JohnH wrote:
On Thu, 02 Nov 2006 03:30:59 GMT, Jack Redington
wrote:


wrote:


Vic Smith wrote:


I'm already pretty much set on a 4-stroke. What I said was in answer
to the suggestion I get max rating for the boat. The 19-footer I'm
looking at is rated 90hp. I'm thinking 50hp will cost less, suit my
needs, and use less gas. But I'm not sure about that.



Oh, I know, Vic, I was simply comparing the newer 4 cycle, to the older
2 cycle. just for comparison. Don't know about the E-TECs and the like.


Boat rated for 90 and you think 50 will do? Maybe, and maybe not. How
about splitting the difference with a 75?



The problem gets to be that one does not really know how any power/boat
package is going to be until they try it and see if it performs as one
wants for the intended use. I think going with the max HP just because
one can is foolish. Unless that is what makes the package when the
purchaser wants. Of course one does not want to have a under powered
boat either. But consider this.

Lets say you know that a boat will perform the way you want with Xhp.
Plane good (no struggeling) and get you where you want to go in the
fashion you enjoy.

But the boat is also avaiable with twice the HP that you feel you would
be confortable with. You may end up paying more for gas. More for
insurance. And more for maintance only to get maybe slightly more as
resale. Beleive me most of this stuff depreciates pretty good. When one
pays say 35k for a boat package with the max hp and could have gone for
30k with somthing that would have made them just as happy. 10 years
later the price difference is not going to be that big.

So the trick is to get the combination that you need. Not what someone
else needs.

Capt Jack R..


A friend of mine owns this boat: http://tinyurl.com/y4lqo4
which, as you can see, can be powered with up to 285 hp. He has a Honda 90,
4 stroke, on it. He's happy with it, even though it's not the speediest
boat on the bay. It will plane, but not quickly. He cruises comfortable at
about 18-20 mph, and has no desire to go a lot faster. He does a lot of
trolling, gets good gas economy, and is most satisfied.

Your philosophy works.

Nice looking boat - And thanks :-)

Capt Jack R..