On Fri, 09 Apr 2004 05:11:02 GMT, "DAVID MC CARVER"
wrote:

I have ordered a new aluminum boat for catfishing and am not interested in
200HP motors or getting 25 miles down the lake in 30 minutes. I would like
the hull to plane out and not feel sluggish under power. The new boat will
weigh 500 lbs. and perhaps 1000 to 1200 less motor when loaded. I would like
to put a 25HP on it but am afraid that's a little light. I notice that some
similar boat packages have 25s on them. Does anyone have any advice?

The old rule of thumb (see Weston Farmer) is that you can plane 35-40
pounds with one horsepower. Your 1200 pounds would take a 30hp motor.
by the time you add the weight of the motor, and that outboards aren't
as efficient as the inboard installations that Farmer was probably
thinking of, you might try a 40 or 50. If it's a flat-bottomed boat,
it might plane on a little less, a deep-V a little more. This is only
a rule of thumb -- a lot has to do with the shape of your boat's
bottom.

By the way, I believe Farmer wrote that a displacement hull can push
400-500 pounds to hull speed with one horsepower.

- Rick Tyler
--
"Ignorant voracity -- a wingless vulture -- can soar only into the
depths of ignominy." Patrick O'Brian