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smoky
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I'm thinking of getting a small 12 ft maybe 14 ft aluminum boat and I was wondering what kinda hp should I get in order to go up rivers like clackamas and sandy.
Motor question
MrGrumpFish
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I assume you're going to want to get a jet if you're planning on hitting those rivers. I am sure you will hear from an experienced pump guy here. I can tell you I have a 15 foot smoker craft and I run in tide water a bit so its nice to have some power to get things done in swift and deep rivers. I run a reinforced transom and have a 40HP mariner with a prop on mine. My boat will do 30MPH on smooth water and get to plane on the quick. You typically see 15 to 20HP in boats that size and I think for pumps you almost double your HP rating to compensate.
Just posting for conversation sake. I hope this helps in some way.
Cheers,
Chris
Just posting for conversation sake. I hope this helps in some way.
Cheers,
Chris
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eugene1
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Moderator
A drifter may be a better choice in that boat size range.
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smoky
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I think I've decided to just go with a single man pontoon so I don't have to get a boating license.
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DrTheopolis
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The answer to the original question is "the maximum that the boat is rated for."
A buddy has an old riveted 14' with a 15HP 4-stroke (fairly new), and at most flows, has a hard time getting above Carver. I think going upstream from Lewis & Clark on the Sandy would be do-able with a similar setup, heck, maybe even with a 9.9 (which negates the need for a boater's card, which isn't hard to get, nor is it at all expensive when talking about buying a boat). I'd definitely stick with a prop, and learn the levels at which you can avoid grinding it (which I think is much easier on the Sandy, but there's only a limited stretch you can run a power boat -- from Dabny to the mouth, whereas the whole lower Clack is fair game, unfortunately).
Then, when the tribs are to low to motor up as flows drop in summer, you have a little boat to bump around on the Willy and Big C.
A buddy has an old riveted 14' with a 15HP 4-stroke (fairly new), and at most flows, has a hard time getting above Carver. I think going upstream from Lewis & Clark on the Sandy would be do-able with a similar setup, heck, maybe even with a 9.9 (which negates the need for a boater's card, which isn't hard to get, nor is it at all expensive when talking about buying a boat). I'd definitely stick with a prop, and learn the levels at which you can avoid grinding it (which I think is much easier on the Sandy, but there's only a limited stretch you can run a power boat -- from Dabny to the mouth, whereas the whole lower Clack is fair game, unfortunately).
Then, when the tribs are to low to motor up as flows drop in summer, you have a little boat to bump around on the Willy and Big C.
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smoky
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Not a bad thought thanks for the info.
