replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

[trieve]

do you think aa 25 hp yamaha or honda 4 stroke would be enough power for my 13 ft whaler i'm thinking of getting rid of the electronics and all the steering mechanism and going with a manual start with a tiller. what do you think ?

 

[Scaaty]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

EXCELLENT choice. Those motors are just as powerful and quiet (half the noise with a 4 stroke) ...do it with no regrets

 

[JB]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

Ditto, Robby.<br /><br />I have used everything from 9.9 to 50 hp on Boston Whaler 13s and my favorite is 25hp. <br /><br />You can expect a top speed of around 25mph with three people on board, and that is plenty fast for a 13' fishing boat.

 

[pine island fred]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

Just hung a new motor on my 14 mc kee craft. boat looks very similar to a whaler. was going to hang a 25 merc 2 stroke but the local dealer had trouble getting one. ended up installing a 30 johnson 2 stroke and am now glad i got the extra 5 hp. i dont care for speed, just get me on plane. performs fine with wife,i and cooler but anyone else and performance might be marginal. my boat is heavier than i thought. what is the max h.p. rating on your whaler ? try to get it right the first time, especially with the extra weight of a 4 stroke. you dont have to go full throttle if you opt for a bit more power. regards fred

 

[steelespike]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

The old saying goes ... you dont usually here a boater say "Boy I wish I had less power"<br />Your little boat doesnt need much just be sure it is enough for your boating needs..

 

[JB]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

Don't disagree with you on that, Steelspike, but I have heard boaters say they wished their boat handled better, didn't squat so much at rest and used less fuel.<br /><br />The BW 13 is a very light boat. It will plane with a good 9.9 and one aboard. <br /><br />My objections to the 40 and 50 (same weight) was that the boat was stern heavy and prone to pirouette on maneuvering in tight quarters. It was also too thirsty and far too fast for safety when opened up (which I didn't do a second time).<br /><br />I stick with my recommendation of 25hp. The new lightweight Honda 25 would be a wonderful engine on that boat.

 

[pine island fred]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

ok, i can agree with he 25 4 stroke but wonder if it is wise to go to tiller control. heavier motor, you have to stay in the back, our afternoon thunderstorm come up on schedule. you are not that far away from pine island sound and i know it has to get VERY rough out there. i would keep the remote steering and controls. would be more comftorable keeping some weight forward. however , not sure if the smaller h.p. 4 strokes can be set up with remote. regards fred , buy the way JB , you were right on your advice on h.p. selection on 14 mc kee craft. 25/30 is just right.

 

[MarkCz]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

I have a 13 whaler and had a 25hp 2 stroke that was plenty. I removed that and the controls and put a 9.9 hp to be able to use it on a local lake (it planed with one adult and two kids). I hated using the tiller, The rear seat in the whaler is a bit too far forward and I felt I was reaching all the time. They raised the hp limit to 20 and now I am putting the steering and controls back in since I have done it both ways and like the steering setup.

 

[steelespike]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

JB, I wasnt advocating wholesale hp installation just saying be sure you have the hp you really need.

 

[JB]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

I understand, SS. No offense taken or intended.

 

[b.gagnon]

Re: replacing an old 30 hp johnson on my 13 boston whaler

My friend had an early 90's 13' whaler with a Suzuki 25 4-stroke. It performed ok with 2 people but felt a bit under powered with 3. I would go with a 40hp. With a small boat like that, you could use the extra speed when you need to get back in a hurry. Every minute counts when the fog starts rolling in!