35 hp Honda 4 stroke jet drive enough for a 16' boat?

[T Bone]

Looking for a fishing and hunting boat to scoot up the Gunnison in CO and the Snake River in Idaho and drift/row down.

Found a super clean 16' welded aluminum boat with a 35hp Honda 4 stroke jet drive.

Is that enough poop to get upstream?

 

[marksjeep]

Bare minimum, depending on what the river is running. I've used 16 and 18 foot welded AL work boats. 16 runs 65, 18 runs 80 hp merc 4 stroke jets.

 

[Nicoli7153]

You loose a lot of HP with a jet drive .... 40% if I remember right. But don't quote me on that number

 

[Salmonchaser]

It depends on how much boat you have in 16 feet! We had 4 - 16 or 17 foot Lowe’s flat bottom, thin hull John boats for our guests to run around in. You see a lot of them in Alaska. 40 horse worked great on those.
If you’re talking one of the modified drift boats we’re seeing now, a power drifter, that horsepower range seems to work ok. If you’re talking a guide class boat like a Wooldridge or North River scout you would be wanting 115 horse in a 16 or 200 horse in a 20 foot boat.

 

[Salmonchaser]

You loose a lot of HP with a jet drive .... 40% if I remember right. But don't quote me on that number

30 to 40 depends on Jet foot and impeller but yes, close enough.

 

[T Bone]

boat is a V-hull Crestliner Canadian.

 

[BuckRut]

30 to 40 depends on Jet foot and impeller but yes, close enough.

If the motor was manufactured as a jet the hp will be the hp at the jet not the output of the motor though.

 

[T Bone]

If the motor was manufactured as a jet the hp will be the hp at the jet not the output of the motor though.

You lost me. I'm not a boat person.

Yes, I believe the outboard left the factory as a jet.

 

[BuckRut]

You lost me. I'm not a boat person.

Yes, I believe the outboard left the factory as a jet.

The responses above about the difference between the hp put out by the motor and the actual output of the jet. If you find the data plate on the motor it probably lists they motor as a 60hp because it is definitely larger than 35hp.

 

[Salmonchaser]

BuckRut is correct, and with that boat I would still think youll have enough but just enough power. Looks like you have the smallest jet foot/impeller but that would be standard on that size motor.
You will also want to have stored someplace on the boat a spare jet foot, impeller and sleeve. Never been on the Gunnison but the Snake is full of lava rocks that break the snot out of boats. I installed stainless impellers in all our guide boats. Saved time and money in the long run.

 

[T Bone]

Thanks for your opinions all. I think I'll pass on it...I need enough engine to get me out of trouble when the water gets pushy. Looks like this one is marginal.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Power is good, it’s expensive but I never thought I had too much power on Jet boat. Power and the resulting thrust is what gets you up out of the hole and keeps you on plane, there for shallow, while going slow enough to pick your way around the hazards or throw your wake over a gravel bar and then nail the throttle to go over the gravel bar on the wave. Works great if you time it right Kinda sucks if you F it up. Of all the boats I’ve run the Wooldridge ran the shallowest water. Smooth sand or gravel ankle deep on plane as long as you don’t scare yourself.
Have fun with your boat journey.

 

[LuketheDog]

throw your wake over a gravel bar and then nail the throttle to go over the gravel bar on the wave.

Hold on, jet boat/river boats uneducated here...explain this please^

 

[Salmonchaser]

Shallow riffle, slow, let the wake catch up and nail the throttle. First time I saw it done was on the Alagnak. You still bang a little. Not like it’s high and dry a foot out of the water. Should have written that a little better. I’ve seen guys try that, that didn’t work to well

 

[Rmc]

It's probably to late to help with your purchase but here goes.
I have a Triton 1650 with the same motor in your picture. Honda 35 Jet which is a 50 hp engine. I fish the local river and the boat preforms well. It's not as fast as a prop engine but with two people and fishing gear it runs 25 MPH. I occasionally fish swift water below the local dam in rapids and it has never been a problem. If you don't mind giving up some speed it works well.
Newbie to site.