is 50 hp merc too much?
 

Im lookin to get a new boat probably a 1648 flat bottom weld-craft. My question is whether a 50 hp tiller is too much, how bad will it be on your arm, and if anyone has any experience with the new Mercury Big Tiller. Dont want the power steering option on the handle. Also the boat will be rigged out with trolling motor, two batteries, pedestal seats, and plywood floor just to give you an idea of the weight. Any help would be greatly appreciated

Any opinions on a rig like this with a tunnel hull?

i've seen plenty of 50's on 18x42 tunnels cant see it being a problem with an 16x48. I run a 16x42 with a 25hp but wouldn't see a problem going to a 40hp on it. If I'm not mistaken I don't think there is a big difference between the 40's and 50's. Need to run this by Montauk though he should be able to confirm my opinion. I say do it though. If they can run a 35 hp surface drive (which is heavy as hell) i dont see why you couldn't run a 50hp outboard!!

A lot of people run 40 mercury's with 60 carbs on 1548's so I would think a 1648 could handle a 50.

Let it fly man! I had A 70hp super hopped up surfacedrive on a custum built 1648, and it ran like a bat out of hell. I have 3/8 plywood floor, and rigged with bow mount trolling motor. The only thing you may need is welded on trim tabs, that you can bend a 1/4 in. at a time to get it to lay down corectly. I did not need them , but every boat is diffrent. All I can tell you is hold the **** on , and its always better to have more horse power thal B***S!

I run a merc 40 on my 18x42 weld craft and gps @38. IMO, 16&17' boats are not long enough to get the performance out of a tunnel.
Weight distribution is too far to the back of the boat. $'s to go longer aren't that much different if you choose go that route.

Friend of mine has a 16 X 52 Alweld with a tiller 50 mounted to a jack plate on the back. He loves the setup. I say go for it. You can always down grade if you decide it is to much.

sounds good too me! I fish with a 35 on a 1448 rivited john boat, fished the pearl this a.m. and hammered em!

Thanks for everyones advice. im thinking im gonna go with a 40 merc now. but its killing my soul that they are made in china[40hp-60hp]

Do it! We had a blast growing up running an old 4 cylinder Merc 50 short shaft on a 1448 side console. That puppy screamed. We added a redwood lat subfloor - old cooling tower tear down scraps.
;-)

i'd go with a 50 tohatsu if new, (merc/yamaha 3 cylinders 15 in are a good find)

I have been shopping the same setup, except 18', and cannot find a Merc dealer with much info on the "big tiller" setup... Didnt know they were made in China, looks like I will go with a Tohatsu instead...

Thanks

yea the china thing is bothering me. I thought i would go with the lesser of evils(japan) and get a yamaha before i found out that in my horepower range the majority of the engine is made in china and then is assembled in china. Its a plant built by mercury in china and they probably good motors but its just the principle of it. I got a buddy who runs a 40hp tohatsu and it seems to be a good motor. Talked to a salesman today at bass pro who was slightly familiar with the big tiller but said to call back tomorrow when his guys in the shop get back in and he'd have me more information and a price. i'll let you know what i find out

What are the advantages,disadvantages to a long shaft in the 40/50 hp range. All ive ever had is short shaft but yamaha doesnt even make one anymore and mercury dealers wants an arm and a leg for a short shaft EFI with electric start and trim. They say its a special order and the prices they quote make the long shafts actually cheaper

A long shaft may require you to add a jack plate for peak performance depending on how your transom is built

Ok i checked on the big tiller option today at bass pro. Salesman said it was an extra grand so thats out. So i finaly decided on a 40 merc efi tiller on a 1548 weld-craft only to learn that our goverment (or somebodies, not mine) has decide to take away commercial ratings on aluminum boats and you can no longer have a 40hp on a 1548. The salesman at Dockside Marine told me that they dont know all the details yet but that the commercial rated boats they have is all they are gonna get. briefly talked to someone at weld-craft who said it was true but at the same time wasnt sure what the future guidelines would be.

Have you checked with other brands like Weld-bilt or Southfork to see what their hp rating is for a 1548?

No not yet but i intend to. the way dockside talked it was an industry wide situation

There is no HP limitation on any hull if you do not plan to insure or don't mind voiding the warranty.

I got a 16x50 xpress with a 70 yamaha, so you should be fine.

I had a weld-craft semi-v 1548 it was my favorite one, it was rated for a 50 hp. Had another 15 42 alweld with a 3 cyl 50 and i could have used more motor at times. It's the weight in the back that hurts you, go as light as possible. i bet the hole shot on that efi is slooow.

make sure and get the .100 thickness hull (short transom + 50 TLDI 15 in shaft = 40+ mph top end & less porpoising)

I talked to Ron the owner weld-craft today and he said that he could no longer sell commercial boats without a hp rating due to the new coast guard regulations. He said they are reworking the boats to get the most out of the new laws but that it appears anything 15ft and under will be out as far as 40hp motors are concerned. He was able to get his 1648 flat approved for a 40 hp but had to raise the sides 2" and had to spread the beam to 75". Now Ron was very helpful and i know these laws arent his fault but i didnt bother asking how big a ship it would take to legally mount a 50 hp. I appreciate Raymonds advice and i hope your right, but everyone i talk to is telling me about tickets being handed out with increasing frequency for daring to disagree with what motor The Man says you need

CG regs say nothing about HP restrictions. Commercial tags were done to get by flotation requirements pleasure craft have to adhere by. My boat has commercial tags and will float with only flotation in the rear seat area,fact I have witnessed. There is noway in hell anyone can tell you what HP your motor has to be on a boat. If that was the case everyone in Henderson would get a ticket.

Can I use a bigger motor on my boat than what it's rated for?

It is not a violation of Coast Guard regulations to install or use an engine larger than specified on the capacity label, but there may be state regulations prohibiting it, and restrictions from your own insurance company regarding this.

There are no Coast Guard regulations against exceeding the safe loading capacity, however, there may be State regulations or restrictions from your insurance company which prohibit this. There is a Coast Guard regulation that gives Coast Guard Boarding Officers the power to terminate the use of a boat (send it back to shore) if, in the judgment of the Boarding Officer, the boat is overloaded. There is no fine for this, unless the operator refuses the Boarding Officer's order. We certainly hope that you will abide by the rating, as overloading may lead to capsizing or swamping of the boat.

NOTE: The Coast Guard Capacity Information label is required only on monohull boats less than 20' in length. The label is not required on multi-hull boats, pontoon boats (catamarans), or on any sailboats, canoes, kayaks, or inflatable boats, regardless of length.

Not sure about the Wledcraft but the Weld built boats have a lot of issues with rib welds breaking. Alweld makes a well built boat for the weight. Xpress is build very strong but heavy. I have a 1997 1546VJ Xpress with a 3-Cylinder 25 yammy 40carbs, tuner and reed porting. Runnin 32.6 @ 5700 RPM with a Power Tech SRA3 11P. Before the mods only runnin 27.2 @ 5000 RPM. The Edge boat is the quikest on the water. I hear a 550 with a modded 25 Yammy is ruunin 40 ish. Top speed on one was 44 I hear. Good luck....

Amen about weldbilt! Trash. I know of two of them that split in half. Ask Top Dawg on this site about his.

I have a 90 on my 16ft alumaweld. I have no problems other than I sometimes need a little weight in the front. And an ice chest will do the trick. I would say get what you want and get what you can afford.

How wide is your 16ft, I have a 16 52 thinking about getting a bigger motor.

http://www.saltycajun.com/forum/pict...pictureid=3255

52 inch bottom 68 inch gunwales

I'm sure them float pods help it out a ton as well

ohso easy... i have a 16ft lakesport cc... similar to your pic... been thinking of sticking the same 90 yammy motor on there with sponsons... just like yours. thanks for the pic. how does she run?

It's my first boat so I really have no comparison. I've never GPSed it, but from riding in other peoples and from people riding with me I would guess it does mid 40's and to me it's fast enough. The boat floats really well and that's what I wanted from it. Does anyone know about how much my boat weighs on or off the trailer?

ok, just wondering... I have a 50 yam 2 stroke and i get about 32mph with 3 peeps loaded to the gills... Thanks for the info. Might not be worth it for me to burn more fuel

Probably about 1,800 fully loaded, with the trailer about 2,100

I figured about 2000lbs. Thanks

I'm running an 1844 Allweld tunnel hull with the 50hp TLDI Tohatsu tiller. It's got a Minn Kota 80 and two batteries up front. I had Southside install adjustable trim tabs, their set about 1/4" below the bottom of the boat. The boat runs flat and smooth and will get in some real skinny water.

It gps's at 35mph with just me or with me and my son and two 120 quart ice chests full of catfish. My son and I both weigh about 240 - 250. It's got torque out of this world. I would imagine the 40 Tohatsu would perform great on a 16' boat and it would still be legal for Lacassine reserve.

The Coast Guard sticker on my boat calls for 25hp, way too conservative in my opinion.

I have a 40TLDI with restrictr removed so its actually a 50TLDI stuck on a 17x44 Alweld tunnel and with me and Merc plus fishing gear (750lbs+/-) it runs about 32mph..... funnest and best fishing rig I have had.