Pontoon speed vs HP chart

[BigDfromTN]

I have seen on here (I believe) a chart that shows approximate speed you can expect from a pontoon based on HP.

Can someone repost that chart?


TIA, Don

 

[Scott Danforth]

That would depend on way too many variables to chart. Length of boat, diameter of tubes, number of tubes, weight of boat, balance of boat, with or without lifting strakes, prop curves, etc

Until the HP is high enough to get your particular 'toon up on plane, your at displacement speed. That may be 150 hp, or 600hp

 

[BigDfromTN]

Thanks Scott. I have seen a generic chart someplace and I thought it was on this site. It was not all inclusive but appeared to be pretty close based on what my boat did for speed at the time.

​Anyone else remember the chart?

 

[ahicks]

Yes, for sure. Has been posted here a couple of times. I remember as it does seem to be pretty accurate, and being very aware of the many variables involved, I remember how uncanny that was. To add to that, I ran across it AGAIN just recently while playing with some numbers on a boat I'm renovating/repowering. If I run across it again, I'll save it for sure as it's a great reference!

It would make an awesome "sticky" if a moderator was so inclined as well......

Found it. Love that Google! Chart is on page 3

View attachment Selecting-the-Perfect-Pontoon.pdf

 

[bigdee]

Too many variables for even a generic chart. My 20' Sweetwater pontoon with 85hp outboard can get up to around 20 and we occasionally wakeboard with it. Having said that, pontoon are not for speed and I don't like to use it for wake boarding. They are cumbersome to steer and I have submarined mine in rough water which is scary! They are also fuel thirsty at full throttle. IMO if you want speed look at other options.

 

[BigDfromTN]

Yes, for sure. Has been posted here a couple of times. I remember as it does seem to be pretty accurate, and being very aware of the many variables involved, I remember how uncanny that was. To add to that, I ran across it AGAIN just recently while playing with some numbers on a boat I'm renovating/repowering. If I run across it again, I'll save it for sure as it's a great reference!

It would make an awesome "sticky" if a moderator was so inclined as well......

Found it. Love that Google! Chart is on page 3

That is it on page 3 !

Thank you. as mentioned it is uncanny that my 24' with a 90hp would do about 23 MPH. Just like the chart shows.

 

[BigDfromTN]

Too many variables for even a generic chart. My 20' Sweetwater pontoon with 85hp outboard can get up to around 20 and we occasionally wakeboard with it. Having said that, pontoon are not for speed and I don't like to use it for wake boarding. They are cumbersome to steer and I have submarined mine in rough water which is scary! They are also fuel thirsty at full throttle. IMO if you want speed look at other options.

You are so right in so many ways with this post.

Some of those are the reasons I sold my 2 log 24' and will take delivery of a new tri-toon in about a month with a 200 HP engine. This will replace my old 2 log and a pair of jet skis. Only one boat to maintain. Will pull the grand kids on tubes and skis etc. and we can travel greater distances when we want to.

Had my old boat 3 years and submarined it twice. Saw the wake coming, slowed and still took water over the bow, not fun.

As for fuel use. EVERY boat is a gas hog at WOT, that is relative to the size of the engine in use. I saw a comment on here once that holds very close to true across the board for outboard engines. Take your horsepower, move the decimal left one place and that is how much gas you will burn at WOT. ie: 90 hp = 9gph, 200HP=20gph. I know this is not apples to apples, But my old 90 would run 23mph and burn 9 gph. I expect my new 24' 3 log with 200 will run about 26+ mph at 4000 rpms and burn 6.5 gph. (first numbers from real experience, second numbers from a real test boat of similar size and weight) Most of that difference will be due to the third log and lifting strakes on all tubes.

 

[ahicks]

Yup, works on our boats as well. Our 24' is (was) pretty light (console, rear bench, and lawn chairs), so chart shows it a little slower than actual. The 20' boat though, with full furniture, is right on the money.

 

[Silvertip]

My last walleye boat had a fuel flow monitor and just like the "theory" says -- 10% of rated HP. 75 HP = 7.5 GPH @ WOT