6hp evinrude fisherman on 10ft rowing boat.

I have just purchased a 10ftx5ft beam fibreglass rowing boat,I've not had it on the water yet.It is quite heavy,and will take a 17"to18" shaft outboard.
I have a 6hp evinrude which has the right shaft length.
I am wondering if it will be efficient enough for a bit of sea fishing,maybe on estuaries with a bit of a tow on them.
The boat seems very stable and self righting.
Anybody got any idea what speed it may achieve?I imagine it will plane with the 6hp on it.

 

Even a lightweight 10 foot boat would struggle to plane with 6hp, if designed to plane in the first place, which a rowing boat is not. If it can't plane, it will be slow, and the nose will just point high as you go to full throttle. But if you have the boat and motor in hand, an on-water test will soon tell.

 

You may favour a tiller extension to afford yourself the leeway to get well forward when trying to mount that hump.

 

Thanks for your reply Mr E.
I understand what you are saying,I suppose just raising the bow will bring it out of the water enough to make it a bit more efficient.
I live 70 miles from the sea,so it's a trailer job,and a full day out.I was just trying to get some idea of how the setup would perform.I will always have someone with me,so I suppose having them sit forward for ballast would be an idea.

 

Thanks for your reply N,
The boat is a bit tight for space,it has polystyrene flotation chambers at the bow,and the middle seat and stern,adding another seat would take up a lot of space.Seeing as how I will always have someone with me,maybe moving him forward might do the trick.

 

You're welcome.
Bad news.
If it's already a heavy boat and now it's always going to have two people in it...
it ain't gonna plane.

 

I suppose I will be satisfied if it makes way,and handles the current and wind.I have an 18hp Evinrude on my other boat,(13ft speedboat converted to a fishing boat)
I don't need the speed on the rowing boat,and I think the 18hp would be overdoing it.
The rowing boat has 3 heavy keel runners,and where the middle one meets the transom it protrudes 4" below it,the cavitation plate is about 1/2" below it.I am renovating the boat,just a bit of flattening out lumpy patches and smoothing out the hull before I paint it.It is not so much heavy as awkward to handle because it prefers to selfright because of the centre of balance.I imagine it will be very stable on the water.
Thanks for your input N