90hp vs 115hp

[jason007]

I know this is a very general non detailed question but wondering in general how much I would notice upgrading from a 2 stroke 90hp to a 115hp 2 stroke.

The reason I ask is that I am selling my 1997 17ft Smokercraft which has a 1995 V4 90hp Johnson 2 stroke and looking to upgrade to a boat with a bigger motor so it will be better at pulling tubers and skiers than my current boat. With my boat I can pull our young kids (8yrs & 13yrs old) in the tube fine, but once I tried pulling a large adult or two teenagers and my boat just didn't have the power it needed. I need a great fishing boat that can double duty as the tubing boat too. Any ideas? Most of the boats I see for sale like the Alumacraft/Crestliner/Lund have 90hp to 115hp motors on them, every now and then you see a 150hp. I know for sure I need more horses just not sure how much I need.

[delmuts]

My $.02. Pulling tubers takes power.If you have the option i would look at getting something that is at the max horse power rating for that boat. Stepping up to a 115 will help, but how much i don't know. Depending on your set up, you may want to look at a different prop too.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm a pretty good-sized dude (6'2", 240) and I ski behind our 17' Alumacraft w/ 2-stroke 115. I would definitely not go smaller than that, though. I slalom, but need two skis to get out of the water. My brother in law is a little smaller (and a little better slalomer) and can get up on one ski, but it takes quite a bit of time.

If you can swing a 150, it'd be very nice, though. And like Delmuts said, try a different prop. A 4 blade, SS, or even a drop in pitch in an aluminum could make a huge difference.

[gregg52]

if you want power look at the e-tecs

i have one and they have lots of power

i have a 150 on a 20 ft glass boat i was alittle worried at first about being under powered but not the case

[Jaspernuts]

I have a 2 stroke 115 on a 1750 fish hawk. Im 6'2 and 190 and it can pull me out on one ski. Its plenty of power with 2 people in the boat, but if there are 4 in there, I have to drop a ski.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Its plenty of power with 2 people in the boat, but if there are 4 in there, I have to drop a ski.

Another good point. If you have a full load in the boat, you'll need much more power!

[JimBuck]

I'm a pretty good-sized dude (6'2", 240) and I ski behind our 17' Alumacraft w/ 2-stroke 115. I would definitely not go smaller than that, though. I slalom, but need two skis to get out of the water. My brother in law is a little smaller (and a little better slalomer) and can get up on one ski, but it takes quite a bit of time.

If you can swing a 150, it'd be very nice, though. And like Delmuts said, try a different prop. A 4 blade, SS, or even a drop in pitch in an aluminum could make a huge difference.

RW, did you get rid of the Backtroller!? Say it ain't so!

[marine_man]

A good rule of thumb if you can't afford to max out the hp for a given boat is to not go less than 75% or the max rated hp on the boat.

That said; I'm a but surprised you can't get the performance you're looking for out of the 90hp... was the boat full when you were trying to pull the large adult out of the water? Do you know what you're running for RPM?

A 115 would certainly be better, but I think you should be able to get it done with a 90.

marine_man

[SkunkedAgain]

Yeah, you might want to get a prop where the pitch will give you better hole shot.

[Ralph Wiggum]

RW, did you get rid of the Backtroller!? Say it ain't so!

Oh, no. Still got it. I was referring to a family boat at our cabin.

[LightningBG]

Go as big as you can afford.

I'm impressed some of you guys can get up behind these 115s. I'm 6'2", 210 lb, pretty decent slalom skier and I feel like it takes forever getting up behind a 250+ hp i/o.

The pitch could definitely help get that low end torque you would desire for tubing and popping skiers. Beware though, some skiers (and possibly your kids in the future) like skiing at a pretty high speed too. I slalom at about 32mph, one of my uncles skis at 36-38mph.

Put a ski pylon in the boat if it doesn't already have one. Bringing that rope up in the air a little bit and forward of the motor should help too IMO.

[Sonicrunch]

Yeah, you might want to get a prop where the pitch will give you better hole shot.

that's what I was thinking. If you can afford to lose some speed, or if you are not reaching your max rpm, you may want to try a different prop. What do you have for a prop now?

[marine_man]

I'm impressed some of you guys can get up behind these 115s. I'm 6'2", 210 lb, pretty decent slalom skier and I feel like it takes forever getting up behind a 250+ hp i/o.

Based on your comments I need to revise my statement... with two skis a 90 should be able to pull it off.. Slalom probably not... when I think of skiing I evidently limit it to what I'm capable of.. sorry about that

marine_man

[311Hemi]

I'm impressed some of you guys can get up behind these 115s. I'm 6'2", 210 lb, pretty decent slalom skier and I feel like it takes forever getting up behind a 250+ hp i/o.

If I remember correctly last year I had two adults and a couple kids in the boat and pulled up a roughly 180lb person without much of an issue, and that was with a near full tank of gas. That's with a F115 on my 1850 Sportfish.

Maybe I will pay a little more attention to the performance of it this weekend and have someone pull me up, with 2-3 adults in the boat and see how it does. I know the tank is full now. I'm 6'4", 215 lbs. Don't think it would work well to pull up a single though.

[JohnMickish]

You will NEVER wish you had a smaller motor. 'nuff said.

[311Hemi]

You will NEVER wish you had a smaller motor. 'nuff said.

Ain't that the truth!

[Sonicrunch]

You will NEVER wish you had a smaller motor. 'nuff said.

until it comes time to buy fuel...

[JohnMickish]

until it comes time to buy fuel...

Nobody said having a boat was cheap.

[tsande00]

until it comes time to buy fuel...

Exactly!

I'm always envious of my buddies Mastercraft until it comes time to fuel up. Suddenly the little 90hp runabout doesn't seem so bad.

[Ralph Wiggum]

I'm always envious of my buddies Mastercraft until it comes time to fuel up. Suddenly the little 90hp runabout doesn't seem so bad.

No V8 rumble with the 90, though

[tsande00]

No V8 rumble with the 90, though

Yeah, I'm still jealous.

I just try to make myself feel better by boasting about my better fuel economy.

That thing does sound awesome, especially when he is "peeling" away from me with his exhaust pointed in my general direction.

[Ralph Wiggum]

Tell me about it. It gives me a woodie

[LightningBG]

Tell me about it. It gives me a woodie

I hear ya. back in HS we used to ride a prostar with the LT1. Heaven on a rope.

Recently we've riden (wakeboarding now) a few times behind a Tige RZ4. That is a whole new experience.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

What! Skiers & tubers are the enemy! Don't be lured to the dark side

[herefish101]

My old boat was a 17 foot fiberglass tub with a 75 hp chrysler on it, i'm 6 foot and weigh 230, this old tub would pull me out of the hole on a wakeboard, granted i never rocketed right out of the water but it alwayse got me up, and most of the time there were three or four people in the boat, i'm thinkin it's a prop thing, me boat never had much for top end speed, but i'v pulled two teenage kids on tubes at the same time. I'd check into a prop before i went out and bought a new boat.