10jonboatman
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2012
- Messages
- 25
I have a 10' Jon boat that is rated for 3hp but I have a 1966 evinrude 6hp can I put that on and not brake my boat or flip it, I had a 3hp Johnson on it and it was slow but it locked up
I have a 10' Jon boat that is rated for 3hp but I have a 1966 evinrude 6hp can I put that on and not brake my boat or flip it, I had a 3hp Johnson on it and it was slow but it locked up
Capn Craig said:6HP 2 stroke should do fine. Probably will plane it. You might need a tiller extension though to allow you to sit furthur forward for balance. How wide (@bottom not at @gunnels) is your Jon? Some really narrow, might be a tad unstable. Sounds like a small stream catfish boat extraordinaire.
psneeld said:If the boat is rated to a specific hp...your state may have laws against exceeding that rated hp. You may want t check because if ever stopped...some states have no sense of humor.
jleonard said:No way I could believe an old Evinrue 6 would tear the transom off.
And if it makes you feel better, scratch off the 6 and paint in a 3. (That will keep the water cops off your back.)
In my mind, (a very confused place), I see any boat that has been altered, as not having a specific horsepower rating. If it has been altered for your personal use based on your engineering, I don't see how the original Coast Guard hp rating could come into play as far as making your boat legal or not. I say do what you think is right, and test it a bit, then test it hard, and determine for yourself whether you have done the right thing.
An example comes to mind. My neighbor and I once shared a fence, and a love for boating, and a mutual friend who built boats. I bought a ten footer from our mutual friend, rated at fifteen horse, and did mount a 15 horse. My neighbor, thinking a little outside the box, looked upon this ten footer as more of a jet ski, and despite the CG 15hp rating, put on a 40 hp Yamaha 2 stroke, and drove from a console mounted amidship. The boat ran around 50 mph, with a fun factor of ten plus. I always wished I had HIS boat.
psneeld said:The rating is based more about loading, level flotation and handling. So beefing up the transom to hold a higher hp engine isn't the issue, it's about having the boat filled almost to the gunnels and doing a high speed turn and dumping everyone in the water.
I wouldn't think it possible to flip a 34 Silverton based on the number of people on board..but somebody figured out how to do it and killed people. Now there's an outcry to put those same capacity plates on even bigger boats.
If you alter your boat significantlty...I think you can apply to have that plate changed or if it really is changed that much...I would say rip it off ad call the boat a homebuilt...but to stay within the law ya gotta do something.
Where the OP is, I'm not sure the USCG even has juridiction (waters wholly within a state) and as I said in my first post...the state may or MAY NOT have a rule against it...I know New Jersey does so I passed the info along. As for being sued...you have someone hurt or killed on a boat of yours these days...doesn't matter if you are squeaky clean..your legal bill alone might bankrupt you and even if you counter sue for legal bills.. you might get excactly what they have...nothing.
rwidman said:The boat is designed for 3HP and you wand to double it to 6HP. Put exactly twice the power on the boat. You always have a passenger on the bow and the cops don't patrol the area where you will be using the boat.
You don't know if it's OK to do this but "I'm kinda reinforcing it a little ".
I think you've already made up your mind, you're just asking for permission.
I, myself wouldn't do what you are planning on, but you don't need my permission. You already know this, but it's up to you. You (and your passenger) are the ones who will pay the price if things go wrong.
Well I took her out and it worked really good!! Not as fast as I thought, but it worked good
Woodsong said:Congrats jonboatman. I think you should share pictures as our collective reward for helping out with your ponderings.
Best wishes many happy times on the water.
CPseudonym said:Kudos, way to get it on the water. Before you know it you'll be fixing another one up. This boating bug is very addictive.