magstang1
Active Member
I bought a 15 horse today. It's is in my garage for the night. I'll have an update tomorrow.
I'm so excited! I love these little boats.
I'm so excited! I love these little boats.
What do I need in a dinghy?
- Thread starter magstang1
- Start date
bigblockcutlass
Member
- May 9, 2010
- 832
- Boat Info
- 1998 Carver 370 Voyager
1990 270 sea ray sundancer twin 4.3L
1987 Power Play 230 Conquest
1987 Fo
- Engines
- 454
hopefully it's a two stroke. 77 pounds over a 110 pounds.
magstang1
Active Member
It's a 2001 Mercury 15hp 2 stroke with tiller shift.
The tiller shift is very nice. No more reaching back to the cowling.
The tiller shift is very nice. No more reaching back to the cowling.
magstang1
Active Member
I got a chance to take the dinghy out by myself for a bit today. The 15hp is a good match for this boat.
When planing, the bow comes up rather high and it climbs over and planes off. The drive is trimmed all the way in. I think tabs would help this out quite a bit. I want some more driving time with a few passengers before I change anything. I didn't get a speed reading, but this thing moves in a hurry. Depending on how it acts with passengers, I may prop it down for less speed and more torque out of the hole.
The hard bottom is a world of difference from the air floor. She cuts through and rides like a real boat, not a raft. The air floor was not bad. The only advantage it has over the rigid hull is its weight and compact size when stowed. Since neither of these things are important to me, the rigid hull has the advantage in this case.
I plan on spending some time driving it tomorrow. I'll get some speed readings and report back.
I've been smiling like a kid all day about this thing. As a bonus, my son has been asking for a ride tomorrow. Money well spent.
When planing, the bow comes up rather high and it climbs over and planes off. The drive is trimmed all the way in. I think tabs would help this out quite a bit. I want some more driving time with a few passengers before I change anything. I didn't get a speed reading, but this thing moves in a hurry. Depending on how it acts with passengers, I may prop it down for less speed and more torque out of the hole.
The hard bottom is a world of difference from the air floor. She cuts through and rides like a real boat, not a raft. The air floor was not bad. The only advantage it has over the rigid hull is its weight and compact size when stowed. Since neither of these things are important to me, the rigid hull has the advantage in this case.
I plan on spending some time driving it tomorrow. I'll get some speed readings and report back.
I've been smiling like a kid all day about this thing. As a bonus, my son has been asking for a ride tomorrow. Money well spent.
magstang1
Active Member
26 mph with only myself and a full tank of gas.
21 mph with my wife, son and myself.
15 mph was a comfortable 3/4ish throttle cruise speed for the 3 of us.
26 feels like Mach 2 in a rubber 10 foot boat.
15 is the max this boat is rated for. In the evening with the wind blowing and the 1 foot chop that is common around here, you need every one of those horses. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind having a few more available. All in all I'm happy with the boat. I even got to enjoy a ride tonight wile my wife drove.
21 mph with my wife, son and myself.
15 mph was a comfortable 3/4ish throttle cruise speed for the 3 of us.
26 feels like Mach 2 in a rubber 10 foot boat.
15 is the max this boat is rated for. In the evening with the wind blowing and the 1 foot chop that is common around here, you need every one of those horses. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind having a few more available. All in all I'm happy with the boat. I even got to enjoy a ride tonight wile my wife drove.
