new boat, old engine. bad idea?

[68C15]

I am getting close to buying my first new boat. wife and I will use it strictly for fishing local lakes and rivers. the furthest we run across a lake is 5 miles before I deploy the minnkota or drop anchor. I currently have a 1971 15' tri-hull and want to get a 16 or 17' V hull. I have a VERY nice running 1971 Mercury 500 Thunderbolt which now has 7 years of use since new and I just did a total rebuild of lower unit/drive shaft.

my questions

1: can I buy a new boat with no motor or controls?

2: will my 50 HP move a 16 or 17' Vhull decently for 5-6 miles?

 

[tpenfield]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

1) probably

2) 50 HP will move a V hull of the same size at a more leisurely pace (slower). Since you are going up a couple of feet, then that would be even slower. it still may be OK, based on how well the 50 moves your current boat. Compare the 50 to the maximum rated horsepower of the 17' and that may give you an idea.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

1. Yes

2. Yes

I have a 17' Deep V (tin) with a 50 hp. on it an I get about 31-33 mph.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

If you buy an alum boat it surely will and your operating expenses will be lower for the whole pkg including tow vehicle costs. Packages have become popular for a number of reasons but that doesn't mean that a dealer won't sell you a boat if that's all that you want....you may have to wait for it like if you special ordered an automobile.

25mph could easily be expected and that is a nice clip for a fishing boat and you can enjoy your 5 mile ride in the process.

Do it if you plan to keep the boat. If not, you certainly will be penalized at the time of sale.

On that enigne, I bought a Mark 30 (30 hp 4 cyl) (that probably was built in the late 50's/early 60's) in the mid 80's and it was in perfect mechanical shape and really good physical shape. Ran it for several years on a 16' alum boat with zero mechanical involvement. Sold it and the guys who bought it loved it too. Did a really nice job of pushing the boat along with fishing gear or duck hunting things including my portable boat blind. I'd guess 25 was WOT...plenty peppy.....moral here: Just because your 50 is a '71 doesn't mean you are at the end of life with it.

Mark

 

[The Famous Grouse]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

You certainly COULD, but new boats aren't cheap. Why not buy a used boat that has a bad outboard?

I see plenty of these on Craigslist and they tend to go very cheaply since fewer people are willing to look at a project boat.

Grouse

 

[5150abf]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

I am with the Grouse, there has to be a really nice used boat out the with a blown lower or something that you can low ball.

You can get a boat without an engine but they normally come as a package so it may take some looking.

I would have no problem at all putting that engine on a boat, that was made back when they actually built stuff and if it only has 7 years of use it is just getting broken in.

And yes that will push a 16-17 footer, I have a heavy 16' with a 50 Evinrude and mine goes 27-30 gps too, plenty fast to run 5-6 miles.

 

[68C15]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

it moves my 1450 lb. tri-hull to 26MPH on the GPS so it may be OK. if I take out the 2 casting decks I made last winter, the 2 livewells, and 3 group 27 batteries it gets 29 MPH.

but you guys have a very good point about resale value. hmmmm, what to do.
maybe I need to drop down a bit on my wants to meet my budget.

 

[mr 88]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

What year is your 50 Evinrude as they changed HP rating from the crank to the prop at some point in time[ late 80's?,,newer ones ended up with a 10-15% increase in hp over old rating],68's is rated at the crank,big difference on a 16-17 heavy glass tri. I believe for the boat to perform decent you are supposed to be at least within 65% of the max HP rating.Again dependent on when the boat was made in relation to hp rating at the time.So if he bought a newer boat rated for 100hp he would want at least a 65 on the back and his 50 would be around 43 hp in todays formula and underpowered.
Yes you can buy a boat without controls,when buying a motor the controls are part of the pkg.When buying a boat the only control would be the steering wheel and misc switches,bilge pump.lights etc.

I would have no problem at all putting that engine on a boat, that was made back when they actually built stuff and if it only has 7 years of use it is just getting broken in.

And yes that will push a 16-17 footer, I have a heavy 16' with a 50 Evinrude and mine goes 27-30 gps too, plenty fast to run 5-6 miles.

 

[5150abf]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

Mine is an '81 so it is rated from the prop shaft and I believe they changed the rating in the later 70s and it is 70% of rated max which I am at.

My boat is rated for a 70 and runs fine with the 50, I only run for 10-15 minutes to get to my fishing grounds and then troll between spots back to the ramp so top speed has never been a big deal for me.

 

[bonz_d]

Re: new boat, old engine. bad idea?

I too would be following craigslist for a new Used boat. Here in SE Wisconsin it's very common to find nice 16-17' aluminum fishing boats that have blown or no no engines on them for very reasonable prices. Matter of fact I've been watching all summer for just the right upgrade from my 14'. With patience I will find it.