Re: What size motor for a 14' Flats boat?
i just finshed a 14 ft fiberglass flats boat that i built out of a 1987 Tuffy Custom Rogue. according to Tuffy the hull weight is 450 lbs. we stripped it down to the bare hull so i know there is no wet foam in it anymore. it had a front casting deck that was made from 3/4 marine plywood with carpet which we removed and replaced with 5/8 fiberglassed plywood. the new deck was bigger so i assume the decks were probably a pretty even weight swap. we added a rear casting deck (again 5/8 fiberglassed plywood) and a console (3/8 fiberglassed plywood). the poling platform was an aluminum frame with a fiberglassed plywood top. so all that being done i would say we added about 150-200lbs to the hull. fishing gear, 2 people, 6 gal gas, battery and assorted odds and ends 400-450lbs. so somwhere in the 1050-1100 lb range on the water without the motor. i used a 1986 28hp Johnson SPL. motor weighs 118 lbs. i put a mini jack plate on to get the motor up for a little shallower draft and better preformance. on reasonably flat water fully loaded it runs about 25mph using my gps to check speed. we are still not sure we have the correct prop pitch because we are running about 400 rpm low at WOT. with the motor down it will float in a foot of water. so in my opinion 25-30 hp will easily get the job done and will handle any improvements you add to the boat. if you add any improvements to the boat the 15hp(with the right prop) will plane out and get you there but you will always be wanting more power. i've always thought the 20hp adds a lot of weight and not much performance over a 15hp. a 35hp(if the boat is rated for it) will make the boat skitter and a kick to drive.
on a side note the 28hp SPL is a bad choice of motors for salt water. i didn't think when i picked the motor up (it was really clean and really cheap) about flushing the motor after use. most of the car/boat washes a the beach have the ear muff attachment that for a buck you can start your motor and flush it. the 28hp SPL doesn't have the water intake that will work with muffs so you have to flush it in a tub of water. not very convienent. so make sure you get a motor that is easy to flush.
