light evinrude 50 on a 13 foot whaler

[pcrussell50]

this is a follow-on question to one i asked earlier about which year of whaler they switched to 20" transoms, and i got that answer, thanks.

i also got an answer from someone who tried a 50 on it, when it's max rated power is 40. he said he did not like it, but did not say why.

in know that the '75 evinrude 50hp is lighter than the 2009 merc 40hp it comes with, [by a lot] and of course it's a lot lighter than the max engine weight in the specs.

so i wonder what would be so bad about it other than the possible stress of the extra thrust from the greater power. i wouldn't imagine that the 10 extra horsepower would cause "scary speed", although i suppose it could stress the transom more.

thoughts?

-peter

 

[5150abf]

Re: light evinrude 50 on a 13 foot whaler

You got it, it is stress on the transom not hanging weight that will mess it up.

My boat is rated for a 70 but I could easily hang a 150 on it with no problem, until I put it in gear and ripped my transom out, so hang weight is the least of it.

10 horse isn't alot but I think it may be just enough that over time it could cause problems and on a boat that small I bet you notice the extra 10 but in the end it is your boat so you can do whatever you want.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: light evinrude 50 on a 13 foot whaler

even on a whaler 13, 50 hp is too much. wot it would get real squirrely, and hard to control, for the average boater.

 

[JB]

Re: light evinrude 50 on a 13 foot whaler

I tried several engines on my Classic '73 Sport 13.

First was a JohnnyRude 40. The boat was very fast. . .about 40mph, and verged on chine walking.

Then I tried the 50, for the same reason you are thinking about . . .I had one. That scared me. My GPS said 45 when I backed off. Boat was all over the place and in danger of crashing.

I ended up powering her with a Johnny 25. She handled better, used a lot less fuel and would still make 25mph, which is pretty quick for a 13' boat.

I recommend that you find a classic 15' Whaler Sport, Super Sport or Striper for your 50. My Striper 15 was good for 35mph with a Johnny 48SPL.

 

[pcrussell50]

Re: light evinrude 50 on a 13 foot whaler

thanks guys, for the great answers. you have me convinced that 50hp is probably too much for a 13.5 foot whaler. It was suggested that the 15.5 footer would be the one to hang a 50 on, however I think that boat would be just a wee bit too long for my available space, and more than I need sizewise, as well. so if I ever get a little whaler, frugality might dictate that I start with the 50 I already have, and just stay away from the top end while I search for an affordable, but good, 40.

-peter
Santa barbara, ca

 

[David Greer]

Re: light evinrude 50 on a 13 foot whaler

I stil have my 1964 13' whaler. Had to get a new motor when my original evinrude fastwin 18 broke a shift lever; went to a 1972 merc 200. Although mine wasn't the fastest growing up, I saw what others have. 33 was very popular back then.

40 is max

50 is way too much

25 is a good ride. Practically speaking, it's a one or two man boat, great for children. With a 25 three children can ski behind it.

 

[pcrussell50]

Re: light evinrude 50 on a 13 foot whaler

well, just to report on how this ended up for me...

i was shopping for a 13 foot whaler, [really 13'4"], max rated power of 40hp. whalers, even used ones, are quite expensive so for purposes of frugality, i was going to try to find one engineless, and hang my light old evinrude 50hp on it. since it's a '75, it isn't really 50 modern-era horsepower anyway, [i was rationalizing ].

anyway, all that was moot, since there are soo very few good used ones to choose from anyway. and 15 footers are even more scarce. so i finally found my "creampuff" 13 footer owned by an elderly couple in fresno, [landlocked, fresh water only]. it has a yamaha oil injected 40hp 2-stroke on it.

and man-o-live! JB was dead right a couple of posts above...

with just two of us on board, it FLIES. also, just like JB says, lightly loaded, 40hp is enough power to go too fast for it's hull capability. no way to run full power in even a mild 2-foot sea, with only 1 or 2 onboard. it would have to be nearly flat and even then, it might chine-walk. and can you even avoid chine walk with proper steering technique, like the bass boat hulls that were actually designed to go that fast? i don't want to find out. BUT being a whaler, you can put 6 people in it, even as a 13'4"er. so i imagine that if you load it down near it's max rated load, you might be glad you have 40hp so you still get up on plane. i don't go long distances or for a long time, so i'm not so worried about fuel consumption. 5 or 6 gallons will last me a month.

that's all. you guys, especially JB, were right.

-peter