Outboard and boat question

[bux-n-dux]

I have an 8 foot flat bottom jon boat with a 40 inch beam I plan to use this season for duck hunting in small sloughs and such. I will not be using this boat on the bay or in any big open water. I have a 9.9 horse Evinrude short shaft I would like to put on it. It's rated for a 5 horse. Am I nuts? There is 12 inches between the transom and the seat. I will need a small gas tank too. Anyone have any experience with small boats and bigger motors? I don't plan on hot rodding the boat or anything, but want to have enough power to scoot along with a little duck gear and myself in it. Thanks in advance.

bux-n-dux

[Caninelaw]

Well, just by a quick check on-line I found a few 10 foot Jon boats and their weight capacity is right around 300 pounds. I can't imagine an 8 footer would be more then 275 or so. Don't know what you weigh but me and my gear would be over capacity on both an 8 or 10 footer so pushing the limits with a motor that's bigger then its rated for might not be a good idea.

[inchr48]

I've always rated my boats by the cooler it could hold. Just kidding of course.

Six pack between the seats, 5HP.

12l'ver, go with the 10HP.

I'd stick with the 5HP, or row.

Or, strap all the deke's together into a raft.

[map]

Don't do it! The rear corners of a pram are the weak point, and will swamp you.

[Jean]

Much Too Small a boat for that size motor. I think that 9.9 motor weighs around 80lbs. 2hp wolud be good in my thinking. It's not a planing hull, so a 5hp will just eat more gas on the way to your spot.

With the 9.9, you have no room for safety if some goober goes by you and throws up a big steep wake.

Just my two cents. I would prefer to keep reading your posts here.

Jean

[smithstation]

Like the above said, the max hp is mainly because the structure and the force that the transom can handle. The 9.9 may be a little heave but the over-all weight capacity and the amount of gear and your weight can be totaled up and determined if the boat will handle the weight. The transom however wont handle the thrust/force that the 9.9 will create. If you are ok on weight and just idle the boat around you may be ok but its a safety factor more than anything. Maybe a cheap electric motor and 1-2 good batteries would do the trick??.... You could probably find a cheap 2 cycle motor 5hp or less on craigs list as well. You might be able to trade the 8ft boat for a 10 or 12 foot boat that will handle the 9.9 also. Good luck!!

[jackrabbit]

With the combined weight of the 9.9 motor and the operator all at the back end, I expect there might not be enough freeboard back there to prevent swamping -- especially when the thrust of the motor causes the bow to rise. I sure would not want to end up in the water wearing bulky cold weather gear that will soak up a lot of water weight!

[bux-n-dux]

Thanks everyone. I'm going with an electric motor, probably a 45 or 55 lb thrust and a good deep cycle battery. If I could find a nice 3-5 horse that had a self contained gas tank for cheap I might do that, but for what I am going to use it for, an electric make a lot more sense.

bux-n-dux