15 horsepower outboard on a 10' jon boat?

I have had 12 and 14 V hull aluminum boats with 9.9 and a 15HP. In those days the blocks were the same for the 9.9 and 15, just different bore and carbs. The 15 HP would scare the heck out of you with one person in the boat.

Jon boats are not made for planing and high speed.

The 10ft Jon is not rated for a 15HP it would be foolish and as others mentioned you probably would get cited.

Also depends on if it's 2 or 4 stroke. the 4 stokes are heavier.

Forget it!;);)
 
I used to have a 12' jon boat and a 3 1/2 moved it pretty good. Of course a modern 10 HP probably wouldn't weigh much more then my old 3 1/2 HP Scott.
 
A P.S. here. Does the boat list a load capacity on the tag? If it doesn't, call the company that built it with the model number and ask them. Remember you have to add everything that you are putting in the boat.The one spec I could get off the net was that the boat weighed about 75 pounds. If this is correct it isn't going to be built very sturdily. I'm not sure you will even be able to put a 3 on it with the weight of your son's buddy. You cannot overload the weight capacity. Many 3 hp engines will weigh about 40 pounds. 15 hp engines will weigh about 100 pounds. Don't forget the gas tanks and fuel loads.
 
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I would NEVER even consider such a idea!!! You are also asking for a violation ticket , by overpowering it . Remember that original HP rating is from the US Coast Guard. It is not the recommended power it is the MAX. allowed power. If you went ahead and mounted it I can assure you that the boat will be unmanageable and downright scary, that is if you could get it to not swamp outright. I`d buy that nice motor and then sell it for a profit to buy the correct size engine. Good luck .
 
All things considered and this is the way it usually goes.....

If he can get the Merc for a good price it's probably time for a bigger boat.

He's got the bug. ;)
 
The last time i saw a rig similar to this but with a smaller motor they were launching in Sabine Lake with about 2" freeboard. About 30 minutes later we heard hootin' and hollerin' and saw 2 heads and an ice chest. Unless it is a 10 ft deep and wide I wouldn't trust it in anything but a small pond or creek/bayou.
 
Fifty years ago, when I was young and broke and stupid, I bought a ten-foot johnboat. It was all I could afford and it could be carried on top of a station wagon.

My brother and I (he was even younger and just as stupid) fished from it a lot. We each weighed over 200 pounds. With our fishing gear aboard the boat had about 3/8 of an inch of freeboard. Okay, that's a slight exaggeration, but it was damned perilous. It was even a little riskier with the additional weight of a trolling motor and battery.

It might, just might conceivably have handled a three-horse motor. A fifteen horsepower job would have rendered the craft a kamikaze rig like those Japanese suicide torpedoes, only slower.
 
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In my youth we put a friends 10 horse Evinrude on a 10 foot Arkansas Traveler john boat. In lake Tahoe Ca. It was a lively, sporty combination on or shake down voyage, skipping like a flat rock across the lake. Really had to feather the throttle to get it to turn.
On the second try it caught an edge, rolled, and tossed two bikini clad hotties into the lake. What were we thinking letting two bikini clad hotties play with our new toy? You know what we were thinking...

Oscar Zulu
 
Get the 15 HP then go trade the boat for at least a 14 footer. If you have ever fished out of a 10 footer it is something scary to say the least. My uncle dumped himself twice with his and that was getting in and out of the boat at the bank. Also I have ran a 3 horse air-cooled back years ago and it would require paddling to make any headway against a not so bad of a wind.
If he is going to do anything other than puddle fishing, I would strongly recommend a 14, with at least a 36" bottom and a 10/15 HP motor. Been there, done that.
Larry
 
Time for a bigger boat.
I wouldn't be surprised if the thing didn't sink before they could get the motor started. Really....
 
15 HP? YES YES YES!

Howdy,
I'd jump on the motor and look for a 14 foot boat. He would be better off all around.
There isn't much freeboard or room in a 10' boat to begin with.
Best of luck
Mike
 
Rule3 said:
I have had 12 and 14 V hull aluminum boats with 9.9 and a 15HP. In those days the blocks were the same for the 9.9 and 15, just different bore and carbs. The 15 HP would scare the heck out of you with one person in the boat.

Jon boats are not made for planing and high speed.

The 10ft Jon is not rated for a 15HP it would be foolish and as others mentioned you probably would get cited.

Also depends on if it's 2 or 4 stroke. the 4 stokes are heavier.

Forget it!;);)
Click to expand...

To expand on this, there is a reason for the 9.9 hp designation. On some inland lakes motors 10 horsepower or above are not allowed, so a 9.9 horse came about by simply detuning a 15 to conform to the regulation. So, if he hasn't done so already, the OP may want to consider where the boat is being used before he decides on the 15, even if he is to put it on a larger boat.
 
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