12 Foot aluminum, max horsepower?

[12ft aluminum v-hull]

i am trying to find out what the max hp rating for out board on my 12 ft. aluminum boat is. the guy i bought it from sanded it and repainted it inside and out and i dont have any tags or decals listing ratings. does anyone know how i could go about finding this out?

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: 12 Foot aluminum, max horsepower?

Welcome to iboats

The easiest way is to look at similar size boats being sold with similar beam (width) and hull design and look at their specs.

The majority of 12 footer's are 10 hp max rated.

 

[5150abf]

Re: 12 Foot aluminum, max horsepower?

I second Bob, a 10 is about the biggest you can safely run on that and it is really all you need, a 15 would be downright scary and unsafe, what brand and year of boat would help too.

The biggest thing on a boat that small is loading them, you want to distribute the weight front to back and they will run pretty nice.

 

[steelespike]

Re: 12 Foot aluminum, max horsepower?

I think the easiest way to tell is to weigh the boat. a 170# 12 footer today is rated at 10hp a
200# is rated at 15. Older boats from say the 60s a 90# is rated at 6 hp a 140 at 30hp.
I think weighing is easier than trying to match up size.
I have a friend with a 14 footer that you would swear was a 12 even on a trailer
where boats seem bigger.I think a couple of guys could weigh a 12 or 14 ft bare utility on a bathroom scale.
We used to car top a 15 ft Lone Star on top of a van.
A 10 hp could make over 20 on a 12 footer The bigger the a bare bones boat the easier to get on plane with a load.

 

[Texasmark]

Re: 12 Foot aluminum, max horsepower?

I had a 12' Alumacraft semiV. Ran a 9.9 McCullough on it and it ran out really well.

Mark

 

[cyclops2]

Re: 12 Foot aluminum, max horsepower?

My 16' short shaft Lowe Aluminum, with plywood floors, Foward plywood bow locker, A 2nd full 6 gallon tank, Bimini top, 3.. 15 pound anchors, Size 24 battery, 205 pounds of me, is fine with a 1988 ? Evinrude 9.9 hp.