NEWBIE qustion: Seamax 380HD, 14' what motor should I buy??

[Fish&fry04]

Hi all;

I am new to boating and new to the forum, I have not bought anything yet, and am hoping to get some advice from the wise.

Family of 4 (two boys are pre-teen).
Leaning towards Seamax 380HD 14', for portability and stability.
Uses: bow river floats, lake fishing, LIGHT tubing.

Boat motor max hp is listed as 25hp (15" shaft). (saturn boat max is 40hp, not sure why the difference?)

I have posed questions on other forums and many say a 25hp on the seamax can pull a tube, not super fast, but can.

Some even say they have pulled skiers on same or less hp!

Should we go 2 stroke or 4 stroke? (Alberta & BC lakes) like Travers res, Kookanusa,

Should we get detachable planing plates to help?

Looking for boat/motor combination that will give us most flexibility.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Fish&fry04

 

[M9.9]

Re: NEWBIE qustion: Seamax 380HD, 14' what motor should I buy??

Hi Fish&fry, Not sure where your located Can/USA but, Saturn Inflatables are not recognized by Transport Canada, SeaMax boats are. I'm about to purchase the same boat (Seamax 380 at 13.5') from Vancouver and have it shipped to Ontario. I purchased a 2003 Merc 9.9from a dealer who accepted it as a trade-in from an older man for a larger motor (15 Yam) to be used on a small allum.

These are light, well buoyant boats and do not take a bunch of power to push them at a good clip; their weight capacity is excellent and portability has both good and not so good points depending on the space available for storage and use-frequency. If you plan on using it for skiing go to the upper end of power capacity, keep in mind 4 stroke engines can be top heavy, and are almost twice the weight as 2 stroke. If I remeber correctly, Seamax do not recommend these boats for river rafting as their too rigid with an alluminum floor.

Assuming the lakes you plan to use it in are Not 2 stroke restricted, I'd go with a two stroke short shaft 25 and drill a mounting hole for each engine leg, fill w/Marine grade silicon and bolt using stainless steel bolts, lock nuts and washers. I would lessen the power (weight) if I were to use a four stroke engine.

 

[mpj76]

Re: NEWBIE qustion: Seamax 380HD, 14' what motor should I buy??

Not exactly your situation, but maybe it can help form an opinion. I have a saturn 15' with suzuki 25 hp four stroke. I load it down with two or three divers and gear (two tanks ea). I propped it and trimmed it for optimum performance via GPS. It planes easily at low speed and cruises nicely at around 13-17 knots depending on conditions. Full throttle breaks about 22 knots loaded. I'm happy with it. The four stroke is heavier for sure, but it doesn't stink, I get 10 miles to the gallon, and it starts on the first or second pull. I would skip the plates. I've never had issues planing with even just two people on board. You'll typically have enough people or stuff to balance a load. Inflatables plane easily. To give you an idea of my weight distribution, my boat has the 6.6 gallon fuel tank by the transom. Me and my buddy sit on top of a huge (empty) cooler that is pressed between the pontoons. Our two spare tanks are in the very front laying down while our other two tanks (4 total) are assembled in the middle of the boat.

I do all of my boating in the ocean. I usually go out in two feet or less waves although I've experienced 8-10 ft swells (won't be doing that again!). Given the handling characteristics of my boat, I could not use the extra 15 hp that a 40 hp motor would bring. Unless it's glass flat, I have to slow down or the waves absolutely beat the snot out of the boat and gear on board. That being said, when I'm in glass smooth water going 15 knots, I wish I was going 30.