How much horsepower of an outboard motor will i need for an 18ft. boat to go in the bay?

Question

How much horsepower of an outboard motor will i need for an 18ft. boat to go in the bay?

Answer 1

fiberglass hull, want to go near 60 mph?... go with a 150.

aluminum hull, go with about a 90.

90 to 115 hp will push  a fiberglass just fine, and a  50 to 75 will work great for aluminum

Answer 2

First you need to know the weight of the hull, then you need to know how many people your boat will normally hold.  Add in the weight of the fuel tank when full and all gear you will be carrying including coolers of beer and such.  Then you need to know how much horsepower the manufacturer recommends on the transom of the boat.  Then select an engine suitable to meet all your needs and a proper propeller to go along with the type of boating you will be doing.  Off hand I would say a 60-115 hp engine would do the trick.

Answer 3

You have to first find out what HP rating the manufacture has placed on the hull. Then buy as much HP as you can afford up to that limit. You will be very unhappy if you under-power the hull, takes longer to plane out, longer to get where you are going ( lower cruising speed for optimum mileage).

Answer 4

That, my dear depends on what you want to DO with your boat.... just fish?  tow waterskiers? race?   the higher the horsepower, the faster the boat will go.... I have a 14 ft baby pontoon boat with only a 15 hp motor on it and it doesn't go very fast but just fast enough to tow someone with a tube ... anything bigger then a 50hp might be too big for your boat....