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I am looking at buying a 13' sport. I have a couple of questions about what motor I should be looking for. I tried to do a search, but it really didn't come up with anything. I have been looking for a little fishing boat for my son and I. I always knew that Boston Whalers where good boats, but I have fallen in love with the little 13'. Anyways I am coming home from Iraq VERY soon and want to surprise my son with a little fishing boat for us. He will be 7 in a couple weeks. I really don't know anything about boats, and boat engines, and everything that comes with them. I am a car guy. Anyways any help would be MUCH appreciated. I want the best boat for our needs.
I should probably start off with what I want to get out of the boat. It will mainly be used to fish with. I live in Savannah so it will mostly be used in the intercostal (if I need a bigger boat for this please let me know!), and where ever else we can find to go fishing. Sometimes I will be taking out friends. But it will just normally carry myself, the wife, and my boy. The things I am looking for are reliability, low costs all around, and speed. I want the boat to do like 35 mph. If I can get 40 mph out of it I would be thrilled. Of course it will be kept tamed, but when I am out with the guys or myself I would like for it to cruise around pretty good.
I would also like to mention that what ever motor I get will already be on the boat when I get it. I have found a lot of 13' whalers. It pretty much comes down to what motor is on it.
1. What is the biggest you can put on? I have seen a bunch with 50 hp. But I know that weight vs. hp also plays in. Which brings me into my second question.
2. Do I want a bigger engine or a lighter engine? I am confused at where it starts to make a difference.
3. 4 stroke or 2 stroke? What is the difference in performance, weight, reliability, fuel costs, and maintenance costs?
4. New vs. Old? Should I go with a good "older" rebuilt motor or a newer motor? How big of a difference is there between older motors and new motors. A lot of the boats I am looking at have motors from the 80's. Some even the 70's.
5. What motor is going to get me out of the whole shot fast, plane quickly, and top out well.?
i have a 13 foot sport that i am converting to a super sport. It has had a 50 hp mercury on it since 1986. It had 35's and 40's on it from 81 to 86. The fifty that i have has always moved it quite nicely. when my father owned it he had a cop buddy of his radar gun it on a canal and the cop told him that is was going 47 mph. So a 50 will push that boat along. We also have a trolling motor on it and i have grown up on that boat and have done a lot of bass fishing on it . Since i have inherited the boat i am going to leave that motor on there. I have never seen any problems with it. Heck i know of a guy down the road from me that put a 75 on his.
I would go with what you feel comfortable with. A 40 is very sufficient. Personally i think 50 is overkill. But i am just leaving mine alone. If it was ever to take a dive i would replace mine witha forty . But i will say that it is nice to scoot. good luck
Welcome to WC. Does your wife like to fish? I hope so, because a 13 gets really small for 3 people, for any length of time. While she may be able to hang out in the Bow if you put cushions up there, it's still only 13 feet long. If you are really going to carry 3 people the majority of the time, you might consider a 15 for the space. If it really will be you and your son, with the wife along sometimes, then the 13 might do.
For speed, it seems that a 13 will only go so fast, no matter if you put a 20 or a 60HP on the boat. Will your son use the boat solo? If he doesn't now, will he in the future? If so, you may want to tame down the engine on the 13 and if you find in a couple years that you and your friends are using the boat more than you and your son, then step up to a 16/17 with a 100HP which would be faster and a much more comfortable ride, and able to fish bigger water than the 13.
Maybe you should look into getting a 15 footer, if speed is what your looking for, and you`ll regularly be taking out 3 people. The 13 footer is my favorite , although with the bottom shape it was not designed for speed. 40mph may be achieved in a 13 footer, with a light load and the right prop, but it is easily achieved in a 15 footer with the same engine.
rich
13 is a great boat, especially for a 1st boat and a tight budget. A 25hp will do 30mph. A 40hp will do about 35mph and a 50 might hit 40 on a good setup. 47 is not achievable in a 13' without serious HP and hull mods. A 15 will handle more people with more comfort and give the same speeds as a 13' but will cost double and is a little less stable at rest. A 15' with a 70hp will do 47 if setup right...mine did over 48 on the GPS. The great thing about a small Whaler is if you buy it right, you can use it for a couple yeras and sell it for what you have in to it. Good Luck.
