2014 Lund WC 14 vs. 2015 Smokercraft Voyager 14

HBOMB

Recruit
Joined
Feb 12, 2015
Messages
2
I have an opportunity to purchase one of the two above mentioned boats. The Lund is $2,490 and the Smokercraft is $2,250. I really like the Smokercraft but I don't know much about either one. What would you guys do? Also, would a 9.9 HP, 4 stroke Mercury get this 14 footer moving or should I spend the extra $700 and get a 15 HP?
 

Slip Away

Lieutenant
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
1,431
Get the Lund and 15HP. resale will be better with the Lund, and the extra HP will be welcome.
 

KC8QVO

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jun 19, 2012
Messages
247
You are not going to like a 9.9 on either of those. We have a 16ft version of the lund (beam is about 64" - looks like the current WC's are wider), older model equivalent to that, with a 25. Empty a 9.9 will get it to plane, but it is about worthless empty. Add another person and gear and you need a LOT more hp. I'd even say that 15hp is going to have a hard time. If it were me, I'd max out the hp on that boat. It should take a 25.

Also, don't discount the affect of having the right prop on there. That will make a big difference also. You may get the 15 to run adequately for your purposes if you have the right pitch prop, but I would imagine you will be pretty low on hp.

Our boat will do about 22-24mph with an 11 pitch prop and a good load. Empty and a 13 pitch prop it will get closer to 28-30, but the boat is useless without any gear.

Both of those options are going to be good boats. That having been said, for the small utility boats like that especially, a square chine hull and flat bottom are going to run better with less hp. When you have a more rounded bottom and round chine the boats draw more water and don't plane as high = less efficient. You will need more hp to go the same speed a square chine/flat bottom boat will do with less hp. A figure I have seen before is about a 20% difference in hp.
 
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