CONTINUOUSWAVE

For use by my kids, should I buy a nice c.1980 13-footer with a Yamaha 70-HP two-stroke-power-cycle engine?

Buy the boat. Remove the 70-HP engine. Put on a 25-HP engine.

And sell the 70 hp engine quickly. Two reasons: 1. use it to pay for the 25 hp engine. 2. so you won't be tempted to put it back on for your own use. ( That was my first thought, so it must be poor judgement on my part. (the wife claims))

Could it be possible to change the propeller to a size that limits the WOT speed to a level you deem appropriate for your kid's maturity level. As they grow and learn a less restrictive propeller could be installed.

I was issued a driver's license on my 14th birthday in Texas. A few months before that I bought my first car for $35, a 1931 Ford Model A coupe with rumble seat. I had been learning to drive on back roads for almost two years before my 14th birthday.

Some children can be ready for more responsibility at an earlier age than others.

If it had a 50 or even 60 I would say...hmmm, maybe change the prop.

A 13' with a 70 is just silly. Think of a Yugo (look it up kids) towing a Revenge WD WT.

The used engine market for mid-range engines is HOT! You can sell the 70hp in less than a week and you can buy a 25-40 with money in your pocket.

Jefecinco wrote:Could it be possible to change the propeller to a size that limits the WOT speed to a level you deem appropriate for your kid's maturity level. As they grow and learn a less restrictive propeller could be installed.

It's a 70hp motor on a boat rated for a max of 40hp. Having overpowerered the same boat with a 50hp, I can tell you it's a crazy ride with a 50hp, I can't image 70hp on a 13' Whaler, not to mention the motor is much heavier than the proper designated power.

Any prop that would provide a slower speed would surely over rev the motor as you'd need to drop down quite a bit in the prop pitch. He'd be better buying a 30-40hp motor.

D-

Phil T wrote:If it had a 50 or even 60 I would say...hmmm, maybe change the prop.

A 13' with a 70 is just silly. Think of a Yugo (look it up kids) towing a Revenge WD WT.

The used engine market for mid-range engines is HOT! You can sell the 70hp in less than a week and you can buy a 25-40 with money in your pocket.

Phil's absolutely right. I just took a deposit on a 70hp Yamaha the day after I listed it at $3700. I had 15+ people that reached out to me.

D-

Agree, repowering is the best course of action. I would probably go for a 40 HP.

Without knowing the age of the "kids" that apparently will be the primary users of the classic 13-footer, I would not recommend more than 25-HP.

Also, I would recommend a pull-start engine. If the "kids" are not strong enough to pull start a 25-HP engine--and here I am assuming the engine is in very excellent tune, the fuel system is primed, the "kids" have been instructed in the proper starting procedure, such that the engine will easily start on the first or second pull--then I would not consider the "kids" mature enough to operate the boat by themselves. If the "kids" can only pull-start a 10-HP engine, then that's the engine for them to run on the 13-footer.

Very good advice Jim.

I learned to drive at 8, but back then you had to figure out how to start things and they all had manual transmissions so you had a natural education to slow you down. Today with fuel injection and automatics, an 8 year old can drive anything. Underpowered is a good way to safely learn when you know nothing about how to operate things. In this case, we don’t know the age or experience of these kids.