Need houseboat motor advice

Rick Kyte

Rick Kyte

Well-known member
Some of you may remember that last year I purchased an old square-hull houseboat last year. Progress has been slow, but I've got the exterior about finished now and am ready to hang an outboard on the transom. Over the next 3-4 weeks I hope to get the interior done and I share some updated pics then.

Here's a picture from before I started work on it so just to show the hull shape:
houseboat1a.jpg

Here's the transom on the back. Since this picture I've replaced the wood with 2" marine ply left over from the last boat build, so the transom is solid.

houseboat5b.jpg

The question is: what HP outboard should I put on this boat? I've been getting conflicting advice from the so-called "experts" around the boatyard.

A buddy gave me an old 1970 135hp Merc that runs well. That's what I was planning to put on here. The guy who owns the repair shop at the marina says that's overpowered, but it would be good to have the extra power when you're running against the current and the wind comes up.

But a retired river barge captain who is fixing up an old houseboat next to mine, says all I really need is about a 10hp motor. He says it's dangerous to overpower a square hull because the displacement won't let you go any faster than a small motor will push it, and if you try to push it faster, water will try to come over the hull and the front end will dive.

So who should I believe here: the guy who has 20 years experience installing and repair motors on houseboats, or the guy who pushed barges up and down the river for a living?

Rick
 
I'd be more inclined to believe the retired barge captain. Seems to me that a 135 is way overpowered for a square hull and could very easily put you in danger but I wonder if a 10 is enough for you to make head way against a current. I'd try to find a couple of motors in the 10 to 30 horse range and try them before deciding something permanent.
 
Rick,

From the photos it looks as if the front is truely square. In that case I'd go with the barge caption. He is 100% correct in saying the front end will submerge if pushed too fast.

I'd guess that you would want more than a 10hp but certainly nothing as much as a 135. I would think thaty 25 or 35 would give you plenty of "extra" with out substantial risk .
 
Rick,

This is just thinking out loud but I would tend to agree with the barge captain. Now my thought would be "I don't like the thought of having a square box to push around and since I have a perfectly good motor why not spend the money and have the local welder weld a bow plate and sides on the front of my square box so I have a little something for lift if a situation arises that I have a need for speed?"

But that's just me....

BTW, houseboat is looking good.

Ed L.
 
Ed,
you're right about that, and I checked with the guy who does hull repair and houseboats to see how much it would cost to weld an angled front to the boat. Answer: about $3K, which is 3x more than I paid for the boat in the first place. BTW, I'm not planning to take this boat on any long adventures up and down the river, but I might want to move it across the channel once in a while.
Rick
 
Well...I built a 8x24 floating dock and it is square just like your boat. I used one of my dump bed lumbertrucks to "launch" it accross the lake from my property. I used my 1750MV with the 35hp ex navy seal motor to tow it across the lake. At just above idle, it went great..when I gave it some gas it wanted to nose down(the dock not the boat). I'd say it was superiorly manueverable at low speed and as fast as it would "go". I'd go for a good 10 or 15 hp and keep it out of whitewater and typhoons. You will also be able to pop that motor off when you have the house set where you want it so no one can steal it.
 
Looks like everybody's opinion is that I should go with the low hp motor. Maybe I'll just use the tiller 15 off my duckboat for now. If I find a good deal on a small motor later I can rig it for remote steering.

Thanks for the advice everyone! (except Tod, that is)

Rick
 
Whattya need remote steering for? Just open the venetian blinds on the front slider and hold the back door open with your foot and clear sailing! Maybe get a horn to warn teh kayakers you are coming.

T
 
Rick:
If you're using it on the mighty Mississippi you need power not speed especially up river if on the Black river that's another whole ball game. If this is something that you will be moving from one spot to another then again power not speed. It all depends how you plan to use it. My two cents. How was your Colorado fishing?
wis boz
 
I think I'd shop around for one of those high thrust motors that comes in lower hp range. You don't want to go fast but you do want to move in current, winds, etc. The motor I'm describing are often used on larger boats to move them through the harbor and out to sea.
 
Rick, For what its worth the effect of the wind is one thing you can use more horse power for, but for the current you will have to pick your days as the speed at which you put your nose under at will be determined by the speed of the flow of water past your hull. ie. a six knot current will sink you if five knots is the max you can go before you put the nose under.(Unless you want to move downstream.) I'm with the oldtimer and Lee, find out if the 15 will put her under and judge from that.

There you go, my .02 worth.

Eric
 
I appreciate all the input. Since I already have a 15 I'll see how that performs. If I put the 135 on and it's way overpowered, I'd have to pull the boat out to switch motors.

Rick
 
Wis Boz,

Good to hear from you. I plan to keep the boat at the Municipal Harbor just off the main channel. I don't plan on moving it around much, but I might want to take it across to the west channel once in a while.

The Colorado trip was fine. Most of the time was spent visiting relatives, but I did get out and fished a few mountain streams. Stayed off the beaten track this year. Caught a lot of browns but nothing big. Saw three elk walk past me one morning. Another morning I heard some wingbeats behind me, turned around an a family of geese were flying up the stream about 5 ft over the water. I don't know if they even say me--I had to duck or the middle one would have hit me in the head. How come that never happens during hunting season?

Rick
 
WOW...3k seems excessive....Shoot I have a 9.5 with a fresh tune-up I'll give you a good deal on.

Keep us posted and I want to see sme pictures pulling it around the river with the Bluebill.
 
have you looked into mounting somthing like a large trolling moter since it isnt key too have speed some of the new 36v ones are over 100 lbs ft thrust or go with thrusters hard mounted tow it too the spot with bigger boat and leave it too manuver with thrusters or a trolling moter
 
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