80 hp on 15ft trihull

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MountainManMyke

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
88
Hello, i have a 1976 pricecraft which is 15ft long with a 1973 80hp merc thunderbolt motor with no trim. I am wondering if this is too much motor for this boat. The boat is fairly heavy because I have built a fishing deck up front. Any advice would help, thank you.
 
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johnson89

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 4, 2010
Messages
244
Re: 80 hp on 15ft trihull

not sure, look up the name of the builder an see if you can find anything about the boat...they should have a motor rating...I have a 15.4 bass boat it has a 90hp on it, but is rated for a 100hp.... the boat weights 775 lbs....
 
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mrallen007

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Aug 19, 2010
Messages
234
Re: 80 hp on 15ft trihull

Hard to tell. I have a 1985 VIP Colt. It's a 15' tri hull. I have a 50 on it. The max rating is 75. The max rating should be on the capacity sticker, but mine is newer than yours and my sticker was worn out completely. Try getting in touch with the manufacturer for specs. If they don't have it, we can find it other ways...

What's the specific model of your boat? How much weight did you add to the bow?

In the end, I think you're ok. Adding weight to the front is good and my boat being comparable is rated just under the 80 hp mark.
 
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MountainManMyke

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
88
Re: 80 hp on 15ft trihull

The boat has a 70hp rating on it. I seen another boat exactly the same as mine in my city and checked quickly and seen the 70hp rating tag. The guy was running a 65hp on his with power trim. With my deck on the front I added some 2x4 supports and used 5/8 plywood, the weight def adds up. Being a trihull should make it more stable with the bigger motor as oppose to a V-hull style boat. I'm curious to see how fast it goes, trihulls are notorious for their bad handling. I love the boat though, awsome for fishing!!!!!
 
j_martin

j_martin

Admiral
Joined
Sep 22, 2006
Messages
7,474
Re: 80 hp on 15ft trihull

With the added weight, and the handling characteristics of a tri-hull in anything but glass smooth water, I'd be concerned about pounding it to pieces.
 
SeaKaye12

SeaKaye12

Lieutenant Junior Grade
Joined
Jul 3, 2005
Messages
1,107
Re: 80 hp on 15ft trihull

Your boat is rated for 70 HP and you're running an 80?

I sure wouldn't expect any issues from that.

I have a 15.5' TriHull which I think is rated for 110 HP (mine is missing the plate as well...)

I have a 85HP on mine...and I sure wish I had more.

As far as pounding it to death...just because you have a more powerful engine doesn't mean that you have to use all the power all the time.

I think that the weight of the engine and the level of sanity of the operator has a lot to do with your decision.

Chuck
 
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