# 15hp Skiffs



## Gabe (Jun 1, 2013)

Hey all, long time lurker, first time poster here.

I recently acquired a 2006 Johnson 15hp 2-stroke, which I believe is the lightest in its class at 74 lbs (correct me if I'm wrong). Now, I'd like to find a hull to pair it with. 

I'd like your guys' help compiling a list of 15hp MAX boats so that I can compare their specs (mostly size, weight, draft). Im interested in the lightest and shallowest drafting boat.

So far I've got:

Alumacraft T14V (202 lbs)
Custom Gheenoe LT15 (250 lbs)
Dragonfly Marsh Hen (135 lbs)
East Cape Galdesmen (?)
East Cape Gladesmen Guide (?)
East Cape Gladesmen T. Borski (?)
Hells' s Bay Skate (250 lbs)
Lund A14 (194 lbs)
Riverhawk B-52 (165 lbs)

Pretty short list. Any help? Thanks!


----------



## danville_marine (Jan 24, 2013)

u could do a classic should run 20 mph cheaper than a LT


----------



## Bissell (Feb 27, 2010)

Im pretty sure They don't make the LT 15 anymore, only the 25. 

Gheenoe nmz 100lbs


----------



## zeneb (Jun 20, 2011)

Gheenoe 15'4" and Riverhawk 15' both rated for 10 hp but many run 15s on them. 120 lbs and a lot of fun. 

Hooching


----------



## BadKnotGuy (Jul 8, 2012)

You've got a pretty good list there of very capable boats. You may want to consider adding an Ankona Shadowcast 16 to the list as well. Here's a couple of comments on the boats you have listed from my own experience...

LT15 - Still available but at a slight upcharge vs. the 25. Great stability for a boat it's size, low cost. Lots of owners on here will be able to give you more input.

Gladesmen - (full disclosure - I own one) Very light and very skinny, polls great, nowhere in the back country is off limits. Very quiet hull. Lack of stability makes it a very specialized boat. If you think of it as a big canoe and have your expectations set accordingly you will like it (a lot). The Borski is a limited edition Gladesmen.

EC Glide - Assuming it will be rated for 20-40 HP as it is not on the market yet no one knows for certain... other than Kevin at East Cape. Give him a call and he will help you out with questions on that one.


----------



## mrwoods (Oct 5, 2011)

How about the Dragonfly Marsh Hen?


----------



## Gabe (Jun 1, 2013)

Thanks for all the responses. Unfortunately,  I refuse to overpower the boat. I know it is done with no problems most of the time but I'm going to avoid it, personally.
I thought of the Shadowcast as well, but it's rated for 20. On a side note, Gladesmen is probably my dream boat for right now, but I'm just offput by all the talk of tipyness. For me it's not an issue, but what about if I wanted to take out my girlfriend or mom or dad? Could they not even stand up?
Awesome on the Marsh Hen, and at only 135 lbs! Added.

Keep em coming!


----------



## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Just because the Shadowcast is rated for 20, don't disregard it.  The performance with the 15 may be acceptable.  This goes for other boats that 15 may not max out but still give you satisfactory results.

Besides, if you live around Tampa there is not much use for anything above a trolling motor anymore because they have pretty much shut down the entire coastline out to 8' to a idle speed only and in some places that may be a half mile from shore.


----------



## oysterbreath (Jan 13, 2009)

The Larve from B&B boats. Same builder that builds the Mosquite bay skiffs. Also, you missed Towee.


----------



## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

A Shadowcast 16 will perform better with a 15 than a Gheenoe.

You will see 23mph with to people.


----------



## Rooster (Mar 13, 2011)

Towee Calusa @ around 200 lbs. I have a Honda 15 on mine and WOT @ 25 mph. I would say that I can honestly pole / paddle (from the bow - alone) in around 3" of water...


----------



## GSSF (May 25, 2013)

Me (180), wife (130), a 48 qt and a 25 qt cooler, trolling battery, gear, 5 gals of gas, etc squeezed 24 mph (for a brief second) out of my IPB 14, and cruised comfortably at 20. The motor is a 1999 Mercury 15 2 stroke, and weighs 77 pounds. Swinging a 9 pitch stainless Solas prop.


----------



## Gabe (Jun 1, 2013)

As a matter of fact I do live in Tampa. I'm going to have to look into that, thank you.

I can't seem to find any info on B&B boats or the Larvae, anywhere special I should be looking?

Sorry guys, it might sound knit-picky, but if I'm going to buy a boat to pair with my motor, it's not going to be over or under powered.

So a 240 lb Shadowcast with 54" beam will outperform a "120-220 lbs" (depending on materials) Gladesmen with 48" beam using the same motor? The Gladesmen already has it beat on weight, and it would seem it also has less contact area between the hull and water meaning less resistance, but I don't know too much about boats, can anyone else chime in on that?


----------



## GSSF (May 25, 2013)

> So a 240 lb Shadowcast with 54" beam will outperform a "120-220 lbs" (depending on materials) Gladesmen with 48" beam using the same motor? The Gladesmen already has it beat on weight, and it would seem it also has less contact area between the hull and water meaning less resistance, but I don't know too much about boats, can anyone else chime in on that?


Will the Shadowcast outperform? Yes, very likely. It is about hull displacement (in the water). You have to think, when loaded, how much of the boat will be in the water? What is the shape of the hull and the contact surface of the hull when underway? These factors will hugely affect your holeshot, quality of the ride, speed, steering, etc. 

Is it up on top of the water, or is it "plowing", or is it somewhere in between ??? Example: a 12 foot 36 inch wide jon boat weighing 90 pounds will run the same speed as a 15 foot 42 inch wide jon boat weighing 130 pounds with the exact same motor. 

All boils down to the interaction between the boat's loaded weight, the distribution of the weight, and therefore, the hull displacement.


----------



## Bissell (Feb 27, 2010)

The skiffs with narrow transoms like the gheenoe nmz and gladesman are going to squat when under way. I wouldn't say a sc out performs because I get 22 in the gheenoe with a 15 and 2 people. 
As far as a gladesman being tippy, I think it's more stable than a gheenoe, and I own one..


----------



## rw29914 (Jan 14, 2011)

The G-man is tippy and you notice it your first trip or two out in the boat but after acclimating to the boat after a few trips you do not notice it anymore.  I have owned one for about 2 years and fish it a lot with my 13 year old and do not have an issue with standing up and moving around in the boat fishing.  Often times I am poling from the rear platform while he is up front sight casting.  We also go back and forth between the G-man and our 22' Pathfinder and do not have an issue with the transition between boats, albeit you can definitely appreciate the difference in skiffs


----------



## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

A setup Gman with a 2 stroke 15 can see numbers up to 26 mph with light load. I have a 25 on mine so I cannot be of any smaller hp help. I'm just giving you factual numbers that have been proven. Yeah it's tippy but the capabilities far outweigh that factor. I actually stopped by ECC the other day and they do not actually produce the Gman anymore. They can, but the pricing is going to be very close to that of the Glide. Your best bet is to find a used one in the 5-6k range loaded and still in good shape. The Gheenoe NMZ is another good option for you in pricing. They are good boats, pretty stable and can be tricked out for a nominal price. A 15 2 stroke is a perfect match for one also. Good luck


----------



## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> Sorry guys, it might sound knit-picky, but if I'm going to buy a boat to pair with my motor, it's not going to be over or under powered.


Saying you don't want to put a 15hp on a boat rated for a 20hp because you dont want to 'underpowder' it, I'm assuming because you think that you will get sub-optimal performance, is retarded.

That's like saying you dont want a lower power engine in one of two different models of car because you're afraid it wont perform, but the fact of the matter is, when thinking of doing something like that you take into account MANY more factors such as weight and aerodynamics (or hull shape and features in a skiffs case) when making that decision.


----------



## Gabe (Jun 1, 2013)

Thanks for all the responses, guys, plenty to think about here.

I wouldn't necessarily call my thought process "retarded". You can't compare cars to boats, I know a lot more about cars. Aerodynamics don't affect a car nearly as much as hull shape would affect a boat because water provides more resistance than air at any given speed. Cars have a transmition to overcome inertia, whereas boats don't because they need all the original torque to spin the propeller. And no, I would never want a smaller engine in my car. If anything i'll take a bigger one and I already drive a 350z with bolt ons pushing ~340hp.
I'm not sure if you are familiar with the term "min-maxing", but it's a video game concept that essentially translates into doing the absolute most with the absolute least input. It's a way of obessing about fractions of a percent in order to create the best character.  This is what I'm doing here. I already have the lightest 2 stroke 15hp which also happens to have the second largest engine displacement but still retains the best hp/weight and displacement/weight ratios on the market. Now im going to analyze boats like my life depended on it until I find the perfect boat. I have a feeling that boat is going to be rated for 15hp and nothing higher. Ok, so the Shadowcast can outperform a Gladesmen at roughly the same weight, can it outperform a Marsh Hen at half of its weight?

That's good to know about the squatting, is that a simple fix with trim tabs and maybe moving the fuel cell to the front?


----------



## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

Min-maxing in a boat's sense would be adding things to your engine to make it run better since you dont modify a hull like you would a car's body. So adding reeds to the outboard, or a larger carb if applicable to up the HP is more along the lines of what you're trying to say.

The gladesmen, shadowcast, and marsh hen are all essentially the same boat. it comes down to more than raw performance to find which one is 'best for you'. Beam, freeboard, draft, objective 'tippyness', storage space, ride wetness, etc are all preferences which differ from person to person and their needs.


----------



## Gabe (Jun 1, 2013)

Composite reeds, increased displacement through boring, bigger carb, higher compression pistons, tuned expansion chamber. You know what I'm talking about then. Yes, that's all on the itinerary .
I was also tossing around the idea of an Evinrude 15 HO with beefed up injectors and a flashed ecu to push 30 out of it. And that's before any boring.
Your right, I need to test each of my final choices before making a purchase. For now I'm just trying to populate the list of options so  I at least have figures to compare.

Besides, I'm sure the forum members wouldn't mind a list of all the boats in a certain hp class. I, for one, am appalled by the lack of complete and accurate lists when it comes to organizing boats by certain features. In fact, it seems like there's a lot less informations out there about the specifics of boats compared to information about cars. I wonder why.


----------



## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

What part of the world are you in? I have a gladesmen that you can take for a spin if your around the orlando area. I'm over near titusville and new smyrna beach a lot also. Just let me know..


----------



## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

You are comparing a list of 15hp max boats when you are going to hop up your motor to 25-30? 

I'm at a loss because you stated you won't overpower. Shouldn't you be looking at 25-30hp max boats.

I do agree with you on the lack of actual boat info. Nothing but opinions and pissin matches.


----------



## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

There's more to skiff performance than top end speed. If you fish shallow, draft is a consideration, and an even more important consideration is how much water is required to get on plane. It's not much good to run 26 on 15 hp, but draft a foot on plane and need 2 feet to get out of the hole. You should also consider the diminishing returns of increased horsepower and weight. Going from 15 to 25 hp may only give you a 2-3 mph boost in top end and give reduced performance in other areas. Economy for instance. My skiff weighs about 150, and got 22 mph on 9.9hp. When I went to 15 hp I only gained 3 mph.


----------



## GSSF (May 25, 2013)

> Composite reeds, increased displacement through boring, bigger carb, higher compression pistons, tuned expansion chamber. You know what I'm talking about then. Yes, that's all on the itinerary .
> I was also tossing around the idea of an Evinrude 15 HO with beefed up injectors and a flashed ecu to push 30 out of it. And that's before any boring.



Do this, and your reliability and longevity of the engine go to crap. Ask me how I know this.


----------



## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

I like your engine performance ideas but I seriously doubt you could double the hp of a small engine with those mods. Maybe gain 5 hp but 15 just seems unrealistic..


----------



## Gabe (Jun 1, 2013)

I live in North Tampa, but if I find myself around your area I would love to take you up on that, thanks.

Like I said, I was just tossing around the idea with the HO, but the more than double weight and the torque of a 30 would probably tear the transom off of a small boat, so I went extra light with the old Johnson. 

Wow, so not much of a difference. What boat do you have Vertigo?

I only payed 800 for the motor, and am rebuilding it from scratch myself, so I'm not really too concerned with reliability, but what do you mean? What failed?

The reason you can push 30 out of the HO is because it is actually just a 30hp motor with smaller injectors and an ecu de-tune. On normal motors I would say you are right about hp gain through mods.


----------



## Creek Runner (Sep 1, 2011)

How dare you not want an SC on YOUR list, its an Ankona it will out perform every boat on your list.  ;D and your a re---- for not thinking it won't j/k!

The SC will squat to, due to the tunnel!

Just because you install a bigger carb on an engine doesn't mean your going to get more speed. Half the time it's the opposite. 
It's your list narrow it down as you see fit. 

Tight lines!


----------



## GSSF (May 25, 2013)

I echo my other posts in this thread, which seem to go un-noticed. I have swam this nasty stream before, and NEVER will again. A 15 is a 15. A 25 is a 25.

You are not going to make a 15 or 20 into 25 with reeds, porting, or other crap. Just sayin'.....At best, you will make it an 18 that will last 6 months. Enjoy it. Good enough then. 

I wish the OP well.


----------



## byrdland (Jan 23, 2013)

I had a 15'6" Gheenoe Classic with a 15hp Force Motor (Mercury Version). It would pop right up on plane, no chine walk or porpoising, and worked great as far as I was concerned. You can walk around, but you can fall out. I usually had the livewell and storage compartment full of gear, with a trolling motor and battery. It was as fast as I care to go in that hull.


----------



## Vertigo (Jun 3, 2012)

> Wow, so not much of a difference. What boat do you have Vertigo?


Here's the boat.  The tunnel probably costs a few mph on performance, but it floats in less than 3", runs in about the same, and will get up without squatting in about 8". The motor is a 15hp Johnson.


----------



## Demeter (Nov 16, 2011)

I had a 9.9 HP on my Shadowcast. It worked ok, I but ended up wanting more speed and then bought a 20HP. I think a 15HP would work great on a Shadowcast. 
I don't think that Hells bay makes the Skates anymore. Not many were sold, so they may be difficult to find one used. They are cool little skiffs, but they can't handle much chop.


----------



## Gabe (Jun 1, 2013)

Awesome little skiff, I remember reading about it, you built it right? If only I had the room...
Why did you choose the 15, just cause you had it or did you use a formula? Also was an angled bow entry just not feasible with your avaliable tools?

I'm still interested in boats that aren't being produced anymore, in fact I'll probably end up with a used boat anyway because of my budget. But my ears are open to any year boat (as long as the year is even lol, ugh living with numbers based ocd....)


----------

