I just bought a new Mercury 430 Heavy Duty (PVC), for which the maximum power as stated on the hull is 30 HP (189 lbs, I believe). I am running a Mercury 20 right now, but looking at adding quite a bit of gear (a rail system to hold 4 seats and scuba or camping gear, etc). I haven't yet loaded it up with 4 divers and gear to test, but I anticipate having problems with the 20. Does anybody have experience to know how much I can push with 20 hp behind a 14 foot boat?
Assuming I find 20 HP to be insufficient, will 30 hp fulfill my wildest dreams, or will I wish I'd gone for more as long as I'm swapping out anyway? Would 40 hp be possible on this boat? I believe I can find a range of 2-stroke options under the ~190 lb weight limit, but I'd hate to rip the transom off with the power. I AM envious of forum users (@nobrainsd) who are pulling wake boarders with a similar boat and a 40, but I think the zodiac is rated for that power.
BTW, thanks for all the collective knowledge shared on here; this is my first post, but I have been reading for a while.
Assuming I find 20 HP to be insufficient, will 30 hp fulfill my wildest dreams, or will I wish I'd gone for more as long as I'm swapping out anyway? Would 40 hp be possible on this boat? I believe I can find a range of 2-stroke options under the ~190 lb weight limit, but I'd hate to rip the transom off with the power. I AM envious of forum users (@nobrainsd) who are pulling wake boarders with a similar boat and a 40, but I think the zodiac is rated for that power.
BTW, thanks for all the collective knowledge shared on here; this is my first post, but I have been reading for a while.