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I bought a completely custom 1983 13' Sport last summer. It has a beautiful oversized teak console on the right, matching seats forward and aft that were extended from the original 8" to 13", I believe - very comfortable. It also has a back rest for the aft seat that is removable. That makes it nice for surfboards and early morning trips to the point.
The question i have is about the motor. Along with all of the rest of the "oversized" acoutrements, came an oversized '83 85hp Suzuki 2-stroke. It's freakin' insane! Now, I typically refrain from anything close to full throttle, as I think Wide-Ass-Open on this thing would likely flip me, but it smokes down the bay- I peg my speedo at 40 and about 1/2 throttle - chine-walking all the way. Certainly gives new meaning to the name "Sport"...very Sport-y.
Anyway, to come to my point, why is the max rated horsepower for a 13 footer 40hp? Is it a dead weight thing? Weight and balance? Torque on the transom? I am a little afraid that I push too hard I may damage the transom, but for the last year, I have had loads of fun with it, and (knock on wood) few problems, at least with the boat/motor. (The battery has been another issue, but that one's my fault...)
What you want to find is a 2 stroke 2 cylinder 40 or 35. They are the lightest outboards. I had an 03 Merc 40 3Cyl 2 stroke on mine (See personal page) and It did at least 42. I believe the yamahas are also 3cyl in the 30/40 hp 2 stroke. Not sure of the reason for the HP rating. Maybe cause those old BIG TWIN (Johnson/Evinrude) 40's of the 1960's were so popular and they were light. An old 4cyl Merc 25hp would be cool.
Holy smokes Tom, 85 hp? Buy a helmet. And a roll cage. Do it now! That 13' of yours is not built for that kind of speed. It's a wreck waiting to take you down, mate, and Davey Jones lies in wait.
I knew a guy in high school who flipped his 13' with a 60 Merc. You're beyond that by a fair margin. Still, I'd love to take it around the block just once. :grin
Ted
1985 15' CC, 1994 60 hp Merc (Wednesday built), 5" jack plate
