Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Boat

[satx78247]

Friends,

I have found a one-owner 20 foot open fisherman from an estate, on a great tandem trailer & in sound condition, for cheap and I am minded to re-power the boat to use it for fishing the TX Gulf Coast & its bays.

Unfortunately there is NO outboard motor for the otherwise sound center console open fisherman AND the executrix of the estate has NO idea what outboard engine that the boat had before the death of the original owner except, "It was BIG.".

Does anyone KNOW what the original power recommendation of the Sherman, TX factory was for that hull (As Falcon is, despite their reputation for quality, evidently out of business) and perhaps some member has owned an early-80s Falcon & can tell me more about it??


THANKS for reading this.
yours, satx

 

[vollymall]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Look on the capacity plate. It may be on the console. What was there was probably 80% or more of that number. Are the controls there? If so that would tell you the brand

No reason to replace it with the same exact motor unless you just want to

 

[satx78247]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

vollymall,

THANKS for the response.

IF the Falcon 20 once HAD a capacity plate on the console. it's missing now. - That's WHY that I asked for the info here .
(MOST of these "striper boats" have been "customized"/remodeled/changed & in this case, the PO re-did the sole/stringers/carpet/etc. shortly before his death. - His niece/executrix knows ZILCH about boats & just wants it GONE.)

yours, satx

 

[Solittle]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Why not ask Falcon?

Falcon Boats

 

[GA_Boater]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Why not ask Falcon?

Falcon Boats

Dead link

 

[satx78247]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Solittle; GA_Boater,

THANKS for the suggestion. - Unfortunately, one of the two owners is deceased & the other has evidently left TX for an unknown retirement locale.
(I was told at the local Chamber of Commerce that they know of nobody, who is still in the area, who worked there. - Falcon Boatworks at its height had only 5 employees including the two owners and built their great fishing boats by hand, to order, one at a time. = Perhaps as many as 40-50 per year.)

So far, I know of ONE number/identification on the hull, the HIN, which tells me ZILCH about the correct size of OB motor.

yours, satx

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Boats over twenty feet ( and that may be twenty and over, I am not sure of the exact wording.) are not required to have a capacity plate. So if your hull is 20'1", it would not be required.

My 21 foot Manatee cuddy cabin (20'6" called a 20 by the factory and registered as a 21 by previous owner)) does not have a capacity plate but in the literature, the factory rated it for 180 horsepower. With a 150, it does a fair turn of speed-41-43 top end. So, I believe that if you powered with somewhere around 150, you would have enough power for Gulf fishing yet not overpower the hull.

You can also look at other brand outboard powered fishing boats and take an average of rated horsepower. I don't think you would be far off the mark.

 

[satx78247]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Frank Acampora,

THANKS. I was hoping that someone (who's more knowledgeable than I am) would give me some advice, even if they don't have a Falcon 20.

Fwiw, I've been offered a DEAD 17ft runabout (Trust me, it's NOT worth spending 10 cents on BUT it has a PAIR of GOOD 1985 Johnson 70HP, 3-cylinder "loopers".), on a good trailer (for about what the trailer is worth), & was wondering if 140HP is enough to smartly push the Falcon 20 "out on the salt" AND troll successfully with ONE running at idle or just above for gamefish.
(At 67YY, I'm not looking for a "seagoing hotrod".)

Thanks for the advice.

yours, satx

 

[southkogs]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Dunno' what year you have, but specs HERE have HP ratings.

A 2000 Striper 20' boat would have a 200HP rating - 140HP would push it, but I'm not sure how well it would plane out. 75% of max HP is usually a minimum and that's pretty close.

 

[satx78247]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

southkogs,

The Falcon is a 1983 KING STRIPER 20. - While the "year grid" only goes back to 1986, I would presume that also the 1983 will need 200HP to meet the factory HP recommendations, too. = Looks like the pair of 70HP Johnnies won't be suitable, so I'll have to start looking for a pair of larger OB. - DRAT!!!

Note: I once had a single OB "go TU" about 40 miles out & I'll never own a saltwater rig again with a single engine.
(The chances of 2 OB motors, wired/fueled separately, dying at the same time is simply: UNLIKELY.)

Incidentally, the Falcon 20 bare hull weighs about 1750 pounds. = A King Striper 20 is a BIG, HEAVY-duty, BEAMY, DEEP & seaworthy hull.
(That's what is needed for catching/tagging big sharks & other large gamefish out on the salt.)

THANKS for your help. - That's precisely the data that I was seeking.

yours, satx

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

I see the typical 21' center console fiberglass deep V, such as mine, rigged with a 150 and I wouldn't want less. A bay boat hull or tinnie might take less, though. The 150 works for salt water trolling

Those 70's are great motors but I don't know enough about twin rigs to advise. maybe buy that rig and trade them for or toward a 150?

 

[satx78247]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Home Cookin',

I will forever refuse to go "out to the rigs" again in a single engine craft of any sort, much less a 20 foot open fisherman. = Been there, done that, didn't have a good time.
Thus, I'll be looking for a matched pair of "good used" 80-100HP OB to power the PRINCESS FIREDANCER.

Fwiw, I probably will buy the "junk rig", remove the 70 Johnnies to sell/trade, strip it for the seats/lights/radio/etc., sell/trade off the NICE trailer and "trash can" the remainder. - perhaps I'll make enough to clear the larger OBs.

THANKS for your comment.

yours, satx

 

[NYBo]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

Is the transom configured to accommodate twins?

 

[satx78247]

Re: Recommendation for Powering 20 FOOT, TX-made, 1983 FALCON OB Striper-fishing Bo

NYBo,

Frankly, I'm unsure as to what you mean by "configured to accommodate twins".

All Falcon OB hulls are plenty wide enough for twins & they have plenty of room for 3 OB, IF anyone wanted to do that.
(I've actually seen a few "triples" over the years out on the Gulf. - Usually a pair of BIG outboards & a smaller "trolling motor", like a long-foot 25HP.)

That transom is about 90 inches wide & flat as a board.

I will have to fill the holes left by demounting the previous single & refinish the transom, in any event.

yours, satx

 

[satx78247]

To ALL,

Please pardon my bad manners. - I just reread this thread that I started & realized that I didn't thank everyone who commented and/or tried to help.

THANKS TO ALL.

yours, satx

 

[NYBo]

No worries. The important question: What did you end up doing with the boat?