CONTINUOUSWAVE

Since I had so many great experiences growing up with 13-foot Boston Whaler boat, I am planning on buying one for my young teenager this year. In my state there is a 25-HP limit for boaters under 16-years-old. The 13-footer is an obvious good choice.

Is it worth considering a 15-footer if I wanted to re-power in four to five years when I am not restricted to 25-HP?

This boat would be used mostly be young teenagers for cruising and possibly some fishing on a medium sized lake.

How would the a 15-footer perform with 25-HP in these instances?

Would the boat have trouble getting on plane?

I saw the minimum horsepower rating for a 15-footer was 20-HP, but I want to make sure it could perform.

Thanks!
This site is admirable and a great resource.

This topic has been discussed previously. Here are some links to those discussions:

15-footer with 30-HP
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/008137.html

Owner Testimonials
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... nials.html

Horsepower vs. Speed
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/15/

If your teenager is alone in a 15-foot boat with a 25-HP engine, the boat should get on plane, and top speed will be about 20 to 22-MPH. The boat performance will decrease with added weight from passengers or gear.

A 13-foot Boston Whaler hull probably planes more easily than a 15-foot hull, due to the hull design and the lower weight. A 13-footer with 25-HP may give all-round better speed than the 15-footer with the same power.

The 15-foot hull has a finer entry and rides better in waves than the 13-footer, but its initial roll stability is lower than the 13-footer.

Fifteen-foot Boston Whaler boats are very highly regarded and may be selling at a premium price compared to a 13-footer. I recall a recent listing for a 15-footer with an asking price of more than $10,000. A friend bought a nice 13-footer recently for $1,500.