What size boat motor do I need?

Question

I have a small 12 feet boat that weight about 700lbs, fiber glass. If I wanted to tow a ski or tube, how much horse power do I need?

Answer 1

The 130 HP is way to big, and heavy for that matter.  It is just plain dangerous.  12' is really small for pulling a skier, and I'm sure that while you might pull a tube, it wouldn't be very fast, and a lot less fun for the tuber.  Most boats this size can take up to 25-30 HP, but check the rating as Hruth suggest.  What I'd do, is look for a used boat and motor, about 19 ft. with a 120/160 HP I/O, you can find something for $1500 or so, and a new 25 HP would cost that much.  Used small engines are hard to find, almost always it's boat and motor...BOL

Answer 2

i think that boat is really small to pull tubers and skiers, Whats the boat rated for?  I would probably go for sure no higher than 50 Hp.  50 Hp might be way to big though, you have to find out what its rated for

Answer 3

I had a 13 boston whaler with a 50hp> set up for speed> Pulled 1 on skies & 1 on Board> same time> what is your boat rated for and how stable is it>

Answer 4

What is the hull rated for? Go close to the max power rating for the hull for best performance.

Answer 5

Starting at around at least 130 horse power depending on how many people you will have in the boat too.