[neoginn]

Hey guys i am new... VERY NEW.... REALLY REALLY NEW to boating in general. I am just curious but can you put a 90hp+ outboard on a 23-30 foot sailboat? I am just thinking what if the winds are not cooperating. or you really got to get back to where you are going.

 

[Stumble]

There is no reason you couldn't install one. But it wouldn't get you much but a big fuel bill. You could get the same speed with a 4-10hp engine.

 

[paulk]

Yes! You can put a 300 hp motor or whatever size you want until it sinks the boat. The problem is that unless you can get the boat to plane on top of the water, it will only go so fast, and your propellor will end up churning up a lot of water without making you go any faster. Sailing is expensive enough without burning fuel to make bubbles in the water with an expensive eggbeater. An average 30 foot sailboat might have a 15hp motor. More than that would be overkill. The 22hp motor on our 36 foot boat pushes us at about 8 knots in most conditions. More might be helpful in maintaining that speed if we're bashing into waves, but that might mean 10 more hp, not 70.

 

[miatapaul]

Unless the hull is a planing hull, it will not go much over the hull speed. There are basically two kinds of hulls on boats, displacement and planing (well there are some partially in-between but for the purposes of our discussion there are only two). A planing hull will lift up over the water and skim with most of it out of the water, think speed boat. Displacement hulls push the hull through the water this is how most sailboats operate. So the hull speed is determined by the standing wave that is created by the movement of the hull. In order to go over hull speed you have to push the boat up onto the standing wave and this takes greater and greater amounts of power. So to get a typical 30 foot sail boat it may take thousands (I don't know the amount, just a hypothetical number) so putting a bigger motor may help push into a strong head wind or chop, it will not make you go any faster over the water. There are a few sailboats that are designed to kind of plane such as the McGreggor 26(various models) and a Hunter and some older Lancers. But the issue with these boats are they tend to compromise everything in and effort to do everything. Just like a sports car is great on an autocross course, but it cannot hull much, but the truck that hulls a lot is not very good on the autocross course. But even the McGreggor can only take a 50 HP engine. By the way they just changed the name of the company, and I can't think off hand what it is now. So the hull speed of a typical 30 foot sailboat is 7.3 knots or 8.4 MPH. That is it.

 

[miatapaul]

Looks like you got two similar answers by two Pauls!

 

[Sailormon6]

IMO, you couldn't even mount a big, high powered outboard motor on the usual 23-30 foot sailboat. The motor mount isn't designed for such a heavy motor, and the transom isn't designed to withstand either the weight of the engine or the torque that it would produce.

The only exception I'm aware of is the MacGregor 26X, 26M, and their successors built by Tattoo Yachts. The 26's are designed for outboard engines from 5-60 hp.

 

[neoginn]

thanks for the awesome answers. I guess I just want it all. I saw some cheap sail boats that required a little work, but I dont want to go dead slow in the water either. I also dont like the idea of paying a ton in gas, and I simply like the look of sailboats more.

 

[sony2000]

Buy a McGregor 26 sailboat. They come with large outboard motors and try to bridge the two worlds of power and sail. Trailer included.:laugher

 

[neoginn]

I have been reading about the mcGregors, they certainly are very popular, but I am not convinced that it would be a wise choice for me. It seems like by bridging the gap they have a very beginner level boat (I am a newb so thats good) that is not good at either end of the segment.

 

[JimsCAL]

I think you have to decide if you want a power boat or a sailboat. I think you would be surprised at how fast going upwind or reaching in a sailboat at 6-8 knots feels.

 

[Donna_F]

...I saw some cheap sail boats that required a little work, but I dont want to go dead slow in the water either....

Are you sure sailing is the right hobby for you?

 

[SHNOOL]

I have been reading about the mcGregors, they certainly are very popular, but I am not convinced that it would be a wise choice for me. It seems like by bridging the gap they have a very beginner level boat (I am a newb so thats good) that is not good at either end of the segment.

Newb or not you have MUCH potential. Even you can spot, "Jack of all trades, master of none." Despite DRFerron's reservations.

Are you sure sailing is the right hobby for you?

Welcome... and like was said, most sailboats fit into the category of "displacement" hulls, and will not plane, therefore adding horsepower will not make the boat go appreciably faster, only burn more fuel and make more noise. There is a sweet spot of HP, that will push the boat sufficiently in any headwind, that is dependent on boat type, weight, and such, but is a lot less than you would imagine. Also propeller blade number, angle, and size contribute towards available torque, and ability to push against headwind. So NO putting a 90HP on a boat that requires 9, isn't really gonna make it go faster. On a typical displacement 26 foot sailboat, your max displacement speed will be at or around 6 knots.

Before the masses at LARGE crucify me, I picked my words VERY CAREFULLY... Yes under certain circumstances EVEN a displacement boat can go faster, but not generally under motor (save for perhaps down a wave). Here's my 25 foot displacement boat going faster than hull speed, under sail, and NO its not downwind!

 

[neoginn]

Its a hard choice. I hope i get some experience on both before jumping into buying.