Quote:
Originally Posted by colesfamily
Thank you all for your replies.
Now I have another question...We purchased a used 12' aluminum rowboat which has evidence of having an outboard on it at one point but the seller can't tell me what size motor was on it. Do you folks think a 10hp is too large? Would a 3-5hp feel zippy enough or would it be a laggard? I'm a 190 lbs. and often I'll have others with me, at least one or two others. Thanks again.
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I had a 12-foot aluminum boat that came with a 10-HP outboard—the maximum allowed by the boat's manufacturer. Changing to a 6-HP outboard, I found that top speed dropped very little with only the skipper on board. But at the time, my navigating was mostly in quiet canals.
At the lake, a problem came up with three adults in the boat: the boat came up on plane OK, but the ride was wet, and control "iffy". Wakes, even from distant boats, were daunting. With three "up", too little freeboard remained for safe cruising in open waters. Now, we use the 12-footer only for "rescues" that we can see from shore—and even then, water conditions dictate that we stay in.
The passenger capacity listed "three-maximum", but it needed a 10-HP outboard to carry those three passengers
safely. Power
does matter with small boats.
A neighbor with a 14-foot "Feather Craft" aluminum boat with 6-HP has had the boat "in service" annually since the 1960s. It doesn't have the safety issues that the 12-foot boat has—IMHO.