Running canoe with boat motor?

[nicholasvr]

hello
i am new to this forum and well i think this is the right place for this if not im really really sorry !

so i was wondering if anyone on here has used a square stern back canoe with like a 5-10hp engine ??
does run pretty decent and is the speed not bad ?
any words of advice or helpful tips for me if i plan on useing a canoe with an engine ??

thanks so much guys !

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

There should be a tag in the boat with what the hull is rated for, stick with that recommendation if possible. Canoes don't need much HP to go a safe respectable speed, so there's no need to over power it.

 

[nicholasvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

There should be a tag in the boat with what the hull is rated for, stick with that recommendation if possible. Canoes don't need much HP to go a safe respectable speed, so there's no need to over power it.

ok thanks mine is rated for 10hp so i think then i will be fine,
so the canoes run nice and smooth with a motor ?
any comments about maybe what anyone here has experienced with canoes with motors??

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

If you've used a canoe before (with a paddle) it won't be much different, just not as much work. If you haven't ever used a canoe, don't put the motor on for the first trip, or at least until you get used to balancing it in waves. I would hate to see you dunk the motor while you?re getting in the canoe for the first time.

 

[nicholasvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

If you've used a canoe before (with a paddle) it won't be much different, just not as much work. If you haven't ever used a canoe, don't put the motor on for the first trip, or at least until you get used to balancing it in waves. I would hate to see you dunk the motor while you?re getting in the canoe for the first time.

oh yah ive used a canoe before, ok ill try not to dunk it lol
thanks for the help man !

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

I've got a 17' Old Town sport canoe that I run an 8hp Yamaha on. It's rated for a 5hp but it does fine with the 8. It's fast, about 18mph, and not really squirelly at all. You need weight in the front though or it's no fun.

I used to use a Briggs & Stratton 5hp motor on it, but didn't like that much. The Yammy is Soooo much nicer.

I once put an 18hp Johnson on it just to see what it would do. Never got the nerve to open the throttle on that trip.

 

[nicholasvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

wow that looks so nice man !! i love it a lot

do you guys like know about putting a boat motor around 8hp on a canoe but not a square stern back but a normal canoe? ? or can you not put a boat motor on a normal canoe ???

thanks guys
you have all been so helpful im glad i signed up on this forum !

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

You can, Old Town makes a bracket just for that>> https://crab.secure-host.com/extrasport/oldtowncanoe/catalog.php?fr_sw=0&section_id=4

Or you can make your own. I would not put an 8hp on it. A 2 or 3hp max, trolling motor is best.

 

[azlakes]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

hi nich.

... cant say i have ever seen a normal canoe with an o/b. the outwales of a normal canoe would leave no place for the bite of the transom claps to grab on to. much like the shape of a kayak just dont know where you'd put an o/b that size. maybe a trolling motor setup might work.

be careful, doesnt seem the way to go.

update: lol -well DR has the pulse on it. with that attachment looks like a go.

 

[nicholasvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

ok, well i guess ill just have to keep looking arounf for a used square stern cause i would definitely like a little more then 3 hp

how do you think a 10hp would work on a canoe like yours ?? or is 8 enough

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

Well, the canoe is rated for 5hp max. The 8hp is way fast and would be easy to flip if you weren't paying attention. I would not put a 10hp on there.

I used to have an old 17' aluminum canoe double ender that I made a bracket for. I ran a 6hp Chrysler on the side of that one and it worked fine. All you need to make a bracket is some angle aluminum, some wing nuts, bolts and a block of wood.

 

[nicholasvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

Well, the canoe is rated for 5hp max. The 8hp is way fast and would be easy to flip if you weren't paying attention. I would not put a 10hp on there.

I used to have an old 17' aluminum canoe double ender that I made a bracket for. I ran a 6hp Chrysler on the side of that one and it worked fine. All you need to make a bracket is some angle aluminum, some wing nuts, bolts and a block of wood.

ok thanx i will stay away from the 10 horse

so it seems pretty simple to make a motor mount but how will i make it hold like an 8hp motor while all the other ones i was looking to copy hold only max of 3hp ??

like what ways can i make it stronger to hold a heavier motor?

also with the motor at the side will it kind of lean over to that side or will it not really be noticeable ??

thanks

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

It didn't really lean that bad at all. You can shift your weight a little to offset it. The one that Old Town makes will easily hold an 8hp, they just don't recommend it because you don't want to be applying that much power from that angle on the stern. If you want to have a fast canoe, get a square stern one. Although canoes use displacement hulls, the extra width on a square stern canoe gives it much better stability at speed and allows it to sort of plane across the water. Double ended canoes become very unstable the faster they go and will not plane at all.

 

[nicholasvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

It didn't really lean that bad at all. You can shift your weight a little to offset it. The one that Old Town makes will easily hold an 8hp, they just don't recommend it because you don't want to be applying that much power from that angle on the stern. If you want to have a fast canoe, get a square stern one. Although canoes use displacement hulls, the extra width on a square stern canoe gives it much better stability at speed and allows it to sort of plane across the water. Double ended canoes become very unstable the faster they go and will not plane at all.

ok thanks so much man for all the help !

 

[hootyhooo]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

not sure about 1 canoe but I took 2 canoes and built a makeshift frame between them... and put Grandpa's '52 Johnson 5HP motor on it... way cool very stable. in the process now of putting 10hp on it... on a trip to Lake Erie awhile back, a few guys were talking on and on about how 25hp would be sooo cool. A few weeks ago I was on a boat builders site and did the math as suggested by that site concerning length x width of homemade boats.... I used 16'9" Old Townes and have about 8" between them and the math suggests that 12hp is what it can safely handle... I'd still like to try 25hp but haven't ran into a good deal on one, yet....

 

[TerryMSU]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

My dad used to run a 17 ft smoker craft double ended canoe with a home-made bracket and a trolling motor. He put a 5 gallon bucket of water in the front to maintain front to rear balance. Dad is not a speed demon, but it worked quite well for him.

TerryMSU

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

I've got a 17' Old Town sport canoe that I run an 8hp Yamaha on. It's rated for a 5hp but it does fine with the 8. It's fast, about 18mph, and not really squirelly at all. You need weight in the front though or it's no fun.

DR, not sure how long you have been using than tiller extension, but be careful. It is a trolling motor extension and is not intended for use on an outboard. Over time, it will begin to flex at the end of the motor's original tiller. This will cause the steering to get sloppy.

I have one and use it for a Johnson 6hp kicker. The only reason that I have been doing this, is because the little Johnson only pushes my boat at 4.5 mph. Given that situation and the fact that my boat is very stable laterally (18' trihull), I can get away with uisng this extension. I don't think that you will enjoy the same resistence to rolling over in a canoe at 18 mph!

Please don't make me come fish a fellow Coastie out of the drink!

 

[nicholasvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

not sure about 1 canoe but I took 2 canoes and built a makeshift frame between them... and put Grandpa's '52 Johnson 5HP motor on it... way cool very stable. in the process now of putting 10hp on it... on a trip to Lake Erie awhile back, a few guys were talking on and on about how 25hp would be sooo cool. A few weeks ago I was on a boat builders site and did the math as suggested by that site concerning length x width of homemade boats.... I used 16'9" Old Townes and have about 8" between them and the math suggests that 12hp is what it can safely handle... I'd still like to try 25hp but haven't ran into a good deal on one, yet....

dude can you post some pictures of that or something sounds really nice !!

 

[nicholasvr]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

I used to use a Briggs & Stratton 5hp motor on it, but didn't like that much. The Yammy is Soooo much nicer.

hey drowned rat just wondering why didnt you like the 5hp motor ?

 

[This_lil_fishy]

Re: Running canoe with boat motor?

My buddy uses a 40# electric trolling motor on his standard canoe. Keeps a deep cycle battery up front to balance it out when solo. Works great, and he fishes all day. Made a custom aluminum bracket to hold the motor on the back of the canoe. We have quite a few small lakes in the area where gas motors are not allowed. So we fish together for free (my gas versus his electric). He comes out ahead in cost, but I come out ahead because I get better fishing experiences in the lesser traveled lakes.


Ian