Quote:
Originally Posted by Gaud
. . . a few friends are trying to convince me to go with a bigger 200 2 stroke.
thoughts?
thank you!!!
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Your friends obviously don’t realize how efficient the 20’ SeaCraft hull design is!
It’s basically the same hull as the 19’ bowrider, which was designed in the early 60’s when the biggest motors were the I-6 Merc and V-4 OMC 2-strokes that weighed less than 300 lbs and weren’t much more than 100 hp, rated at the crank, not the prop like today! So it doesn’t need as much power as modern hulls with more beam and heavier less efficient construction. Many were sold new with 85 hp motors and ran fine with those light motors. Terry England’s modified bowrider handles 4 fully equipped divers and 8 tanks with a light 90 hp E-Tec with no problems.
Power selection also depends on how and where you intend to use the boat. If you’re on flat inland rivers and lakes where you can run 50+ mph, a big 2-stroke is fine. Although the 20 SeaCraft hull is very stiff because if it’s large stringers and balsa core decks, it’s relatively light, so if you intend to run offshore, it doesn’t need a lot of power. You’ll find that it will start to go airborne at about 20 kts once seas get up to about 3’. If you intend to run in those conditions, the added weight, expense and poorer ride and low speed planing associated with a big heavy motor doesn’t make a lot of sense to me!