# Need help spec'ing out a 14 foot V-hull



## IHDiesel73L (Mar 21, 2011)

It's starting (emphasis on starting-it snowed here this morning) to get warm again and my thoughts are turning away from firewood and deer hunting and back to the water. I found tinboats last summer when I was wishing I had a boat and now I'm committing to seriously looking for a fixer-upper as my cash situation is no better than last year :LOL2: After a lot of research here and elsewhere I determined that a 14' V-hull would probably suit my needs best. I'm not that serious about fishing-I do fish, but it's not like I'm out there every weekend, so it wouldn't make sense to build a dedicated, full on, fishing rig. However, though I don't fish much we do spend a lot of time at some of the local lakes and reservoirs hiking, swimming, cooking out, etc...along with our chocolate lab who loves the water. We also have one on the way so kids will be in the picture before long. One of the things we like to do is use our canoe to get to the more out of the way places that you can't get to by car and would be a long hike otherwise to enjoy the peace and quiet. It's a 2.5 mile paddle to the most secluded beach though, so getting out there in a canoe just with two people takes some doing (especially if there's even a little wind) let alone two adults, a child, a dog, and gear. 

So basically all I'm looking to do is find a used boat to start with that will accommodate 4 people (the dog is about 80lbs so I'll count him as a person), a 100 quart cooler, some beach chairs, a Weber Smokey Joe (the small "tailgate" version of the classic Weber), and of course a couple of fishing poles. In looking at the capacities and horsepower ratings of most 14' "utility" type models (Duraboat 14, Alumacraft V-14, Lowe 1457, etc...) there's a lot of variation:

Duraboat 14
Beam: 65"
Bow Depth: 29"
HP Range: 8-25
Capacity: 4 people/700lbs

Alumacraft V14
Beam: 68"
Bow Depth: 30"
HP Range: ?-20
Capacity: 5 people/1195lbs

Lowe 1457
Beam: 57"
Bow Depth: 27.5"
HP Range: ?-10
Capacity: 4 people 702lbs

I'm a little confused in that though these boats look relatively similar (although the beam of the Lowe is considerably less than the other two) they seem to vary a lot in terms of HP range. Also, if you just compare the Duraboat and the Alumacraft the capacity/weight ratings are dramatically different. The only real difference I can see is that the Alumacraft has a 3" longer beam-can that really make that much of a difference in the number of people you can carry? Plus the weight rating is nearly 500lbs more? I suppose maybe I'm missing something as someone fairly new to boating, so if anyone can clue me in I'd appreciate it. Again, I'm looking for something used, so I want to be sure I'm getting something that's going to suit my needs so I need to know what to look for since I can't necessarily look up specs for a 30 year old aluminum boat that's been sitting in a field :mrgreen: Can anyone give me some general rules of thumb to keep in mind when looking at a used boat (ie: you want something with a bow height/beam no less than _________, etc...)? Finally, let's assume that whatever I find is going to have a max weight rating in the neighborhood of 700lbs. I'm betting that with all of us in the boat plus gear we'll be pretty close to maxing that out (600-650 or so). First of all, how safe would that be on a calm day? How about if the wind picks up and it starts to get a little choppy? And what about HP? The lakes we go to are all 9.9-is a 14' V-hull loaded to near capacity with a 9.9 going to be a complete disaster? What if I pulled the old 15 in-a-9.9-cowling trick?


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## dr_beerman (Mar 21, 2011)

given the choices you have outlined, personally I would go with the larger Alumacraft V14. The other two choices seem too small for four passengers (3+dog) plus gear. As far as changing the engine cowl to evade detection of a larger motor I wouldn't. I just feel it's easier to be honest besides most EPA officers are aware of this trick. Are you locked into a 14' boat? Can you go up to 16'? I fish out of my dad's 16' Lund Alaskan on occasion and I think that would be an ideal size for four plus gear. Hope this helps your decision


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## IHDiesel73L (Mar 21, 2011)

dr_beerman said:


> Are you locked into a 14' boat? Can you go up to 16'?



That's part of my problem-I'm not sure because I just don't know enough about boat size/weight/capacity vs. horsepower. Just as an example, the Alumacraft V-16 has a beam of 70", a bow height of 30" and will hold 5/1380lbs, but is that way too much boat for a 9.9? If not, then sure, I'll go with a 16', I just figured that I was better off staying with a smaller boat because of the HP limitation. Can anyone recommend a good site with an FAQ or something that lays out these types of things?


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## spg (Mar 21, 2011)

The 9.9 will push the boat. But take a newspaper if your going over anything over 16 feet. Your going to need something to read when your putting around the lake. It will get you there but not fast. I run a 14 footer Gruman and have no problem with the 9.9. Tried a 25 hp for a while but that was scary fast, 35 mph and never did get the trottle opened all the way. I can do around 10-12 mph hour with the 9.9. I had the same hp restriction as you have, so when I bought the big boat for when I had the wife and kids out I had an Lowe 18 footer. It's always nice to have more room than you need. The sides were high enough that the kids and dogs could walk around and they couldn't fall overboard. Any boat is safe as you make it. No standing and walking around if it's a semi v while you have it loaded down.. The dog will have to sit also. Wear a life preserver EVERY time you go out, adults included. Common sense goes a long way. If the lake has 3-4 foot waves stay home, 1-2 foot chop and you'll be fine.


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## FSNMachine (Mar 21, 2011)

I just bought a Sylvan.

14 Sea Snapper Specifications
Max HP/kw 35 
Length (ft) 14'2" 
Beam (in) 68" 
Weight (boat only) (lbs) 230 
Capacity (persons) 5 
Capacity (lbs) 1000 
Interior Depth (in) 30" 
Transom Width (in) 60" 
Transom / Bracket Height (in) LS/SS 
Bottom Gauge (in) .064 
Side Gauge (in) .060 
Rib Gauge (in) .064


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## IHDiesel73L (Mar 21, 2011)

spg said:


> The 9.9 will push the boat. But take a newspaper if your going over anything over 16 feet. Your going to need something to read when your putting around the lake. It will get you there but not fast.



This is the answer I was looking for. I'm not all that concerned with speed really-from the ramp to where we want to go is anywhere from 2-3 miles straight across the water. If you're telling me that with a 9.9 on a 16' loaded with three people, a dog, and gear, that I can do 10 MPH that works just fine. At 10 MPH it will take me 15 minutes to get where I want to go (2-3 miles, wind permitting of course), so that works. It's a hell of a lot faster (and easier) than paddling! 



spg said:


> Any boat is safe as you make it. No standing and walking around if it's a semi v while you have it loaded down.. The dog will have to sit also. Wear a life preserver EVERY time you go out, adults included. Common sense goes a long way. If the lake has 3-4 foot waves stay home, 1-2 foot chop and you'll be fine.



All good points-the importance of safety not something I need to be convinced of-the reason I'm so interested in this topic is because I want to make sure that I'm getting the safest boat for our needs. As far as the waves go, I've never even seen 3-4' waves on the lakes we go to, but needless to say I wouldn't even think of going out in such conditions. Thanks for the info.


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## DearJon (Aug 2, 2012)

I think the 9.9 will push a 16 footer just fine for what you intend to use it for. Check out this video of a 9.9 on a 14' V hull. I'm sure the boat in the video is unloaded, but it looks like it far surpasses your performance expectations. You'd be quite a bit heavier in a 16' with the 2 extra feet of length, and more people, but I think you'd still do fine with a 9.9.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TH3vrWKHwno&feature=player_detailpage


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