New Here , 3.8 meter HP questions

[Toy Nut]

I have been boating for years and have had several 9' hypalon zodaic's over 10 years ago.
For the past 2 years I have been using a sevylor Fish hunter to get out on the water with my kids, but we have definatley out grown it so I purchased a used 3.8 meter ( chinese) pvc inflatable with aluminum floorsThe boat is rated for 30HP - but I dont plan on using that size of motor. I will be using this boat to take my self 2 kids under 6 and my wife out onto small lakes for fun. I bought a used 9.9 Mercury 2 stroke for a really good price. But wonder if it will be sufficent to plane the boat and all of us . Mercury is clearing out some 2009 25 HP 2 stroke short shaft salt water series engines for $2600 can taxes and pdi inc.

I paid $550 for the boat and $650 for the 1996 Merc 9.9

I am wondering if the 25 Hp is over kill I have yet to take the boat out and plan on it this sunday morning rain or shine.

Thanks Kevin.

[thornbackflound]

Originally Posted by Toy Nut

I have been boating for years and have had several 9' hypalon zodaic's over 10 years ago.
For the past 2 years I have been using a sevylor Fish hunter to get out on the water with my kids, but we have definatley out grown it so I purchased a used 3.8 meter ( chinese) pvc inflatable with aluminum floorsThe boat is rated for 30HP - but I dont plan on using that size of motor. I will be using this boat to take my self 2 kids under 6 and my wife out onto small lakes for fun. I bought a used 9.9 Mercury 2 stroke for a really good price. But wonder if it will be sufficent to plane the boat and all of us . Mercury is clearing out some 2009 25 HP 2 stroke short shaft salt water series engines for $2600 can taxes and pdi inc.

I paid $550 for the boat and $650 for the 1996 Merc 9.9

I am wondering if the 25 Hp is over kill I have yet to take the boat out and plan on it this sunday morning rain or shine.

Thanks Kevin.

with you, your wife and 2 kids,if there small = 1 adult,depending on what weight you both ? a 25hp is better then 9.9,poodle along just fine with a 9.9,a 25 gotta be fun tho with better speeds,im no expert by a long shot,someone will be a long,,,,,wellcome and happy sibbing

[prairie tuber]

I didn't know mercury still offered 25 hp 2 strokes. I have a mid 90's mercury 'classic' 2 stroke (built by tohatsu) and has been a very good engine. I imagine they are still pretty much the same engine. The price seems quite reasonable, (although it does seem a bit odd for the outboard to be worth 5x the price of the boat . With 2 adults + 2 kids + required safety equipment + a bit of other gear (eg. a lunch cooler), a 9.9 hp would have trouble getting on plane, whereas the 25 would provide plenty of power for planing at reasonable speeds. The engine will be happier if it is not run at full WOT continuously, so it is always good to have a little more power than you think you might need. Also this way if you take an extra passenger (or extra gear) than you regularly have, you would still move along nicely.

The other consideration to make is portability. Will you be assembling and disassembling the boat with each use? I'm guessing that the 25 hp merc weighs somewhere around 110-115 lbs. Would you are comfortable with loading & unloading that weight from your vehicle? Do you have a set of launching wheels?

My experience was that with launching wheels, I simply had to load the motor from the vehicle to the transom, it was no problem. Prior to getting the launching wheels, I would have to carry the outboard from the vehicle to the water edge. Ocasionally that was a 300 meter walk over a sandy beach with a 115 lb motor, then again with the folded boat which weighed about the same, then again fuel, gear, etc. Very exhausting for me.

[rgb57]

Hello, I was wondering where it was that you saw the Mercury Outboards on sale?

[Toy Nut]

Originally Posted by rgb57

Hello, I was wondering where it was that you saw the Mercury Outboards on sale?

Hey I am from port moody as well pm me and I will let you know, these are new old stock the 2 stroke is no longer available in this engine size.

[Northern Pike]

I think there's no way you'll plane that boat with a 9.9, even if its empty. I was looking at a Mercury 2 stroke 50 HP recently. Brand new. Old style carbureted 3 cylinder. Likely one of the very last ones available. Attractive, at a little over $5000 CDN with a prop and a tiller, but I was wondering if it would be a gas guzzler. That's a great price for a 25. You should get one quick while you can. Get them to throw in a prop and a fuel tank, and test drive it with their shop tach to be sure you get the optimum prop.

[Screaming04]

I've planed a similar Zodiac Cadet with an 8hp 2 stroke carrying 450 lbs (2 large guys). We had to position ourselves forward and required a bit of time to get on step.

My prediction is that you will be able to plane if the engine is in top shape and you can get everyone to move forward when coming out of the hole.

Hmmm just looked at your length... my boat was a 10 footer, yours is 12. I still think it can be done.

[Bus_Boy]

As mentioned above, weight is something you really have to factor in here. If you plan removing the engine frequently, then i wouldn't suggest going above a 15 hp, apporx 35kg's.

I have a 2.85m Zodiac, and I have to haul my 30 Tohatsu around on my own, from the car, down the shore and on the the transom, and at 54 kg's, i am completely buggered by the time i get it all set up.

A 9.9 in my opinion is pointless. One up it may plane OK, but what's the point in struggling beyond that with any extra load. Plaining isn't just the only thing, consider the lenght of your trip, how long it's going to take you to get there with that size motor.



Take into account weight, lenght of trips, ideal cruising speed, and the manafactuers load ratings, both passenger and HP, and i wouldn't look at anything under a 25 hp.

[simsy]

quote:

' and i wouldn't look at anything under a 25 hp. '


I have a yamaha 20hp 2 smoke, in a 3.6 ali floored yam360s... I will not be looking for a bigger engine, this one is more than enough for this boat...

i guess a 25 will do nicely however, as not many 20hp about, a 9.9 will be OK, look on you tube for 10hp boats on the plane....

[Poly]

Originally Posted by simsy

quote:

' and i wouldn't look at anything under a 25 hp. '


I have a yamaha 20hp 2 smoke, in a 3.6 ali floored yam360s... I will not be looking for a bigger engine, this one is more than enough for this boat...

i guess a 25 will do nicely however, as not many 20hp about, a 9.9 will be OK, look on you tube for 10hp boats on the plane....

Indeed - my boat will be a bit heavier than that, carries a similar load and can find itself in quite exposed areas - but I've never though 20HP was inadequate.

[mirssant]

Hello
i sold my 1985 evinrude 40 hp 10 years ago i remember it was 56 kg used on my avon s'400 13 foot long it was very heavy to move from the truck to the boat, now i own a 15 hp mariner that weight 32 kg and planes very well whit 4 people me, my wife and 2 doughter (abut 250 kg) is not the same but its enough

[John Kennett]

Originally Posted by Toy Nut

I am wondering if the 25 Hp is over kill I have yet to take the boat out and plan on it this sunday morning rain or shine.

have you tried the 9.9 yet? For what you've said you want to do, you'll probably be fine.

If you want more speed then you'll need to consider the extra effort that's involved in lugging a bigger motor around. You may find that a 25 gives you great performance on the water, but that you actually use the boat less because it's too much effort to get it rigged and derigged each time.

Hmm. Maybe you need two motors . . .

[Northern Pike]

Once upon a time I was given a Merc 9.9. I then bought a Zodiac Mk II C to go with it, thinking I could stuff the whole works into my Pickup truck. I soon realized I needed more horsepower. Then I got a 20, then I needed a trailer. And so on....