12’ aluminum boat motor advice

[ka0tyk]

Long story short I’m lookin for a motor for a lil 12 footer aluminum boat. What should I be looking for? Somehow I don’t think one of those 450r’s is gonna fit. Hopefully something that isn’t terribly heavy that could be removed and stored inside when not in use. Better yet, anyone have something laying around they’d want to part with?

 

[Carlson-jet]

Looks like 15 HP max. I would repair/replace that piece of wood on the back or throw a piece of Aluminum over it. Also you want a short shaft. Not a long shaft like a sailboat uses. Be realistic about what waters you are going to be on and aware of HP restrictions.

 

[Dylan]

10-15hp is your sweet spot, though most modern 15hp outboards are just derated 20hp engines Carlson Jet has some great info there. Looks like my old Valco aluminum... great boat!

 

[LHC Kirby]

I have a small electric motor.... it use to work just fine. After sitting in the garage for 10 years... absolutely nothing. I think it’s the cables that hook up to a battery as they have corrosion in the cables ....

I used it on a 12’ plastic Sears fishing boat.

I’m in Mission Viejo... I can post a picture when I get off work and get home ... around 9am.

 

[monkeyswrench]

That looks like the kind of boat my Pops would rent when he'd take me fishing...
I never caught anything, but memories I'll never forget.
Hope you're a better fisherman than I am/was

 

[HST4ME]

15hp two stroke merc...best small outboard ever made.

 

[lavey jr]

I concur with the 15hp Merc. I’ve got a similar 12’ aluminum boat and that’s what I run. It runs great and is big enough to have some fun. It’s even got enough power to pull small kids on a knee board!

 

[merc_400r]

friend had one that he put a 25hp motor on. It hauled the mail, but you had to be on glass to really get on it. Actually got better gas millage than the 15hp because you were just putting around most of the time. He had the 25hp motor just lying around so when the original motor started having issues he just threw it on there.

 

[ka0tyk]

Wow 15-25hp. I was browsing around finding little 2-4hp 4 stroke mercs. Glad I didnt buy one of those.

 

[HST4ME]

Ive put thousands of miles on my 12foot/15 hp boat. Diminutive as it is it's my favorite boat and possibly theone I've had the most fun in

 

[RadMan]

15 hp 4 stroke are pretty freaking heavy to move alone safely by hand. For that alone I’d go with 9-10 hp
1 have a 12-ft with an 8hp merc 2 stroke and can plane with adult and 2 kids or 2 adults. With a 15hp you could get on plane with 3 adults.

 

[Ha-ha]

 

[Carlson-jet]

I just hope you, ka0tyk realize the hull was the cheap part. I have about 10 fold into the engines, trailer, oars and other accessories.
I have 3 engines and one electric motor. 2 hp Suzuki as a backup, 9.9 Merc I use for limited waterways and the 15 Merc for extra passengers and larger water. All are 2 strokes. Top speed with My 12' Valco is about 22 with the 15 and 17 with 9.9 light gear and just me. Add weight and the 9.9 is more like a fast cruising displacement hull.

 

[rrrr]

I had a little 12'er years ago, had a 10 HP on it and it did just fine. I have an additional observation, if your idiot brother-in-law decides to stand up in the bow and take a piss, be prepared to go swimming. I know this from experience.

 

[Carlson-jet]

With the little boats.. Beam is everything.

 

[Dana757]

Spent my childhood running around in one of those with a 15 Johnny. It was pretty fun with two 13 year olds sitting in the back seat.

 

[HST4ME]

Wow 15-25hp. I was browsing around finding little 2-4hp 4 stroke mercs. Glad I didnt buy one of those.

The single cyl 4 strokes are garbage..dont even bother.

 

[wettrthebettr]

Long story short I’m lookin for a motor for a lil 12 footer aluminum boat. What should I be looking for? Somehow I don’t think one of those 450r’s is gonna fit. Hopefully something that isn’t terribly heavy that could be removed and stored inside when not in use. Better yet, anyone have something laying around they’d want to part with?

View attachment 849379

I learned how to water ski behind a 12 ft aluminum boat with a 9.9 hp Merc in 1970 at 15years old

 

[Sleek-Jet]

I just hope you, ka0tyk realize the hull was the cheap part. I have about 10 fold into the engines, trailer, oars and other accessories.
I have 3 engines and one electric motor. 2 hp Suzuki as a backup, 9.9 Merc I use for limited waterways and the 15 Merc for extra passengers and larger water. All are 2 strokes. Top speed with My 12' Valco is about 22 with the 15 and 17 with 9.9 light gear and just me. Add weight and the 9.9 is more like a fast cruising displacement hull.

You can name it "Free Puppy"...

 

[TITTIES AND BEER]

we had one with 10 hp Honda used the shit out of back when I had the time

 

[badluck]

Growing up we had a 12 or 13 Gregor not sure with a 20 hp merc. 2 skis and kneeboarded behind it

 

[530RL]

A 9.9 HP merc is 57 pounds. A 15 pound merc is 99 pounds.

The Merc is the lightest I have found and not cheap at about 2200 bucks mail order.

I have an inflatable I use in San Diego bay and need to take the outboard off. If your goal is to take the outboard off and store it off the boat, a 99 pound outboard is pretty tough to sling around. It is a bitch to drag the 57 pound 9.9 across the beach.

 

[coolchange]

So what's the deal with a 9.9. I tried to explain to a friend of mine at some lakes are under 10 horsepower. He wasn't having it. Seems like a couple people make 9.9.

 

[old rigger]

Wow 15-25hp. I was browsing around finding little 2-4hp 4 stroke mercs. Glad I didnt buy one of those.

I have a '64 Evinrude Fastwin on our aluminum fisher. Runs good. Did a hot lap a few summers ago in the stadium and with my wife and I and dog, it turned in a blistering (almost) 20 mph.

 

[Times Like These]

I’ve got a Mercury 50hp on my 13’ dinghy. Scary fast and very reliable.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[boatdoc55]

The single cyl 4 strokes are garbage..dont even bother.

I 2nd this!!! Any single cyl. engine will rattle yore fillings out of yore head!!!!! I was a Nissan Marine dealer for years and would never sell a 1 cyl. to anybody. At my retirement the 8hp was the lowest hp with 2 cyl's. Spend a little more and get 2 cyl's.