Motor for an 18ft pontoon

[skippy947]

Hi,


I'm looking at buying a used 1998 Palm Beach pontoon. The owners have a 25 hp Nissan motor on it that he is including. My wife and I are planning on using this pontoon on a meadium size lake for crusing and fishing... not pulling skiers or tubes. Is 25 hp motor good enough for this or should we go bigger? The owner of this pontoon lived on Lake Winnebago in wisconsin which is a large lake and used the 25 hp. We meet with him this sunday to look at it so any help on the motor size before we see it would be great. Thanks!

 

[lncoop]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

The 25 should be okay as long as you don't mind cruising slow. I had an 18' with a 50 and it would do around 18mph at WOT. Just be sure and take it on a long test run with the owner. You'll know pretty quick if it will work for you. Be honest with yourselves, because an 18 footer with a 25 could be a little tough to unload if you buy it then end up not liking it.

 

[skippy947]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

Ok thanks! this would be our first boat so that is good to know

 

[lncoop]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

Very welcome. One other thing to consider; make sure there is someone within reasonable proximity who can work on Nissans. Assuming there is, check with them regarding availability of parts. I dont know if it's true, but I've heard that finding parts for Nissans more than ten or fifteen years old can be a problem. That may not be the case at all, but it wouldn't hurt to ask beforehand. Also, check the compression on the motor while it's still cold. There are all sorts of iboats posts on that. You can borrow a compression tester from Auto Zone.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

I would not have anything less than a 40/50 especially on bigger water. 25 is simply too small. My 18 footer has a 40 Suzuki four stroke. 18 - 22 MPH depending on loading.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

Neither would I. I got rid of my 18' with a 50hp because in addition to being too small for our needs it was too slow. Not that we party barge owners feel a need for speed, but tubing behind the 90hp is much more fun for the kiddos. That said, I know people with that configuration (18' w/25hp) who are perfectly happy with it. All depends on what you want. I do have a feeling the 25 will end up being a deal breaker once they test drive it though.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

Drive the boat and see what you think, it will be obvious real quick if it is going to be enough.

Another thing is to see what the max HP is for that boat, you can't put just any engine on it, there is a max HP that you have to follow.

If you decide to get the boat and want to repower check on prices in your area, it may work out that it would be cheaper to keep looking and find a boat with a larger motor already on it.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

Drive the boat and see what you think, it will be obvious real quick if it is going to be enough.

Another thing is to see what the max HP is for that boat, you can't put just any engine on it, there is a max HP that you have to follow.

If you decide to get the boat and want to repower check on prices in your area, it may work out that it would be cheaper to keep looking and find a boat with a larger motor already on it.

Capacities vary of course, but I think 50hp is about the max on that size barge. I personally believe you'll end up moving on in search of one with a bigger power plant. But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't check this one out. The best case scenario is you love it and end up with a very economical rig. The worst case is you meet someone new, get a nice boat ride, and walk away wiser due to the free knowledge you've obtained.

 

[eds3172]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

I am having just the opposite problem. I have an 18' pontoon with an older large heavy 70hp on it and it is too much. It rides very low in the back and everyone has to ride up front. Now I am looking for a 35-50hp to swap it out with.

 

[mike243]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

i have a 18' with a 50 merc on it & run about 21 mph with a lite load,it is rated for a 75hp but im ok with the speed as i knew it wasnt a speed demon when i bought it,as high as gas is the electric trolling motor is plenty fast when moving small distances ,i dont pull tubes & just fish from mine & maybe a swim once in a while,good luck & buy what you can aford to operate as much as you want too ,mike243

 

[pugbro]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

I have to agree with 5150...The best thing to do is go check out the boat and see if it is what you would be happy with. I have a 20 footer with a 40hp Johnson..When I bought the boat I just knew a bigger motor was in my future, but after cleaning all the garbage off the bottom of the tubes, me and that ole 40 do just fine...No need for speed, too old to get in a rush.

KEEP IT FUN...KEEP IT SAFE!

 

[skippy947]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

We did buy the pontoon.... after trying it , the 25hp was just fast enough for what we wanted to do ( fish and just cruise around ) It's rated for up to 60hp... but I think to much for an 18 footer... thanks for all of your help!

 

[lncoop]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

Great! Welcome to boating. Some on here will regale you with stories of the old days when a 25 horse outboard was a beast. Just think about how big your grins will be when you cruise by all those people at the gas pump. Now that you have your rig I'll tell you what's loads of fun. Once you've familiarized yourselves very well with it take it out night fishing. Make sure you have all the necessary safety gear of course, then throw in some refreshments and a couple of drop lights for fishing. I've taken a sleeping bag and pad and gone to sleep right on the boat when I got too tired to fish. You can't imagine how fun and relaxing it is with all that room to stretch out.

 

[jusfloatin]

Re: Motor for an 18ft pontoon

With a 25hp you don't need a kicker for trolling.