How fast should I be going?

[BobG]

As an aside, when the dealer added the third toon to my boat, the max HP went from 130 to 200.

[Cycleman07]

Does your straked twin tune have them on both sides of the tube or just the inside .

Just the inside.

[Berkshire 514]

My 24' with strakes and underskin does 36 with 6 adults. It is a 2 toon boat with the 150.

This what I'd love to see.


I respect you guys cautioning about over powering my boat but IMO that identification plate is BS stating this big boat can only have up a 115hp. How much does lifting strakes and underskinning cost from a dealer? If you have a third log installed....what happens to the identification plate? Does the dealer has it upgraded or changed to reflect the new horsepower rating? As a first effort I will go to a local prop shop and see what they can do for me. Thanks for the prompt feedback!

[smoker62]

I underskinned my Southbay a couple weeks ago. I used .063 material and rivets . Total cost was just under $300. I also have been kicking around upgrading to the Merc 150. My dealer said my 115 and 4k to upgrade . Southbay has never returned my call about adding strakes.

[margaritaman]

If I can recall sometime back there were discussions on HP ratings and after your vessel is 20' or over the ratings go out the window per Coast Guard regulations. Someone please correct me if my information is wrong. I cannot see where someone can rate the pontoons that are doing 100 mph as to their max horse power.

[The_Hellbilly]

I tend to disagree with the majority opinion on "overpowering" a pontoon especially when it comes to a newer model. I'm not convinced that the max motor size is more of a function of marketability and legal liability than a function of structural integrity. If I were to consider going to a 150hp, 200hp, etc. the first thing I would do is see if the manufacturer makes a 2 log model that allows for larger motors. Then I would to see if there are differences in the transom; size, type, spacing, or number of stringers; or anything else that would make an integrity difference in the structural support system. I wouldn't be shocked if there are no differences. I looked at a Voyager with twin 225hps. It was basically the same setup I had (except for 6 strakes) and only had one 225hp sticker.

That being said, to get good results you need to be on top of the water instead of pushing threw it which will most likely require strakes and ideally a 3rd log.

Some folks worry about water cops and insurance as an additional concern. Check with your agent, state, and local enforcement. Laws vary greatly from state to state. I purchased my toon from the dealer with a 135hp and my sticker said 115hp and I have never had a problem with insurance or lake patrol.

[BobG]

If I can recall sometime back there were discussions on HP ratings and after your vessel is 20' or over the ratings go out the window per Coast Guard regulations.

The Coast Guard does not care. Some states DO. Not all. ALL insurance companies care. If you have an incident, and you are over-powered accordeing to your sticker, they will deny your claim.

[The_Hellbilly]

ALL insurance companies care. If you have an incident, and you are over-powered according to your sticker, they will deny your claim.

What if you have no sticker?

[BobG]

What if you have no sticker?

Aha! Brilliant! Remove the sticker!
Unfortunately, they know what your boat is rated for, even if the sticker is "missing".
Surely, you have heard the phrase "ignorance is not an acceptable excuse".

[The_Hellbilly]

What if you have no sticker?

Aha! Brilliant! Remove the sticker!
Unfortunately, they know what your boat is rated for, even if the sticker is "missing".
Surely, you have heard the phrase "ignorance is not an acceptable excuse".

Are you 100% sure that stickers are required in every state?

[BobG]

Are you 100% sure that stickers are required in every state?

Heck, they weren't even present on older boats.
Interesting situation:

My dealer bought a two-tube boat from the manufacturer, and they added the third toon. When I got the boat, it had the sticker from the manufacturer. Having the third toon, changes the capacity AND the horsepower rating of the boat. I e-mailed the manufacturer, and they sent me a new sticker with the new capacities (raising the HP rating from 130 HP to 200 HP).

You can get one made on-line for about $20, if I recall correctly. They'll put anything on there you tell them to put on there, as far as I know. But when the insurance company is investigating a claim, they're not going to look at the sticker. They're going to look in their database, and say oh yeah, that boat configuration is rated for "X" horsepower, and from the serial number of your motor, our database says it's "Y" horsepower, and *BINGO*, claim denied!

[pond tuuunes]

There is no sticker on my toon, so I have no clue. DNR asked me how much HP I had, I told them 320. JT

[smoker62]

There is no sticker on my toon, so I have no clue. DNR asked me how much HP I had, I told them 320. JT

Ha, yeah on the port side , you forgot the starboard side though, haha.

[keosports]

I just put the order in for my new E-Tech 150hp, for this month only they are giving 6yrs complete motor warranty, free rigging , prop and gauges. The thing that I thought was the coolest is that for $1200 I can turn this motor into a 200hp with a factory computer or get a tweeker to reprogram the computer to put out 250hp for $800, of course this voids the warranty but it is cool to know that it is an option for down the road.

[smoker62]

Not to sure about that. The etec 150 is only 158 cubic inch while the 250 is 200 cubic inch. How is a computer going to get 250 hp out of 158 cubes ? I think the 200 is 158 CI , so that may be possible. I know Simons has some great performing ECUs, I actually had my 250 Verado running over 310 with their program but it is the same displacement as the 300 Verado.