Boat advice requested

[HTHM]

I am looking at a 12' lowe alum boat with a merc 7 hp motor. The question is: Is Lowe a good brand of boat and is a 7 hp too small for a 12 footer?

Persons on board up to 3 adults at times, but usually 1.

[OhioFisherman]

John boat? semi v? what HP is it rated for? 15 HP sounds like a better number for HP if it will take it. Just my opinion 7 hp is too low, especially with 3 adults. What total weight load? people and gear?

[irishfield]

If that's a 12' cartopper..ie 48 " or so Transom... then 7 HP is plenty. We could flip our 12' Springbok with an 8HP Merc by cranking the engine tight in a turn (f-in-law still has the prop scare on his leg to prove it) and the 12' Reynolds that I have at the lake you have to be REALLY careful with the 9.8 merc we have on it.

Edited October 7, 2007 by irishfield

[HTHM]

This the boat

[Garyv]

I have had my Lowe side console for 10+ years and as far as I'm concerned they are a great mid level unit. Never has given me any problems and would buy another if the deal was right. Depending on the overall size of the 12ft your looking at the 7 ( by the way what brand motor is it and air or water cooled ) with one would be no problem. I stuck a 6 on a 14 ft alum. when the 20 was being repaired years ago and although underpowered we still got to where we wanted to go ....... just took a bit longer. I have a 10 4 stroke Honda on the 12 ft car topper ( the boats rated for a 15 ) and I sure don't need any more then the 10.

[pikehunter]

I have a 2 yr old Lowe Sea nymph 16'. great boat, but condition in relation to age is what counts not the brand when it comes to older boats. The 7hp will push it OK. I had a 12' before with a 6hp Merc on it. Could get it to skip along pretty good.

 

But be careful with 3 people on board and watch the weight rating.

Edited October 8, 2007 by pikehunter

[2 tone z71]

we got a lowe when i was very young,20 Merc on it thing flew,I beat it bad very bad ,rapids,hauled my Honda 3 wheeler to different places in it ,treated it like dirt,the boats 20 plus yrs old and the neighbours still use it once in awhile,gave it to them yrs ago was gonna take it to the dump Great boats

[HTHM]

( by the way what brand motor is it and air or water cooled )

 

I belive that it is a Merc, at least that is what I said in my first posting. I hope that helps you advise me.

Regards: