Does any one use a car topper aluminum boat on rivers?

[Elite]

I’m hoping to do a spring bear hunt on a deep river in my area. The river is deep and wide. I am wondering if a 9.9 hp motor would go upstream on a river with 2 people and some hunting gear? Wondering what kinds of speeds is everyone achieving? Boat is just a simple 14 ft car topper


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[Team4LongGun]

I’m no nautical expert, but I have a 6hp old Johnson that moves a 12’ aluminum boat with 2 big guys and gear quite well. I’d assume your 9.9 would be plenty

 

[Elite]

I’m no nautical expert, but I have a 6hp old Johnson that moves a 12’ aluminum boat with 2 big guys and gear quite well. I’d assume your 9.9 would be plenty

Is that on a lake or river? Had a few guys tell me a 9.9 is useless on a river?


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[Team4LongGun]

I’ve done both, but can’t speak for cubic flow/current.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I've run rivers in the Ozarks for years in a 16' aluminum jon boat with a 9.9 hp Mercury, often with 4 adults, a 2 kW generator, 2 M59 light ballasts, and an aluminum gigging deck on board. But not all rivers are created equal...your (nautical) mileage may vary.

 

[Vandy321]

Take the dif between how fast the river runs and cruising speed of that boat in still water. If there is a positive net, you can probably make way up the river.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Depends on the river. I've run into trouble before in my jet boat with just me, a bull moose and my gear driving back against the tide with a 40jet. ID test it out somehow if I were you, maybe above a pull out or something with as much weight as you'd expect to be hauling. That would be a tough lesson to learn.

 

[sf jakey]

My 9.9 pushes my 14’ klamath Jon boat about 25 mph. That’s faster than any River I would want to navigate

 

[jlh42581]

my buddies 20 on a 16' tracker with decks takes the two of us both over 200lbs up the juniata in spring flows no problem. I wouldnt wanna run any faster with a prop boat. Youre not gonna get flying for sure. Deep and wide id stay as close to shore as possible to run. Then cut over when you get there.

 

[Rich M]

I had a 14 ft cartopper V hull and used it for about everything with a 9.9 on there. Boat weighed about 100# and planed out well with that motor and another guy in there and duck decoys & gear. This is one of my never should have sold that boat rigs.

If it is rocky, you'll need a long shaft mud motor or a rock guard for an outboard. If it is just moving water, should be easier.

DON'T use a skinny, shallow john boat, you'll swim fer sure. We used to run 3 guys and 75 decoys with a 15 hp on a 14x32 john boat, had about 3 inches of freeboard but were hunting inside an impoundment - no way I'd do that on a pond or lake, or river.

How fast is the river moving and what is the rock situation? Test run in summertime sounds feasible.

 

[MichaelO]

I’ve ran a 1950’s 9.9 evinrude with a 14 foot narrow Jon boat on the Mississippi River. Did it regularly for a summer, worked fine caught a lot of fish.

Not something I would recommend to a novice or someone who struggles to sit still.