Hydrofoils: which one works the best

[Renegade]

I have a 75 hp honda on the back of my boat. The boat is rated for up to 80 hp. The 75 hp honda uses the same block as the 90 hp honda and since it is a 4 stroke engine there seems to be more weight on the back than there should be. Which hydrofoil will give me maximum lift without sacrificing top end speed????

[Floater (MN)]

Renegade,

As I was reading your post an interesting thought flashed 'cross my mind. Is the boat rated for horse power, ie. thrust.....or is it rated for the weight that the typical engine (two stroke) weighs at a particular hp rate? If it is the weight that is represented by 75 hp then the four stroke 75 hp is going to be too heavy for that boat. That is unless one wants to lessen the passenger rating of that boat by one person.

Perhaps there will have to be a rethink on the rate scale for boats under 20 ft in the future. Most four stroke engines weigh more than their two stroke counterpart, at a given horse power designation.

I think the hydro on my 55 is a "Dolphin". It works fine.

[Jeremy]

Have gotten very good performance from the Sting Ray model. I believe I put a two piece model on a 135 Chrystler(made by atwood I think) and had good results. As for the motor question, I heard that the ratings are generally for 2 stroke motors since motor weight is a factor in the calculations for max hp

[Kevin B]

I put a Doel Fin on my boat ten years ago. Never thought about changing it. You will loose some top end speed, but less bouncing in rough water when drifting.- Kevin B