I'm selling two boats and replacing them with one. Mostly because of taxes, insurance, and lack of use. I sold my 20 ft. center console last week. Now planning on selling a 1542 War Eagle with a 25 hp two stroke Yamaha tiller steering. Planning on a larger and wider jon boat (16 - 18 ft.) with a 50 - 60 hp. motor. My question is does anyone have experience with a 50 -60 hp motor with tiller steering? Are they hard to steer? My 25 was a little hard to steer when I was at a medium speed. Don't want a console because of room. Thanks.

In Alaska I ran 40s on an 18 footer(common Alaska set up) and didn’t find it any more difficult to steer than a 25 or smaller; at medium speeds there should be little steering input needed. Unless you’re running a jet or pulling skiers, I don’t know why you’d need a 50-60 for a 16-18 footer.

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213th FBINA

mudcat100, Why a flat-bottom jon? very rough ride on choppy days, not as stable when moving around inside. I would get a bigger semi-V rated for the hp. you want.

Tiller outboards will have friction adjustment at the very least and on the bigger motors you can get dampners as well to counter the torque.

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Straight shootin'
SWCA#2439

I grew up in Alaska driving my dads boats. The first was a 20 foot Smokercraft flat bottom with a 40 Evanrude prop and a 50hp Johnson jet unit. Pushed the boat just fine in shallow and deep water.

Later he bought a 24 foot Wooldridge with 350 Olds V8 inboard with console.

To be honest the only thing I noticed was the difference in performance. The steering and handling seemed to be the same. At speed you will probably have to stand to see over the bow. I preferred standing anyway unless we were trolling.

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Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

Commercial crab fisherman use them all the time. I myself prefer "power steering"A side console vs a center talks up less room the power steering can go along the side rather than fishing it through a hole in the floor.
Heck skip the electric start as well, just pull start it and eliminate the battery. (kidding)


No the most I have tiller steered was a 15hp, I dislike having to be stuck in the back pretty much hands on the whole time. Depends on what you are doing.

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Still Running Against the Wind

50-60 HP will have a lot of torque and could be tough to handle unless you take it really easy. If your kids might run the boat without you I'd be a bit nervous. I'd look at smaller motor, IMHO.

About 30+ years ago I had a fiberglass side console, gave me plenty of room inside. Not sure who built it.

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Isaiah 41:10

I ran a 40 hp on my 14ft duck boat back in the day. Would not have wanted a tiller. A 50-60 on a 16-18 sounds like too much motor to me. I sure miss boating. Good luck.

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No baby we aint

Use a 16' aluminum semi V with a 50hp Yamaha 4stroke tiller. No issues, set the friction correctly and steers fine. Now my 260# and a full 12 gal. of gas requires some adjustments! 🤔

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Wherever my mind isn't
Jim

This brought back memories. When I was big enough to walk my dad bought a 16' aluminum boat with 18 hp Evinrude that I later learned to slalom ski on and about 15-20 kids from our neighborhood learned to water ski behind it. We camped at Ft. Gibson lake for a couple of months every summer with other families and my dad and other fathers would commute to work in Tulsa. We would go fishing at dawn and fish and swim off and on all day and then drift for catfish and check trotlines at night. That boat had thousands of hours on it when my dad died and my best friend bought it for a couple of hundred bucks and he's now a big time tournament fisherman with a really fancy boat.

Look at the motors the people are using on the TV Show "Swamp People". A bunch them are over 100HP and Tiller operated. I wouldn't want to do it.

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Mighty 90's,Trying 4 a 100!

Thems a different type of people

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“Look life in its iron face”

back country skiff steering incorporated on side gunnel no console lots of room for my feet and fishing

Have you thought about a hand controlled electric trolling motor
to where you can walk around and also troll for fish at slow speeds..........

instead of being with the motor 100% of the time ?

I've got a remote controlled trolling motor that I can operate from anywhere in the boat.

Tiller steering does give more room and is very popular these days. Biggest I've had is a 35hp on a 16' alum v hull. I like it unless it's a long run and then I miss a steering wheel.

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God spelled backwards is dog.