two to your total load if you plan to regularly pull people while at max capacity.

2. Undertaking watersports with a boat loaded to the gunwales with people is distracting for the driver and potentially unsafe for those behind the boat. Not that it can't be done but I would humbly submit 14 people is a lot for a skipper to be dealing with while at the helm during watersports. A good pre-outing briefing is a must to ensure folks aren't clambering around, blocking your sightlines or those of your spotter.

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Buddy has a 23' Stingray deck boat with 5.7, maybe 5 years old or so. It flies, even with 6-8 people and never had a problem with hole shot. Not sure I agree with the others.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Too much horsepower is never enough! Nuff said?

 

[tmh]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Buddy has a 23' Stingray deck boat with 5.7, maybe 5 years old or so. It flies, even with 6-8 people and never had a problem with hole shot. Not sure I agree with the others.

Not sure that tells him much though. Stingray boats vs. 4Winns not even close performance-wise. Stingrays are amoung the fastest for comparible size and power of any boat type, whereas 4Winns is not. Also, the Stingray you mention has the 5.7L engine we've said would defintely do the job - the one the OP is looking at has a 5.0L - thus his question.

 

[QC]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

I don't think 5.7 vs. 5.0 always favors the 5.7 . . . if the Stingray was a 5.7L then the 5.0 MPI Merc and Volvo both have more horsepower, and although I agree that the one place that higher peak torque makes a difference is hole shot, the DuoProp is still awesome and the MPIs may also have more torque, since it isn't published we don't/won't/can't know . . .

 

[chiefalen]

Re: Is this engine big enough for this boat?

Then maybe he's looking at the wrong boat. Maybe you should be looking at outboard driven boats. 2 -250 that will do what you want it to do.

Rule 1- decide what you want to do with the boat. Then go look for a boat to meet your needs.

That 5.7 ain't gonna do what he wants it to do.

My 140 hp 19 footer does what i want it to do.

My 14 foot 70 hp open bow boat pulls a tube just fine and at around 30 mph with i other adult and 3 kids. On a lake.

They all do what i want them to do.

2 people in the jon boat the 3 hp gets me in to where i want close and then i use the oars to sneak up on the fish. Does what i want it to do.