Quote:
Originally Posted by Back Sound
Any advice if raising the deck is necessary if i plan on adding four stroke power about 150hp. thks.
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The 20' hull was designed in the mid-60's for 2-strokes of NO MORE than 300 lbs! When you start shifting the CG aft with a heavier motor, it won't handle or ride as well as the original design. If converting from an I/O to an OB, I'm guessing you're planning to add a bracket? The Sceptre and Seafari have a little more weight forward than a cc model so they'll handle a heavy motor a little better, but if you mount a 500 lb motor AND set it back 30" on a bracket, my experience is that a wet deck will be the least of your problems!
Plan on adding trim tabs, a 4B prop and a Doelfin or equivalent to the motor to lower your min planing speed from the mid-20's to the low teens where it was designed to be. You'll also want a bracket with the least possible setback and the most flotation you can get (a Hermco, available in 18", 24" & 30" setback) to help with self bailing at the dock, although that still won't offset the aft CG shift when you're up on plane. And if you don't like wet feet, yes, raise the deck a couple inches! My boat is just barely self bailing at the dock with a full gas tank and no one aboard, an that's with a 420 lb motor on a 30" bracket! I keep the scupper plugs in most of the time except when diving, and then I use Fellowship's "Vortex" plugs with the rubber glove check valves, which do a fairly decent job of draining water off the deck.