Quote:
Originally Posted by Montauk17
Sounds like he wants to stay with a 90 hp....a 20' hanko will laugh at a 90.
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You pick the hp based more on the weight than on the length. 90 hp will do fine with a 2000 lb boat with an average load (additional 800-1000 lbs fuel, persons, ice, equipment). A 3000 lb boat with a similar load is gonna need 140 hp.
A 20-21 foot boat with 0.125" aluminum plate is gonna weigh in at close to 2000 lbs. Some of the more serious custom builders are using 3/16" plate which will push the weight closer to 3000 lbs. Sea Ark has several 3000 lb boats in this class, and they spec a minimum motor of 100 hp to get up on plane, with a max power of 225 hp. I'd probably lean toward 140-150 hp as my preferred tradeoff (fuel, performance) for this class of boat.
But once you've got a 3000 lb boat, a lot of things get harder, because the total tow weight when you're going fishing (boat + motor + fuel + ice + gear + trailer) is pushing 4500 lbs and you're out of the weight range to tow it with the average SUV/light truck to needing a work truck or Suburban 2500 to tow it comfortably (or you are toasting trannys and brakes regularly). So, I'm leaning more toward a boat in the 2000 lb class that I can power with 90-100 hp and pull around with a Honda Pilot by keeping the total tow weight at 3000-3500 lbs. If one of the custom shops is happy to work with 0.125 aluminum plate, I'm sure we can find the sweet spot for me.
Truth is, I'm not gonna get approval to buy a boat that requires a big new truck to tow it around.
I've confessed, Are y'all happy now?