Hull speed and outboard motors

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swalter418

What is the hull speed for a 1985 H 26? How much horsepower should I use for an outboard motor? Thank you
 
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Chip Tobey

hull speed and potboard power

The HOW web site lists the hull speed as 6.4 knots. (Go to "HOW Home," click on "boat info" on the top and then select your boat model at the left.) I would think that 9.9 would be sufficient/customary.
 
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David King

Hull speed

I have an 8 hp Honda four stroke on my 1997 h26. It is perfect for me. I suppose it would approach hull speed if I ever ran it flat out in smooth water. David King
 
Dec 2, 1999
15,184
Hunter Vision-36 Rio Vista, CA.
Look at the engine specs too.

Depending on which motor you are going to purchase, you should check out the specs. For instance, if you are going with a Honda, the 8 and 9.9 weight the same. So going with the 9.9 to give you the little extra (25% increase) in power may be worth the extra money. If you can get a smaller engine that weighs less then that may be the way to do. Smaller engines will usually do the job unless the going gets rough, then you need that little extra boost. Also the long shaft is going to usually work better than the short shaft. When it gets lumpy the short shaft is out of the water as much as they are in. Also be sure that you get an engine with a charging source. If you don't have a solar panel, then you have no other source of recharging your battery bank.
 
Apr 19, 1999
1,670
Pearson Wanderer Titusville, Florida
Don't buy just for speed

How far you have to motor and the conditions under which you have to do so are more important. If you just need a kicker to get in and out of the marina, a smaller motor is OK. But if you have to motor more than a quarter-mile or if you have to deal with waves or bad weather (regardless of distance) then you need a motor with some grunt. A larger motor can always be run at lower RPM (with not much loss in speed) to give you more MPG. Once a small motor is maxed out, that's it. The difference in price between a 8 hp and a 9.9 or 10 hp motor is not that great. If you can afford it, get a four-stroke. Peter H23 "Raven"
 
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Steve

15hp

Been using a 15HP since new in 95, no problems, will run - 6.8 kts (GPS) wide open. We run in some rough open sea and was happy to have it in the fog, etc. There wasn't any weight differance between 9.9 and 15. Have good charging capacity etc.. My two cents..
 
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Rick Webb

Was it Here I Saw the Formula?

I recently saw a formula to calculate the horse power needed to drive a displacement hull at hull speed. It is a simple one: Displacement divided by 1,000 and multiplied by 2 Anything much over that you are getting into diminishing returns at an added cost of weight, cost etc. It does not take that big a motor to push these things around. A 9.9 is probably ideal.
 
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Ron Mehringer

10HP

I beleive that Hunter specs the boat at 10HP. Like some others, I have the 15HP Honda 4 stroke on mine. Same weight as the 10. I run at hull speed with the throttle just a little past the "start" position, which is probably about 1/3 throttle. 10HP would be fine, but having the extra power could come in handy in strong wind and waves. Ron Mehringer s/v Hydro-Therapy
 
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Larry Mongeon

HP vs Prop Pitch

Make sure whatever HP engine you aquire that the spec is for a "work prop" for sailboat/displacement hull. I can not stress strongly enough the difference this will make in your ability to move the boat in forward/reverse effeciently. On my Mercury 15 HP I had to wait until Mercury had the new work props available (1 Month) but I can now tell you the difference was amazing.
 
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