Avon SR4 with 25 HP - Would it work - Page 2

Mextli · 23 August 2012, 00:06

Then i'll sell the motor, and go for a bigger one.

SPR · 23 August 2012, 00:10

if you have it the motor - try and see - not everybody is speed freaks!

SR4 are found in many sailing club as rescue boats operating 2 up - the amount if camping gear you at will determine the speed.

unless you can get good money for your 25 , and sure you an buy a reliable replacement !

S.

Mextli · 23 August 2012, 00:32

of course i will try with the 25 first... the boat im heading towards might need some restoration first though..

my motor is relatively new(2001) and i got it quite cheap.

we will see.

Danork · 23 August 2012, 08:43

I went to Fair Isle yesterday on my 4.6m rib with a 20 honda on the back. 87 nautical miles. Not fast 18knots max on journey but went ok.
So yes, I'd say 25 hp on a smaller boat would be fine. But I will be getting a bigger engine at the end of the season!
Cheers

Mextli · 23 August 2012, 08:46

Im propably gonna get a 40 HP Yamaha or Mercury, for which i can trade my old motor, so the power question will be answered.

Searider · 23 August 2012, 09:15

You'll be fine with 25hp.

Mine has a 30hp Yam and flies.

Keep the boat light (no unnecessary batteries / a frames / electronics / big anchors / 100 litre fuel tanks) and the hull clean and it will be great.

Ours goes well in all sea states 2 up and have got it planing with 3 adults and 4 (small) children on flat river water.

Your 25hp will need to be a long shaft btw.

Go for it and if/when you want more speed trade your engine for something bigger :-)

Downhilldai · 23 August 2012, 10:57

The difference between a 2-cyl 25hp Merc and a 3-cyl 30hp Yam is more than the numbers on their lids.

Mollers · 23 August 2012, 13:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Searider

You'll be fine with 25hp.

Mine has a 30hp Yam and flies.

Keep the boat light (no unnecessary battery / a frame / electronics, vhf / anchor / fuel tank, clothes, friends, phone, safety gear, small change) and the hull clean and it will be great.

Why not just put the correct bloody hp on it?

Downhilldai · 23 August 2012, 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Why not just put the correct bloody hp on it?

willk · 23 August 2012, 14:20

Buried in the many replies was a nugget of information - the SR4 needs a long shaft engine. OP - is your 25hp short or long shaft?

Mextli · 23 August 2012, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

Buried in the many replies was a nugget of information - the SR4 needs a long shaft engine. OP - is your 25hp short or long shaft?

Yup, my old boat had a long shaft transom too

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Why not just put the correct bloody hp on it?

Money.....

Nick Hearne · 23 August 2012, 16:36

Not all 17 year old have the funds to buy the right engine, get it have fun!
Anther cost effective way of using this engine would be to get anther lower pitch prop if you find the engine struggling.

Mextli · 23 August 2012, 16:41

I'll keep that in mind

Next thing to do is if i buy the avon i'm going to have a look at, is to fix the paintwork and the seating, so the Engine question is still about half a year off anyway... I was just asking if i should take the winter prices to get a new one if mine was never going to get me anywhere.

Mollers · 24 August 2012, 08:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mextli

Money.....

So, if money is tight, put the 25hp on the right sib and have a bucketful of fun. Rather than, a 50% underpowered, rather dull SR4.

Ours came with a tired 35hp Johnson and now has a Honda BF50.
These guys telling you that 25hp is fine, possibly won't have used one with all of the gee gees.

Ribochet · 24 August 2012, 08:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

.
These guys telling you that 25hp is fine, possibly won't have used one with all of the gee gees.

Boring

Poly · 24 August 2012, 09:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

If possible, always go for max design hp. You don't have to use all of it all of the time, but you'll be glad that it's there when you need it. :-)

Other views do exist!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

2 persons & a load of camping gear may be asking a bit much out of a Merc 25 on an SR4.

Actually it won't be that different from having a couple of adults on board etc. Something they regularly do in sailing clubs etc. Used for towing dinghies, rescue cover, moving people, marks etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

So, if money is tight, put the 25hp on the right sib and have a bucketful of fun. Rather than, a 50% underpowered, rather dull SR4.

but then there is no 'upgrade route'. This way he can upgrade the engine in the future. Your way he needs to flog it all and replace it.

Quote:

These guys telling you that 25hp is fine, possibly won't have used one with all of the gee gees.

Not everyone is obsessed with speed and flying off waves! Might I also suggest that in the hands of an over enthusiastic teenager a few less horses is not a bad idea!

Mollers · 24 August 2012, 09:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ribochet

Boring

Why??

Mollers · 24 August 2012, 09:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

but then there is no 'upgrade route'. This way he can upgrade the engine in the future. Your way he needs to flog it all and replace it.

IMO Poly, the best way to 'do' your cash (lose money) is to re-engine a rig. The re-engined rig is very rarely worth the whole of the extra that the replacement motor cost.
I did it 'coz I had the BF50 here to start with and bought the SR4 cheap to go with it.
I reckon, that If our man put his 25hp on the right Sib, he will have built a desirable rig with good resale. Run that for a season, save another grand and put the two together for a proper SR4.

A future"upgrade" would likely cost more money than it will add to the overall value of the rig.

Only my opinion,

but based on hard learned experience and being tight.

Mollers · 24 August 2012, 09:33

Where's Kernow 'Boy'? He's the re-engine expert. He must of changed his a couple of times this week already.

Mextli · 24 August 2012, 09:47

I have an SIB thats very light and is equipped with the max possible HP(20). It takes two people at max and then there's no space for anything else.
It goes fast.

Then i had another boat, an SIB with a hull made out of wooden plates, so it was very rigid and almost like a RIB. That thing weighted 200 kilos and went fast with 25 HP. even with my Camping Gear.

I would've kept that boat, but, since it was 40 years old, the wooden floor rotted, and one of the tubes broke beyond repair, so we decided to bin it.

Then I planned to get another boat like that, but then someone offered me a relatively cheap Searider, and i had a look at the prices of 4M Seariders, which weren't much higher than replacing my old SIB, and since it being a RIB, the problemes with the wooden floor rotting to bits, and the weight of the wooden construction were removed. A rib is much more seaworthy too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poly

Might I also suggest that in the hands of an over enthusiastic teenager a few less horses is not a bad idea!

Thats exactly how my mum stopped me gettign 70 HP on my old 4.10 SIB

The Boat will be used for covering at the sailing/rowing club, camping trips, and slow daycruises on the canal (due to speed limit there)
A few times in the year i'll propably use it on Germanys biggest river, and possibly on the north sea.

The Searider, as i have found out, is a very durable boat, and i inted to keep it for a LONG time. Plus, i can re-sell my original engine with almost no value lost, since i bough it cheap, and it is in a VERY good condition