# Powering a Carolina Skiff 12ft



## esteroali (Feb 23, 2011)

Hello. I bought a 12ft Carolina Skiff and had a Mercury 15hp 2 stroke on it. I am a 140 lb "she" and it was perfect for me and maybe a smaller friend I fish with. Now, my husband is 200lbs +.  Did not plane  with the 15hp. Bought stationary trim tabs. Still no plane with him on board. SO....to preserve martial harmony I bought a 3 cylinder Yamaha 2 stroke. This engine has get up and go. Here is the problem. I get REAL tired pulling this thing all day long.  90% of the time my husband does not come with me fishing, but I told him I NEED a new engine with a stinking button to start it. So here is the question... WILL A 20 HP TOHATSU 4 STROKE PUSH THIS 12 FT CAROLINA SKIFF WITH BE A THE BIG GUY???  The 15hp did NOT and the 25 hp (3 Cylinder!!) did....Thanks


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

I've been on a J12 with a 15hp motor with me, 235lbs, and a friend about 185lbs, and still got up on plane. Does your boat feel really heavy? it might be water logged, which is a big problem with carolina skiffs. That would add a bunch of extra weight and keep you from planing. One way or another the 15hp should do just fine. post a picture of your set up.

How old is the 15hp? is it in good condition?

Thing is if you buy the 20hp 4-stroke electric start you will add a bunch of weight to the back of the boat over the 15hp pull start, and probably because of that won't do any better then your 15hp.


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## Frank_Sebastian (Oct 15, 2007)

Hi Miss D,

I have had folks bring up this problem before and I think I should let you know what we found before you buy another motor. For some reason the 12' CS seems to need more power than the 14' or even 16' for that matter. I first became aware of this about 10 years ago. A second cousin's son (sort of a neighbor-in law) came to me with a CS12 that he said wouldn't plane. We both thought it was the engine, but when I ran (by myself) it it did plane and the engine seemed okay. After trying the engine on my skiff I knew it was okay and it had to be something about the boat. After trying a few things we decided he was just too big for it and with a big passenger you are just over loaded. That same engine on a larger hull will likely do what you want. If you do go for more horsepower it will solve the problem, but at a greater expense and the boat will feel "loggy or overloaded.

Best regards,
Frank_S


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## esteroali (Feb 23, 2011)

I am not as concerned about weight as the present engine (25hp 3 cylinder) weighs the same as the 20hp 4 stroke.
Why would the 12ft require more power than the 14 or 16??
How do I tell if my boat is waterlogged?
How can I fix the waterlogged hull?
Inspection port on floor?

I like this boat but am not in love with it, I keep it because I volunteer as a sailing coach and the boat can handle LOTS of kids on board as well as lots of abuse (read children crashing into boat). I have the engine listed separately but am also entertaining selling both. I mostly fly fish but need to put in a live well for the occasional bait fishing I do. thanks.....MissD


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## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

> Why would the 12ft require more power than the 14 or 16??


It's a wierd thing to ponder, but it has to do with the total planing surface of the hull and how it is balanced out. Roughly the back 1/3 of a hull is what the boat planes on, so a 12 ft boat will only have a 4 ft surface, where a 16 ft boat will have more then 5 ft and the center of gravity will be pushed foward.



> How do I tell if my boat is waterlogged?


if it has trim tabs take one off, if water starts dripping out of the hole then you know



> How can I fix the waterlogged hull?


some people have drilled a few larger holes in the back and set the hull up at a steep angle for a few weeks.

Another option if you like the boat but need a bigger one is to just buy a bigger carolina skiff. I believe a brand new j16 hull can be had for about $1600.


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