choice of outboard
 

Almost time to buy an outboard my local Evinrude / Johnson dealer recomends a 115 hp on my 20 sceptre that is what came originly on it back in 1978, since he has taken care of the boat for all those years. It has had a 150 on it and he says it was too much motor on such a light boat plus you can't use the speed most of the time at least here in the northeast on a river with 8 knots of currentand chop alot of the time not to mention the gulf of maine hardly ever flat he says it would do 40knots or so with the 115 he also doesnt recomend the four stroke he says its a dog and the 115 will eat it upcomments welcome pics soon.

Re: choice of outboard
 

Rudders- You will see 35-38 mph with a 115.
Most will run a 130-150 on the 20' hulls.
with gas prices @ $2.25-2.75 gal. this summer
I would look at the 140 Johnson 4-Stroke. You
would get 42-45 mph and great MPG.

Chris

Re: choice of outboard
 

Can't go wrong with a 115, though if the 140 was out when I bought mine I'd probibly bought that. 40 mph not kts sounds about right. No complaints with mine, I love it.

Re: choice of outboard
 

I don't think a 115 will do 45 MPH. The 140 Suzuki on a light 202 Scout barely does 45. Based on what I have seen and read here, a 140-150 would be the ideal motor on these. The 115 was the standard engine on these and many are happy with it. Cost/speed/use - but don't expect 40 knots with a 115. The article on this site about the Seafari from 1969 showed the 140 I/O just shy of 40 MPH not knots...

Good luck and waiting for some pics - how much snow did you get?

[ February 18, 2003, 09:55 PM: Message edited by: John R ]

Re: choice of outboard
 

Rudders my 74'CC has a newer 115 with a stainless prop. It will do 30 Knts. Trimmed up and flat out. Not a bad size engine for this boat just don't expect a speed demon. It will cruies in three to four footers all day. The price is right for the smaller engines too theres a huge differance between a 115 and a 175(my choice if price were no object and gas was free [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ) The water aroung here does not allow for to many 40 Mph days anyway so its no loss for me. I don't think that a 150 would be too much though probably just right.

Re: choice of outboard
 

Evinrude has a promotion until April 4 to 7.00$ per horsepower or what has me thinking they extend the warranty from 3 years to 7.Something to think about.Does anyone now the cost on a new 250 Yamaha 4 stroke? RS.

Re: choice of outboard
 

Just for reference [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] 1mph=1.2Kts. So 40kts is 48mph. Go with the 140. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Re: choice of outboard
 

Reel Smoker, Yamaha doesn't have a 4-stroke 250 yet, they do have the HPDI 250 though. Perhaps you're thinking of the new Suzuki 250 4-stroke?

Finster, your math is correct but your conversion is backwards - 1 knot = 1.15 mph [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] .

Re: choice of outboard
 

quit splitt'n hairs. ever try to do a quick conversion using 1.15? [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Re: choice of outboard
 

Actually mile per hour times pie devided by nautical miles to the root of statute miles divided by 9700...

Finsless - I think he meant 1.2mph = 1 KNOT instead of 1mph = 1.2Kts. like you wrote - but you already new that didn't you. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

While we're on near useless formulas (or is it formulai [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] ), did you know that for measuring stripers you can use (length x girth x girth) divided by 800 (L*G*G/800=weight) to get a very close approximation of weight? Not sure what other fish that formula works for...

Re: choice of outboard
 

ah.....yeh, who didn't know that.....duh?

Re: choice of outboard
 

Yeah, what John said! [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

Finster, that wasn't a dig towards you with the 1.2 vs. 1.15 thing, it's just that you had mph and knots backwards in your conversion. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Re: choice of outboard
 

All right, all right. You'd have it backward too if you were on back pain medication from shoveling snow all day (12 mic lights) [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] . I never said I was very bright. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[ February 19, 2003, 03:15 PM: Message edited by: Finster ]

Re: choice of outboard
 

Thanks for the input, not too much snow this far north like 12" of flurries it snowed for 2 days thought it would never stop plowed 3 times it stopped and started for 2 days. I ment MPH Im used to going to sea in a 505' 9700 ton 4 LM 2500 GE marinized Gas turbines (DC-10) 100,000 shaft hp, twin 17 foot Bird Johnson varitable pitch props 30+ knots top speed clasified as with all naval vessels can go from full ahead to full stop in its own length .Im a Test and Activation supervisor at Bath Iron Works (General Dynamics)so I think Im going to go with the 115 Johnson dirty motor 2 stroke Did I mention the world class striper fishing in the Kennebec river all the way inland to waterville almost 60 miles inland cant wait plus ground fishing in the gulf of maine lots of cod haddock and flounder.

Re: choice of outboard
 

Rudders,
Lucky you! I was in Maine last year in October. I really wanted to see BIW, but we couldn't even get close enough to peek through the fence after 9/11. Did see some awesome Naval ships when we visited the wooden boat museum. Maine really blew me away. Going back next summer withthe kiddos.

Re: choice of outboard
 

Scott thanks, I was told that the 4 strokes are slow to get on plain? Checked around today on the Evinrude 250 fitch the lowest I found was 14100.00 and 2 quotes at 14800.00 with the 7 year warranty or 3 years and 1750.00 rebate????????RS.

Re: choice of outboard
 

Any more info on the Suzuki 4-Stroke 250hp? How about the Evinrude E-Tec outboards? C'mon, someone has to know something......

Re: choice of outboard
 

Noticed this on BT, might be a good deal
at 4900.00. It includes warr. and all acc.

http://www.boattraderonline.com/addetail.html?42207152

Chris

Re: choice of outboard
 

In regards to Suzuki: They are still getting Patents and legal work completed so details are thin. So thin that the internet gets the info before the dealers