Fan motor size?

[Pop a'top]

I have just recently started bowfishing and now it is time for a fan motor on my boat. The trolling motor has worked well, but it lacks in some areas. I currently running a 15' flat bottom with a 52" bottom. What size motor would be best for this size boat. I have looked on the net and talked to a few people who think that I need a 13 hp motor to push the boat well. I feel like 13 hp might be a little bit of over kill, but then again I have no experience with fan boats. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Mike

[Sonnysmarine]

A 11 hp would push it good. Use a composite prop with changeable pitch blocks, A 9 hp would probally push a 15 ft boat, with the composite prop you can tune the prop for more or less thrust, I normally detune the props to keep the boat from going too fast, and to spin the Alt, a little faster to keep the charging up, while still going at a dead slow speed, and use a 3 bld. 30" prop, can get get 2-3-4 blades, but see a lot of the 4 blades, dragging weight to slow down, but IMOP tears up the bottom and murkys up the water behind you. Most of thses engines idle at the same speed, so the hp, is only needed if have a lot of load to push, or want to run faster to cross areas, with out firing up the outboard. This is for floundering, but have set up a boat for bow and mostly floundering. It will be fishing here in the flounder season and in B-C.S. area for bow fishing.

[bowfishrp]

Are you running an outboard? A guy recently put a fan on a small skinny jon boat without the outboard and it flipped over. It needs to be wide or have an outboard to keep the weight low. It might have been closer to 40" wide though.

[DGAustin]

I run a 16' Weldcraft that is 56" wide at bottom and have it set up for floundering. I use only a 9HP Honda engine and 3-blade wood prop from Arrow Prop. The engine is normally run on the very lowest speed and often that is too fast for me. As stated, I am gigging flounder so maybe things are a little different for bowfishing. Also use a generator for lights (so no drag on airmotor from an alternator). Good luck with your rig.

[da fillthy hoe]

on your prop call the man at arrow prop 405-279-3833 and your alternator i use a guy by the name of Terry out of Baycliff 281-339-9099 does real good work and if hes not busy you can drop it off and pick up after lunch. Just tell him you want it wired for maxium output at low rpm he redoes my every year weather they need it or not. Go to granger to get a pulley for belt, id run a motor with a 1in. shaft no less honda makes one of the finest for the money On prop size I run a 3-blade wood at 37inches on a honda 13. I have a 19ftcustom flats though its not real light i drag sache weights on windy nights to keep the stern-end from getting squirrelly on me. Use car headlights instead of the long barrel bulbs they dont blow if you run through a breaker box. If you have questions let me know, a friend once told me you dont just have a flounder boat everyones different you have to find out what runs good for you