20 HP Johnson motor on Sea Nymph 14k

[Sciroccosven]

I just picked up my first boat. I did a partial trade for my fishing kayak and some cash. I wanted something small enough that I could use on electric only lakes but also get on plane on larger lakes. The boat came with a 20HP Johnson seahorse motor. The 14 ft 1983 sea nymph is rated for 15hp.

Is this too much motor? If it’s borderline what problems can come from running it. It looks like it’s a period correct motor so it’s probably been on the boat for a very long time. I couldn’t find a lot of info on this boat. Seems like it was a lower end model for the brand.

 

[ahicks]

My vote would be borderline too big, but I'm not familiar with exactly what boat you have. There are some really sturdy 14's around, and there's some really lightweight stuff.

The downside to the bigger motor is it's weight.

 

[tomhath]

That boat should plane easily with a 10hp motor unless you really load it to the max.

 

[Sciroccosven]

Here is the model of boat. I’d really like to build a deck on the front half and find a used front mount trolling motor so the plan is to add some weight. I’m completely new to boats so I didn’t really think much of it until I stumbled on some horror stories about overpowering. I can’t have anything I wouldn’t put my son on.

As as far as a 10hp motor getting me on plane I wouldn’t doubt it. I’ve run 15hp motors up in Canada on slightly larger boats that were probably rated for 25 at most. They moved great with 15. They did wheelies when trying to get me on plane without another person in the boat.

 

[tomhath]

Regarding the deck, I'd try standing on the front bench seat and casting a few times before starting construction. Better wear a life jacket when you do that test; a 14' aluminum boat will never have the stability of a wide, heavy bass boat.

 

[roffey]

I think... 15 to 20hp are the same motor with the exception of carburetion and the extra 5 hp. Personally I would think you will be ok with the larger motor. The big problem is coming off plane and the back wash coming over the transom.

 

[Sprig]

Talk to the prior owner. If he has been running the 20 hp on the boat for years without problems then just use the boat as is.

 

[JimS123]

The 14K is a very shallow boat. They rated the HP low for a reason.

I have run a 14R for over 30 years now. It is a deep boat, rated for 25 HP. The "R" means rugged duty. My best performance with that hull was with an 18. When I put a 25 2-stroke on her she was dangerous. I took the 25 off and put the 18 back on.

Those were the days when I had enough money to experiment with different motors. Prior to that we ran the Sea Nymph 14R with a 9.5 HP. She planed well, even with 2 fat adults and 2 pre-teenagers aboard.

Put a 10 on your 14K, or at the most a 15. Also, forget adding ANY weight to the bow, even if you put a 10 on her. The first time you hit a wave and stuff that shallow bow under water, you'll understand why.

 

[Sciroccosven]

tomhath yes that’s my plan to see how stable it is first.
roffey that was my thinking When I bought the boat as well. The thought of coMing off plane did come to mind.
JimS123 thanks for the first hand experience. I need to get it out to see what I can do with it. Part of wanting to add a deck was to get a little extra weight up front since it will be just me or me and my young son. I’ve run empty boats before and I’ve always thought the were more manageable with an extra person. I think I’ll to try play it safe and look to make a motor trade with someone looking to get more power.

Is there a specific section of the forums I should look to make a trade. Regional or classifieds? Any idea how much a20hp seahorse is worth?

thanks for the help. My first boat. I wanted to get in relatively cheap to learn what I like and don’t like, see how much time I’ll really have to get it out on the water and then possibly upgrade when I have a little more experience. Within the next week I’ll try to get it out on a small trolling only lake.

 

[jbcurt00]

Iboats doesnt have a Swap/trade/sell/giveaway/classifieds section.

Try craigs or local classified ads

 

[ahicks]

x2 for craigslist