Question: "Over-Horsepowering" your boat

[SCTurkeyGuide]

Guys,

I have a 1648 War Eagle with a 24hp Beavertail mud motor. Love the motor, but is not practical for tooling around the lake with the family. I have come across a good deal on a 60 Merc with power tilt and trim, and is in new condition. Less than 25 hours on it.

Question is, can my boat handle a 60hp tiller? I know it is "rated" for up to 40hp. Any and all advice is very much appreciated! Thanks guys!

Ty

[John_boy]

that's what all the 16 footers round here run. No problem with that sized motor. I run a 30 on my 15 ft.

[Aricks]

I'm running a long shaft 40 h.p. on 15' War Eagle. If you can hold it, let her loose.

[Turd Ferguson]

75 tiller on a 17 foot wareagle-- grip it and rip it--- but you better pretend to be GI joe with Kung Fu Grip come stump thirty.

[Fish]

I know a boy that outfitted his 16' PolarKraft with a 90hp Yamaha. Its a lot of motor but the boat floats level and the transom hasn't fallen off yet.

[Catdaddy]

Getting insurance will be a problem in most cases on overpowered boats.

[SCTurkeyGuide]

Thanks for the advice, gentlemen! I just got off of the phone witha buddy and here's what he said...

boats are rated for up to a certain hp not because of what the transom can handle, but because of the weight of the motor... don't want too heavy of a motor or you'll swamp your boat.

I'm not worried about the weight of the motor causing the boat to sink, but when I slow down, don't want the wake to swallow me. I guess it's the typical "6 on one side and a half dozen on the other."

Has anyone on here put a 60 on a 16 foot boat?

[Slaya]

My cousin is running a 4-stroke 50 merc on a 16' Triton with T&T and break-away plate, not too heavy. A 60 HP 2-stroke can't weigh more than a four stroke 50.

[John_boy]

that's the way the dealor sells them here. 16 foot War Eagle with a 60 Merc. Tiller. It will be fine.

[SCTurkeyGuide]

Thanks guys! My insurance man is going to have a time with this one !

[dukhntr]

Without question, it can handle a 60. In my opinion, it should be rated for a 60, and you should be asking if it can handle a 90.....which it can.

[MediaGuy]

Might be wrong but I think BB runs a 60 on his high tide

[BigBallin]

I got a 15' war eagle and ran a old Johnson 40 on it, I believe around an '83 model. Those things were heavy as Buicks but never swamped the boat, just had to pay attention when you get out of the gas and when you're in reverse...No big deal though, I say try it and if you're scared it'll sink, grab a decoy with plenty of string on it and tie the weight to a cleat so if you do sink it you can go back and find it.

[wbrown609]

Some of the 648s are rated for above a 40hp. It just depends on the model you get. My 648 LDV is rated for a 40hp. It is not skinned out and has the drop down front deck, one back bench to mount seats on, and console steering with live well. Some of the other 648 models have more options in them which allows them to put more floatation in the boat. This is why they are rated for higher hp motors. Most that I have seen have the full bench seats with underseat storage mounted in front of the back bench. This also pushes your console forward and causes you to sit farther toward the front which takes more weight out of the back. My $0.02

[Johnny Reb]

You should be fine...I run a 50 Yamaha on a 14'HighTide.