# motor / boat size???



## catchinabuzz (Jul 29, 2002)

i am looking for some help i just bought my first saltwater boat a 17 foot starcraft. it had a evinrude 85 horse on it and the hull is rated for a max of 80. the person i got it from said the 85 was a bit much of a motor for this boat so my question is, i need to replace the motor and i found a good deal on a merc 40 is this to small? i will be running it in the bay for fishing so i am not to worried about speeding around. just looking for some advice 
thanks
buzz


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## inawe (May 24, 2003)

*and*

whats wrong with that long as it hooks up properly usually I not out there for speed anyhow , heck if it takes me a few extra min ta get ta where i gotta get , just as long as i get there


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## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

Depends a lot on which Starcraft you have, what year the motor is, and how much weight/people/fuel/etc you will be carrying. 

I had a Tracker Magna 17, which was aluminum with an 80 on it. I considered it about perfect for the boat. With 2 people it would top out at about 43-45 and cruse very nice at 35. 

I think a 40 would have been "way" to small for the boat, would probably get it on plane OK, but going to be straining all the time, which just leads to more gas consumption. Plus, I would rather have too much than to little, and it really helps at dawn when you're making a run on the bay to a spot, and be able to take advantage of the slick water.

By the way, had a 50hp on a 15.5 tri-hull, and 32=33 was all I could get out of it. The v-hull takes more HP to keep it on plane.

My $.02


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## catchinabuzz (Jul 29, 2002)

thanks this is the info i was looking for i figure worst case scenario i will re sell the 40 and go bigger but for right now this is the budget i am working with. 

thanks
buzz


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## wizardude (May 19, 2002)

Thought you said it "already" has an 85 on it???


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## catchinabuzz (Jul 29, 2002)

the 85 isnt running. it has all kinds of electrical problems i took it in and they quoted me over $500 with no promise it would run. i will stick it in the trader and try to get a couple bucks for it. thats the plan anyway.

buzz


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