Building a boat for Lee's Ferry

[sjpitts]

I have wanted a boat to use a Lee's Ferry for a while.  A long while.   In fact, I hiked 50 miles through Paria Canyon with scouts in 1982 or so, and we came out at Lee's ferry.  I remember seeing fishermen pulling trout out that were bigger than I had ever seen-- by a factor of 2 or 3.   I have wanted to fish there ever since.

So 40+ years later I finally bought the shell of a boat that I think might work.  It is a 90's Alumacraft.  16 feet long.  But no motor.  See picture below.

The boat has a rated capacity of 5 people and 1240 lbs.  And the recommended horsepower range is between 15-45HP. 

I would like to be able to take me and a couple of my friends or adult kids all the way up river, and maybe even take a little camping gear if possible.  I would also to be able to use it on the mountain lakes when I get the time--- those that are restricted to electric or 9.9 hp motors. 

And I would like to keep the boat as light as possible-- since I don't have a lot of horsepower in my tow vehicle.  

My first idea was to just buy a 9.9 HP motor that I can also use on mountain lakes and go for it.  However, I am a little worried that 9.9 won't be enough to get me and my friends upriver. 

My second idea is to get an older 2 stroke motor in the 15-25 HP range.  One that might even be light enough to easily remove or swap out for 9.9 or smaller when I want to.   But even then I am little worried.   I see that NPS requires 25HP or more when the water flow is high.   

In either case I would probably convert the boat to tiller steer, just because it is simpler and easier.   

So does anyone have any thoughts and recommendations for this?

Thanks

Jared

     

 

[CouesPursuit]

9.9hp only works on a 12' and barely so.

I've done a 25hp on a 14' with success having a light camp load and one other guy.

I have a 40hp on a 16' and it works well with the boat at capacity. I have a buddy that runs a 35hp on his 16' and he is much slower upriver but it works.

All tillers. While I do have a variety of kicker options, a bow mount 24v is key on my 16' at Lees and works well on any rim lake for a day unless the wind really kicks up.

P.s. the trout are nothing like they used to be but the rest of the magic remains.

[WhtMtnHunter]

The early 80's fishing and fish quality are long long long gone!  And never returning.  So just get those stringers out of your head right now.  I first fished there at that time and remember my grandpa lamenting we didn't catch a 10+ pounder!  Those days are over.

 

HP rules on the Ferry.  Get the biggest motor your boat can handle.  I had a 15HP on my 14ft similar to that one, and it was slow.  Now have a 30HP on a flat bottom river boat that does OK.  

[NOTAGS]

A 9.9 will not get you past 3 mile, and that will take you a spell. You will need 20 plus, and make sure the shaft length fits your hull or you will have prop cavitation at full throttle. I blew a 50 hp up there and put a 20 horse short shaft on it and could not go anywhere.. that was on a 16’ flat bottom .   Lees is in recovery I hope, was up there three weeks ago, caught nice fish, the numbers were low for there, but great for anywhere else in this state.

[sjpitts]

16 hours ago, CouesPursuit said:

9.9hp only works on a 12' and barely so.

I've done a 25hp on a 14' with success having a light camp load and one other guy.

I have a 40hp on a 16' and it works well with the boat at capacity. I have a buddy that runs a 35hp on his 16' and he is much slower upriver but it works.

All tillers. While I do have a variety of kicker options, a bow mount 24v is key on my 16' at Lees and works well on any rim lake for a day unless the wind really kicks up.

P.s. the trout are nothing like they used to be but the rest of the magic remains.

 

Hey, thanks for the advice.  I think I should follow your example.   

I spent some time looking at the specs for 90's era 2 stroke Mercury Outboards.   The 20 and 25 HP models were 112lbs, the  30 and 40 HP 2 cylinder models were 148 lbs, the 40 HP 4 cylinder version was 177 lbs and the 50 and 60 HP versions were 207 lbs.      

Based on your example and these specs I think I may want to look for a 40 HP model.  More horsepower for my 16 ft boat, and not that much heavier than a 20 or 25 HP. 

Do you agree?  

Next question-- when you are using your 24 v electric motor on mountain lakes, do you remove the gas motor?  Or is that too much of a pain?  

It seems like it wouldn't be too hard with a tiller engine, but 148 lbs is still 148 lbs.  And I have never done it before.  

Thanks,

Jared

 

[sjpitts]

16 hours ago, WhtMtnHunter said:

The early 80's fishing and fish quality are long long long gone!  And never returning.  So just get those stringers out of your head right now.  I first fished there at that time and remember my grandpa lamenting we didn't catch a 10+ pounder!  Those days are over.

 

HP rules on the Ferry.  Get the biggest motor your boat can handle.  I had a 15HP on my 14ft similar to that one, and it was slow.  Now have a 30HP on a flat bottom river boat that does OK.  

That is too bad.  I didn't know the fishing dropped off that much.  But in reality, I will be happy to just hang out with friends and catch a few.    

[PRDATR]

52 minutes ago, sjpitts said:

Hey, thanks for the advice.  I think I should follow your example.   

I spent some time looking at the specs for 90's era 2 stroke Mercury Outboards.   The 20 and 25 HP models were 112lbs, the  30 and 40 HP 2 cylinder models were 148 lbs, the 40 HP 4 cylinder version was 177 lbs and the 50 and 60 HP versions were 207 lbs.      

Based on your example and these specs I think I may want to look for a 40 HP model.  More horsepower for my 16 ft boat, and not that much heavier than a 20 or 25 HP. 

Do you agree?  

Next question-- when you are using your 24 v electric motor on mountain lakes, do you remove the gas motor?  Or is that too much of a pain?  

It seems like it wouldn't be too hard with a tiller engine, but 148 lbs is still 148 lbs.  And I have never done it before.  

Thanks,

Jared

 

 

IN AZ the gas motor can stay on the boat for electric only State Owned lakes. I' don't know about REZ Lakes.

[sjpitts]

16 hours ago, NOTAGS said:

A 9.9 will not get you past 3 mile, and that will take you a spell. You will need 20 plus, and make sure the shaft length fits your hull or you will have prop cavitation at full throttle. I blew a 50 hp up there and put a 20 horse short shaft on it and could not go anywhere.. that was on a 16’ flat bottom .   Lees is in recovery I hope, was up there three weeks ago, caught nice fish, the numbers were low for there, but great for anywhere else in this state.

Thanks.  I had assumed that I would need a long shaft, but I am not 100 percent sure.    How was 50 HP on a 16 ft boat?  Is that what you would do again given the chance?     

[sjpitts]

8 minutes ago, PRDATR said:

 

IN AZ the gas motor can stay on the boat for electric only State Owned lakes. I' don't know about REZ Lakes.

Thanks that is good to know. 

I wasn't even thinking about the legality of it--- I was just thinking about all that extra unused weight at the end of the boat.   

And I assume that the same rules would apply to lakes that allow 9.9HP motors-- it is ok to have a larger motor if you don't use it?

[Big Tub]

I, sort of, went up the river in a 12' Mirrocraft using a 15 hp Chrysler 2-stroke.  I could have walked faster than I was able to push that boat up river.  For future use, I would always get the max size motor for the boat as that is what it was designed for.  Also, for Lee's Ferry, you probably should get a jet as opposed to a prop.  It is not a forgiving river.  

[CouesPursuit]

54 minutes ago, sjpitts said:

Hey, thanks for the advice.  I think I should follow your example.   

I spent some time looking at the specs for 90's era 2 stroke Mercury Outboards.   The 20 and 25 HP models were 112lbs, the  30 and 40 HP 2 cylinder models were 148 lbs, the 40 HP 4 cylinder version was 177 lbs and the 50 and 60 HP versions were 207 lbs.      

Based on your example and these specs I think I may want to look for a 40 HP model.  More horsepower for my 16 ft boat, and not that much heavier than a 20 or 25 HP. 

Do you agree?  

Next question-- when you are using your 24 v electric motor on mountain lakes, do you remove the gas motor?  Or is that too much of a pain?  

It seems like it wouldn't be too hard with a tiller engine, but 148 lbs is still 148 lbs.  And I have never done it before.  

Thanks,

Jared

 

You're welcome. I'm not an expert on the weight and effects of each. 

My 40 is bolted on and I do not take it off when I fish the rim lakes, I actually add a gas kicker on the side for cruising and fish with the bow mount, but used the electric only for years with the 40 tilted out of the water.

My buddy's 35hp mentioned is 1982 Evinrude that clamps on, which takes seconds to remove. Something like that may be better suited for your needs but I'm not sure on availability. 

[NOTAGS]

2 hours ago, sjpitts said:

Thanks.  I had assumed that I would need a long shaft, but I am not 100 percent sure.    How was 50 HP on a 16 ft boat?  Is that what you would do again given the chance?     

A 50 on a 16 works okay, depends on hull weight and load.  The current at Lees is substantial, like everyone has said, max HP is your best bet for up there.  I run it just fine with a propped outboard, but I have run the river for years and have a pretty good idea where the water gets skinny. Wont lie,  I learned the hard way, ate up a few props in my education.  Make sure you carry a spare,  odds are good you'll  need it as you become familiar with the river.

[HUNTnTAT2]

As much HP as your boat will allow. You'll never regret it especially for the mid day current flows. A strong trolling motor as well. It'll keep you in fishable waters easier when drifting and avoiding shallow boulders. A couple aluminum props. You will ruin your motor if you run a ground with a stainless prop eventhough you get alot better performance out of stainless. A Bimini top will keep you out of the sun. It can be brutally hot up there. 

Learn the river. Follow the guide boats up. They stay in the channel and know the river best. A depth finder on you console helps alot.

[CouesPursuit]

1 hour ago, HUNTnTAT2 said:

Learn the river. Follow the guide boats up. They stay in the channel and know the river best. A depth finder on you console helps alot.

Be a little cautious of the guide boats with jets, they show off a bit in skinny water.

[HUNTnTAT2]

^^^ very true. The guide boats are skinny water hot rods.

Nothing will replace time & experience navigating this tributary. The depth finder shortens the learning curve of knowing where the channel runs. On the curves & turns of the river, stay on the outside. Being able to "read the water" is crucial. A good anchor is a must as well. Anchoring up on a riffle that holds feeding fish is crucial when all other tactics fall short. 

The most critical piece of gear is good life vests. The water is constantly moving and it's freezing cold. Their is ALOT of traffic all day on river from all the backhaul and tours. Those boats are usually hauling A$$. Leaving big wakes and waves. If you fall in it will take your breath away and your boat is not going to stop. I know from experience. I've fallen in a time or two. No need to be afraid, just be smart.