14 Foot Fiberglass + 15HP OB Eska?

[cprince]

Hi all,

I have a 14 foot fiberglass boat that, according to mfgr specs, is 250 lbs. I am changing the stringer, the decking and the casting deck. I will try to keep the weight down and use the same gauge wood for replacement. I am not really adding anything.

My question is this; will my 15hp Eska plane this boat? I may run with 3 kids in it sometimes, but most of the time it will be me (215lbs) and a friend (185lbs). If you think it will; on a scale from 1 to 10, how well should she plane?
1 rating = plowing around the lake.
10 = the bow staying up with no problem

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 14 Foot Fiberglass + 15HP OB Eska?

it will get you around. the boat is rated a @ 25 hp, the motor is only 60% of the rated hp. rule of thumb for smallest motor to perform properly is 70%.

it is going to be marginal. i think all you can do is give it a try.

 

[cprince]

Re: 14 Foot Fiberglass + 15HP OB Eska?

Thanks for the reply tashasdaddy! I am a few weeks away from my first launch of my tub, so I am just trying to develop my expectations accordingly as I stare at my boat through the rain! We have not had 48 concurrent hours of dry weather in about a month! I am working outside... so I am prisoner to mother nature.

Just wondering if I am out to lunch hoping it will plane.

I remember some years ago seeing some sort of fins or little wings that go on the either side of the bow to (I assume) help a boat plain quicker(?) or better(?).

Ever hear of those? Or am I imagining those things?

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: 14 Foot Fiberglass + 15HP OB Eska?

i think you are asking a lot of a 15, but you never know.

 

[LORDY611]

Re: 14 Foot Fiberglass + 15HP OB Eska?

Just wondering if I am out to lunch hoping it will plane.

I remember some years ago seeing some sort of fins or little wings that go on the either side of the bow to (I assume) help a boat plain quicker(?) or better(?).

Ever hear of those? Or am I imagining those things?

You may be surprised. My 14' aluminum planes well with a 9.9, and even will pull a kid skier.
The fins you refer to do exist, but all I have ever seen are ones attached to the lower unit of the motor. I guess they have their place, and supposedly help get a lethargic rig to plane easier. Do a search on Doelfin and see.

 

[cprince]

Re: 14 Foot Fiberglass + 15HP OB Eska?

You may be surprised. My 14' aluminum planes well with a 9.9, and even will pull a kid skier.
The fins you refer to do exist, but all I have ever seen are ones attached to the lower unit of the motor. I guess they have their place, and supposedly help get a lethargic rig to plane easier. Do a search on Doelfin and see.

Thanks for the encouraging words! I am going to try and make the final push on my boat this week. If all goes well, I will be on the water trying out the 15hp by this or next Sunday!

The fins likely are not an option from what I have been able to read.

 

[reelfishin]

Re: 14 Foot Fiberglass + 15HP OB Eska?

On the one to ten scale, I have to say maybe a 3 1/2 at best. A fiberglass boat is generally heavier than any aluminum and with the addition of the new deck and anything else, it will be heavy for a 14' boat. Those older Eska 15 hp motors weren't a super strong 15 hp either.

I have a 12.5' Gamefisher here with a 10hp and that boat weighs in at about 140lbs plus the motor. With an old 9.5hp Evinrude, it gets on plane but struggles with just me in the boat and some tackle. It barely tries to plain with a buddy onboard. That boat is rated for a 10hp max, I had an aluminum Mirro Craft V hull 16' with a tiller steer 18 hp Johnson on it and it would move out ok but wouldn't get fully on plane unless I sat further forward, nearly beyond the center of the boat. The same for the glass gamefisher with the 9.5 hp, it would get closer to being up on plane if I used a tiller extension and sat in the middle seat, and put the fuel can up front as well.
The best set up I've found so far for small ponds and lakes in this category is a wider 12' V hull with a 9.9 HP motor. It moves really nice with a 15hp which I rebadged as a 9.9hp. It actually jumps up and stays on plane with two guys onboard. It weighs in at about 180lbs or so as a bare hull.

I did have a 15' Grumman aluminum semi v hull with a Mariner 15hp on it for a while with an 8" x 6p prop that would plane out ok with the addition of a hydrofoil, but it was slow and very weight sensitive. I later hung a 35hp on it and got it to move pretty nicely. The 15hp would only get it to about 18 mph with just me and my tackle box in the boat. Without the hydrofoil, I could get to 22 mph downstream but it wouldn't get on plane till the very top end of it's range.