Atkin Sedge Power Recommendation

[P-man]

Sedge is a 15' outboard powered punt designed in 1936 by William Atkin.





from the Atkin website: Sedge will drive easily up to 10 m.p.h.; 8 m.p.h. is her best speed, and this requires only modest power. The choice of a suitable outboard motor is so much a matter of personal preference that I shall not specify one.

in order to achieve the stated performance, what size outboard would you recommend? would 10hp be enough, or could a person even get away with something smaller? it looks like a good design for inland rivers and small lakes.

thanks,
perry

[kenjamin]

Appears to be a displacement type hull not designed for planing so probably 6 HP or 8 HP would do the job. I even think my little 4 HP would move it well if there wasn't much current. The thing is if you went to a 10 HP motor and a skiff designed to plane then your speed would probably double for not much more expense.

[David G]

Doesn't appear to be a planing hull. Too much rocker aft. I'd borrow a 2-3 hp and see. My best guess is 5 hp. More, I expect, would just make her squat.

[P-man]

thanks for the comments. i agree it is not intended for planing, that's why i was thinking something less than 10 hp might be enough. as for choosing a planing design, i find as i get older that i have less and less interest in going fast.

thanks again.

[Breakaway]

Agree with comments above. A 5hp is probably perfect.

Another way to answer this question: In 1936, the year the boat was designed, I think the biggest outboard available was a 6-hp ( I am no expert but I am pretty sure about that)

Kevin

[P-man]

Agree with comments above. A 5hp is probably perfect.

Another way to answer this question: In 1936, the year the boat was designed, I think the biggest outboard available was a 6-hp ( I am no expert but I am pretty sure about that)

Kevin

Kevin, i was thinking the same thing, but then found this on ebay:



a claimed 25 NOA certified brake H.P.

thanks

[Breakaway]

Read closer! two-POINT-five HP.

K

[P-man]

Read closer! two-POINT-five HP.

K

d'oh!!

[TerryLL]

I agree with the opinions above that a 4-6 HP will likely push this boat at hull speed, but it's always nice having plenty of reserve for those windy days, or when hauling the extended family plus pets plus gear. I'd be looking at a 10HP 4-stroke for this boat.

[P-man]

good point, Terry. there's about a $600 difference between a Tohatsu 5 horse and the 9.8. not that much overall. thanks.

[Cuyahoga Chuck]

The hull is design like a rowboat with the transom end tucked in. So the weight of whatever you clamp onto the transom is as important as the HP.

[P-man]

thanks, Chuck. modern 4 strokes are definitely heavier than an outboard from 1936. a 6 horse Tohatsu weighs 57 pounds while the 9.8 weighs 81.5. the 2.5 horse Evinrude in the ad above is 32 pounds. the Tohatsu 2.5 is 41 pounds.

[kenjamin]

My 2005 4 HP Yamaha four stroke weighs 47 lbs. but the new ones from Yamaha are made from the 6 HP frame and weigh 62 lbs. (same as the 6 HP). The 47 lbs. of my 4 HP is about as much as this 62 year old back would want to lift on or off the transom on a regular basis. It pushes my 20' Caledonia Yawl just fine (in a midship motor mount) with plenty of reserve power but the CY's hull is very efficiently shaped.

[P-man]

on a boat like this i would expect the motor to stay mounted on the transom most of the time and not need to be lifted off that often, but i would want to keep it as light as possible. that's why i was trying to determine the minimum size needed.

thanks

[Mad Scientist]

I suspect that there's a niche market for a very lightweight outboard, just as there's a niche market for 'high torque' outboards.

Another thought: would a Torqueedo work on this boat? I haven't kept up on their product line...

Tom

[P-man]

Tom,

i don't see why a Torqueedo wouldn't work. i'm not real familiar with their products, but it's worth checking.

thanks