50hp too little for the 170cc?

[Tygh]

My local dealer is selling a couple demo boats at very good prices. They have a 170cc with a 50hp for 13k, including swimstep and bimini cover.

Is this boat underpowered with a 50hp motor??

[Fischer53]

You can never have too much boat or too much power. That being said I have 170CC with a 70 hp. It kind of depends on where you are going and what you are doing.

1) Are you going out where there are strong currents and winds - into the salt, big lakes, rivers? If you are not in the salt, the Great Lakes, or something like the lower Mississippi, a 50hp should be enough.

2) Are you planning on getting a skier up or hauling kids around on a tube? Go for the 70hp.

3) Going to have more than 2 adults in the boat at one time? You may want more horsepower. Just as a reference point. With a full load of gas and myself on flat water I top out around 39 mph with a 70 hp with a 13.25 x 19 prop. Last weekend I had 7 adults (yes that exceeds the Coast Guard limits) and got to 32 mph which I thought was surprisingly good. I suspect I would have been challenged to get up on plane with that load and a 50 hp.

4) What can your wallet tolerate?

Hopefully somebody with a 50hp will chime in.

[Putershark]

Which 50 HP engine? 2 stroke or 4 stroke since there "can be" quite a differacne in weight between the 2 engines. Overall weight (draft) is the killer though... That is why I try and keep my 190 light (half tank of fuel or less) even though I have a heavy 150 Honda on the stern.

The more HP (generaly speaking) the bigger of a prop you can swing, but remember that the power band and how each engine responds may be quite differernt between a 2 or 4 stroke engine.

Drive it loaded and see how it responds before buying... If you need range then see how slow the engine will run in 3 to 4k RPM range and still keep the hull on a plane when loaded. For that is where you will most times get your best fuel burn and overall (all things being equal) greatest range.

Dave

[Tygh]

It is the Yamaha 4-stroke 50hp. Usual load would be 2 people plus dive gear in salt water. Figure 600lb in people and gear.

[wscruiser]

I have a 17 CC with a Yamaha 50 hp 2-stroke engine. For my use; fresh water lakes it does great. With 3 average size adults and fishing gear it will run 34 mph according to a handheld GPS. I have had it in the Intercoastal Water Way and Cape Fear River a few times and it does well there, BUT I have also taken it out to Bald Head Island a couple of times and a 70 hp engine would have been more comfortable.

In my opinion, if you're going out into the "big water" go with the 70 hp engine. Out there you need all of the power you can get. If you are mainly going to be in freshwater lakes the 50 hp engine will do fine.

[fridaysoff]

TYGH,
I have a 170CC with a 60hp 4 stroke Yamaha. I only use it in salt water. I usually have 2 adults and gear when fishing. I've pulled my son tubing before with plenty of power. I've been in situations where I wish that I had the 75hp 4 Stroke, but I have never wanted less power. I think the 60hp four stroke on the 170CC is probably the best power to weight ratio available as far as I'm concerned. I can go 36mph (GPS) with 2 adults. I can play all day on less than 10 gallons of fuel at 4000-4500 rpm's
John D.

[Tygh]

I ended up going with the 75hp 4-stroke. Given the conditions and gear we will be dealing with, the extra hp will be nice.

[suitekids]

Hello again TYGH, I just bought a 170cc a week ago, we experimented with props and went with the Ballistic 13-1/4 x 19 , made the boat come alive to be sure, but a little on the rad side at the top end 43 mph trimmed out with my better half aboard. hole shot is under 3 seconds. very smooth and a great combo for those small offshore jaunts to get back in when you need to quickly, love the boat and a thrill to get it up on plane.

[Deltaviller]

I remember reading one of the early reviews of a Triumph 170 (then Logic 17) back 5, 6 years ago. They powered a Logic 170 Cool with a 50 hp Honda four stroke and loved it. I think it topped out around 32 mph in their test. The Cool was a little lighter than the current 170CC though.

[boatboy]

I have a 98 Logic with a 99' 50HP 2 stroke. The weight on the earlier models was less than it is now, portable fuel tanks. I use 2 six gallon tanks for inshore and a 12 gallon I can add for the offshore jaunts. Use has always been in saltwater. Haven't had an issue to date. Been out about 8-10 miles, biggest worry here is dependability. No issue navigating through narrow inlets/canals against the tide. However it's always nice to be able to push that throttle a little more no matter how much horsepower you have.