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I am building a Carolina Skiff J 16 for a " flats boat". Recomended engine size is 25 or 30 hp. My dealer claims the four stroke is the way to go. My question is , is the extra weight and initial extra cost worth it?. My goal is to keep the boat as light and trouble free as possible. Goodehart
Goodehart, I unfortunately have no experience with for strokes, but do a search cause i do know 2 stroke vs four stroke has been argued and stated enough for a full day of reading on this forum. maybe someone has a similar set up
What engines are you considering? I had a J14 and weight is a serious consideration to keep draft to a minimum. I would consider 25hp to be the minimum for a J16 and 30hp would be better if you tote a lot of weight or big fishing buddys.
We are really on the first generation of 4 strokes which is fine for bigger boats, but for a skiff you want something light wait for the next generation which should be lighter
I have just bought a J16, and have a 15hp 4 stroke for it. I have'nt had it out yet, but I'll let you know. It's my mooring tender.
I went with the 4 stroke for the reliability.
I had a 9.9 2 stroke on a 14' alum. V before.
It was old and alot of problems. (Think how frustrating it is to work on your tender to get out to your main boat to work on that!!!) [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
The recommended HP for carolina skiffs is enough to move their boats at best a fair pace using full throttle. The recommended HP should also be light enough to keep the scuppers above the water line most of the time. I suspect that the recommended HP contemplates the weight of a 2 stroke, not the heavier 4 stroke (or 2 stroke DFI)
On a calm day however, the recommended HP will not move the boat as fast as you would like to go. On anything less than a calm day the higher HP is of no benefit as you'll need to go slow becasuse the carolina skiff gives a very rough ride.
As regards the scuppers, they can be left plugged when using the boat to keep the water out if using the higher HP and heavier engine. Do not install a stern deck if you plan to use the boat with the scuppers plugged as it is chore to plug and unplug.
There is no doubt that within brands 2 strokes offer better hp/weight ratios than 4 strokes. On that ratio alone Yamaha is probably best for the 25 h.p. size.
The only important advantage of a 4 stroke would be if you intend to do a lot of trolling at idle speed--in which case get a Yamaha 25 or Honda 30. Otherwise get a Yamaha 25 or 30 2 stroke.
I owned a sundance skiff 16' which is very similar to the j16. These boats are VERY weight sensitive exspecially hanging off the transom. Mine came with a tiller 40hp evinrude (max rated 25 tiller; 30 remote) which weighted in at 185 lb. The boat porposed and kept the mooring plugs under the water level even with no people aboard. I soon sold the 40hp and purchased a 25 merc (115 lb). Cured the porposing, mooring plugs above water line and boat handled better while under way and didn't loose much top end speed to boot. Note: I did install a hyrofoil on the 40hp evinrude before selling that did cure the porposing) A 25hp motor will push that rig somewhere between 28 - 30 mph, which is plenty for that hull. Good luck with your rig.
Your dealer is right! The four strike is the way to go. I've got a 24 dlx with suzy 4 - what an incredible match! Although the dlx is a different animal than the j16, consider this- for those who don't run a carolina skiff- they have a ton of positive floatation in the floor. Thats why they ride so high. The hull is very effecient and jumps on plane with alot less effort than you could imagine. With that in mind, the relativly small "in my opinion" wight increase shouldn't worry you too much. Once you stick it on the transom, you will love it!
So why is the 4 stroke so perfectly suited? Granted it's quieter, and more fuel efficient (though with this size engine, it would hardly seem to matter). For the lighter weight skiff isn't weight to hp ratio more important? There's also the price thing...
A carolina skiff is very weight sensitive. I owned an old 18ft for 9 years . The original 250 lb 70 hp engine was stolen and I replaced it with a 150 lb 50 hp engine . What a difference. I currently own a cat with twin 4 strokes they are great on that boat. I would definatey go with a lighter 2 stroke on the skiff. The carburated 2 strokes are lighter than the fuel injected 2 strokes.The carburated 2 strokes burn more gas but that is realy minor when you compare the small amount of extra fuel needed to having a boat that performs well.
On that particular boat and the fact you are going to use it as a flats boat, meaning you will need the rig to get on plane as fast as possible in shallow water you need to go with the two stroke.
The 4 stroke is a great motor but it will be additional weight and will not get the boat up on plane as quick which makes a huge difference in shallow water. If that is not a concern than the stroke if fine, but will cost a good deal more.
One word of advise. If you get a 4 stroke be sure you put your gas tank and battery near the middle of the boat to shift the weight away from the rear.
I have a 17' Jones Bros. skiff with a 50 4 stroke and the weight is no problem since my gas tank and batteries are in the middle of the boat. It is slower to plane than a two stroke but burns so little fuel that it is a pleasure to use.
You can cure the water in the scuppers with those plastic scupper drains with the ball in it.
hi r- you just answered your own question, at least in part. It is not only quieter- but a lot quieter. Your right. A flats boat at 16 feet, who cares about fuel economy anyway. My basic point "which I admit I didn't make very well" was if you go with the four stroke you will not regret it. I am running my first 4 after a liftime of trouble free 2 stroke hours, and I could not be more impressed with the all around performance of the new 4's. IMHO they are just all around apples to apples better engines. The 4 is worth the extra money, if that is the only concern. also- is an extra 50lbs mounted to the transom really that big a deal on a j16. I could see it being a problem if the boat was an alum. with a tiller dive with the gas tanks also in the back- but we are talking about a center console with a midpoint fuel cell. Maybe with 2 stern livewells? I guess that could factor in the final decision. The original post wants to make the boat as "light and cheap" as possible. Clearly a 4 will make it at little heavier and a touch more expensive. I think that the practical trade off is well worth it! I just love spending other peoples money.
