Type of outboard for a jonboat?

Question

i have a 14 ft john boat and would like to know whats the most horsepower it would handle and if i would need a short or long shaft and if you can please explain what the two size shafts are used for what conditions?

Answer 1

A 14' Jon should take a 25 to 35 hp motor depending on how it is made. If it has a steering wheel it could take up to a 40 hp. If it is a extra deep then a long shaft.  Short is 15" and long is 20".  Most plain 14 jon's have a 15" transom.

Answer 2

The hp rating is based upon the length and width of the boat. I have a 14'x48" home-made john boat, it's max. hp is 25. Long or short shaft is based on transom height. Most small boats take a 15" shaft motor.

Answer 3

I would say a 5 or 6 horsepower short shaft should be perfect. The short shaft is for applications such as yours and the long shaft is more used on pontoon boats and boats with a higher stern..

Answer 4

you will need to determine how wide your boat is on the bottom... most 14' boats are either 32" or 36". if it is a 32" bottom, i wouldn't go larger than a 9.9hp ( 4-stroke ) and for the 36" bottom i would go with a 15hp ( 4-stroke ). if the 36" bottom is an all welded boat and not riveted, i believe you can go as much as a 25hp... be careful about the weights with the 4-stroke engine.. Yamaha still makes a 25hp 2-stroke...

to know if you have a short or long transom measure the transom... pull a tape measure from the top center of transom to the bottom center... 14 - 16" is short and 19 - 21" is long... you probably have a short though on a 14' boat. if you put a long shaft motor on a short transom boat, you will get poor performance... and if you do it the other way, your engine will not be in the water far enough...

Answer 5

Your Jon boat has to have an ID plate that tells you the maximum size engine that you can use on youe boat.It depends on the type and weight of the boat. My 12 foot flat bottom uses a 3hp.As far as short or long shaft it really doesn't matter unless you fish in shallows like I do.Then you need a short shaft,and keep the lower unit unlatched in case you hit something so the motor will tip up.

Answer 6

25 Hp max on 48+ beam 2 stroke > Unless it the V nose they might take a little more>>15" shaft >20 "puts it to deep into the water>Measure the transom height to make sure what it takes>>

Answer 7

This boat could probably take about a 100 hp outboard, and maybe around 50 miles an hour on good water.  I would recommend a johnson outboard motor, the 112 would be a good one, just don't mash the throttle from a dead stop.

I'm just kidding, it's not about how much the boat can handle, as it is instead what are the water conditions, how secure is the motor, what condition/material s the boat in, etc.  Automobiles can take well over 2000 hp, but depending on the chassis, transmission, tires, a lot of components can be damaged by mashing the throttle too soon, especially a clutch.  Because boats do not have transmissions (non racing boats) tires, etc, it all depends on the chassis.

Answer 8

I have a 14 foot jon-boat with a 25hp merc tiller. It runs about 30 mph. I have no ratings plate but I feel good with the 25. I am a certified marine tech of ten years so I am experienced. Most jon-boats use a 15" shaft but all you need to do is measure the height of your transom. It will be 15" or 20" and that's the motor you need.