what size outboard?

[deermaster]

i think i may just go with an outboard rather than a high trust trolling motor and heavy batteries.  to get me a another person on plane, say about 450 lbs of people and gear, what size 2 stroke or 4 stroke would you get?  its 15', v hull aluminum starcraft.  thanks.

[Micro]

My 15' semi-v jon planes with a 15 hp with me and my 13 year old son, all our gear.   Takes a minute ot get up on plane, but it's not a problem for me.  For that boat, I'd probably go with a 25  

[retiredbosn]

Depending on when the boat was manufactured, it should have a placard on it somewhere telling you the maximum capacity of people and horsepower for an outboard, if rated for one. If it doesn't have one, you will have to do the research to find out what it is. Federal law dictates what size engine you can have and all states will fine you for exceeding the maximum capacity of the vessel, not to mention it is extremely dangerous to overload a boat with an engine that is oversized. Here is a link that will give you a rule of thumb so to speak on the size of engine you should get, http://www.boatingbasicsonline.com/course/boating/3_7.php

If you happen to know the year and model, you can go to the starcraft website and find out the capacity limitations.  From the pic and what I can find, I'm thinking the max hp for your boat is between 15 and 25 hp.  Good Luck.

http://www.starcraftmarine.com/index.php?page=index

[SinDale]

I have a 15ft. aluminum deep V Lowe. It finished and 2 guys was difficult to get up on plane with a johnson 28hp so I upgraded to a 45 merc(classic 50). My plate is worn off so I'm not sure what its rated for, but it does just fine.

Looking at your boat, and if your not putting a floor/console/livewell, etc. then I'd assume a 25-30hp will get you up on plane nicely. If it were me I'd look for a 2 cylinder johnson because they're the lightest in that range. Make sure your transom is solid and braced appropriately for an outboard too. Good luck!

[SinDale]

Actually, after second look, the transom doesn't look that deep. a 30hp or so might be too much if its shallower. Definitely get in touch with StarCraft to find the Max rating and go with that. Whats the config of the inside? The pic appears to have a drivers console or something in the middle.

[Danonboat]

I have an old 1956 30hp evinrude on my 13ft fiberglass boat. It is the perfect size and it is almost as much fun to work on as to fish with. With a little bit of info off the internet and a 100 dollar or so motor you will be good to go. Very easy to work on with plenty of tune up parts still being made. JMO

[Way2slow]

The smallest I would put on it would be a 25 rated at the prop, not one of the older that's rated at the flywheel. That's about as large as your gonna find in a tiller steering unless you buy a new one. I think a couple of companies have gone as large as a 40 tiller.

If you plan to add a remote and steering, then I would go with a 50.

I'm not a four stroke fan because of the extra weight and the lack of performance compared to a two stroke but the small ones do get great fuel economy. I would definetly go with a 45 to 50 if going four stroke, but be very sure you transome is in good shape and add extra bracing because those older boats were not designed for the extra weight a four stroke adds.

[deermaster]

some more info:

the boat is a '63, and what i can make out of the plate, is 45 hp and nothing else.  i was told back then motors were rated for hp differently, as someone already said.  there is no floor in the boat, and im not going to put one in.  the old steering "dashboard" is going to be removed and a bench seat put there, properly braced.  i measured the transom from the top, to the deepest part of the bottom, on the outside, and got 16".  so with this info in mind, does that change anything?

[HPBB]

if you transom is 16 inches, than you will be looking at at short shaft (15inch) outboard.

I have a 15 foot starcraft V hull (1988) that has a short shaft transom my max hp is 35hp, the same boat with long shaft transom(20inch) has a max of 45hp.This is a tiller boat.  Right now I run a 15hp merc 2 stroke and with two guys ( I am about 300) bow tm , 2 batteries and gear, we get 13-14mph out of it.Just me 15mph with my dad (he is only 175lbs) get about 18 by himself

[retiredbosn]

From your last post, I would re-estimate that your max hp is 25 to 35 by today's standards.  If it were me I would opt for the smaller to keep it on the safe side.  Good luck

[surfer]

I would go 2 stroke.  I am under the impression that 4 stroke is not effective until you get above 80 hp or so.

If you add a dol-fin to the foot of the motor you can get on plane much quicker and at lower speeds.  This saves gas, weight, and money if you allow for a smaller motor.

Like this one. (not recommending this one specifically, just in general)

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat21276-cat21288-cat21370&rid=&indexId=cat21370&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=11&parentType=index&parentId=cat21370&id=0000919

I would probably look for a 20hp, but ****** anything between 15 and 25 if a deal presented its self.  Anything more and you are just adding speed.  

[detroit1]

Do you want to drive around or fish? If you can only afford 1 motor, go electric.