newbie here, help point me in the right direction

ok, like it says above, im new here, and to the boating world. actually my only experience on a boat is a cruise and a dive boat. and now i wanna try to make one.

this is what i got. i was given a mustang 5.0 (302 ci) that right now makes about 190-220 hp. i can easily get this engine to make at least 300 hp but it would take a little money, which im not really too worried about.

now i understand there is a little difference between a boat engine and a car engine. my first question is, would this be a good engine to start with, and if so what and where should i start to make this engine sea worthy?

now as far as a hull is concerned.... i mainly want to use this boat for diving. occasionally for water skiing and wake boarding, and of course for cruising up and down the inter coastal. and possibly fishing. so im thinking something about 20' long center console (could go for a left hand drive) inboard with the swim deck. and since its 20' long im guessing that jet drive would be outta the question.

now what type of hull should i look for? is there any certain make or model? i would liek one that basically only needs an engine, but would settle for anything basically, as long as it already had the prop. that thing looks expensive. as for controls, it doesnt really matter, that stuff seems easy. im pretty handy with my hands. so that doesnt bother me too much.

if this sounds like a somewhat ok thing to do, of course there will be more questions.

 

If you are more interested in boating than boat building have a good look around the secondhand market on the web. If you buy well you will be able to trade up if your requirements change without losing much.

It is hard to go past an outboard for the size of boat you have in mind. You should be able to find both fibreglass and aluminium hulls to meet your requirements. Also think about the economy of operation. Some people are getting rid of boats that have become too expensive to operate and there is little likelihood fuel will get cheaper. Modern hulls tend to be lighter so require less power and modern outboards are more economic than older models.

I suggest you sell the motor and use the money as initial savings for a boat. Setting up a car motor in a boat that has not been built for it will take a lot of knowledge and time to acquire it. If it is done poorly then you will have something that is close to worthless.

Rick W.

 

I agree. We build custom one off RIBs - see www.explorermarine.co.uk - and the effort of making a one off for personal use is just not worth it.
We have just refurbished a classic 1960s Dowty Turbocraft - a small inboard powered water jet. The customer could easily have bought a 5 year old modern boat with much better performance with the money he spent on the job.
I too would stick to an outboard at your chosen size - there are many for sale, as the price of oil is never going to allow most people the enjoyment of enough hours per year to justify the standing costs. Buy yourself a bargain - even brand new 20 foot boats are currently cheaper than the cost of making a one off , marinising an engine, buying a drive and making a job which you would be proud of.
Good boating.

Hugh Mattos
Chartered Engineer




I would go for a recent secondhand

 

====="now i understand there is a little difference between a boat engine and a car engine. my first question is, would this be a good engine to start with, and if so what and where should i start to make this engine sea worthy?" ==========
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Oh yeah, A big difference. A different cam, carb, water pump, exhaust, ignition, starter, alternator &, probably intake manifold.
Also, it's not important if your engine will have enough HP. It IS important that THE engine be one of the models that the aftermarket world has chosen to make all those marine conversion parts to fit. A little research will soon reveal if your engine is in that group.
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As far as a hull? There are hundreds of old plastic (fiberglass) cheap boats, called "project" boats, with your name on them. Sometimes just hauling them off is all they cost, sometimes, you are really just buying the trailer, the boat is free.
Stay away from OMC outdrives untill/unless, you KNOW the good models from the bad.
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Projects can be relaxing & rewarding, expensive ways to showcase your skills. Good luck!

 

Well said Ted, The best place for a Mustang engine is in a Mustang! Pongorulz will have much more boating fun if he just goes out and buys the most suitable secondhand / pre used outboard boat in the district. A good one year old finance repo is often a bargain.
If on the other hand he wants to spend days / weeks / years / of his life creating something really special,........ then I suggest he discuss what his wife / partner / girlfriend would really like, and probably end up spending the next several months building a new kitchen/ steam room / jacuzzi etc . After that he will have earned enough credits to go out and use the smart new boat which he will then be allowed to buy...

Good Luck