We're building a houseboat, 56x16, (plywood, catamaran, flat bottomed displacement hulls, bottom third clad in copper sheeting, expected to draw 12" or so, freeboard 3'. We've seen a number of two-story rigs, but for starters, this one will have one story and a flybridge. We're planning to power the thing with a couple of 4-stroke outboards. We'd figured on ~50 hp each, which, if the numbers are correct, is probably somewhat more than necessary for a calculated hullspeed of 9 knots. Not planning to go to sea in the thing, but nice days on the Sound, nearby rivers, and maybe eventually, the ICW, if we're able to handle it competently close to home.
We'd like advice from you experts on outboards-- brands, prop size (bigger is better, right?), how big to build the plywood housing around the fore and sides of each motor-- that is, how much space to allow for maintenance and access), and whether the planned upsloping sterns (12" over 4') will be a good idea or unnecessary.
Any other advice will be most welcome. (Yes, we've already heard that this approach to boat construction is a: crazy, b: dangerous, c: never been done before.
We'll be careful out there.)
Thanks for the thoughts!
Amelia
We'd like advice from you experts on outboards-- brands, prop size (bigger is better, right?), how big to build the plywood housing around the fore and sides of each motor-- that is, how much space to allow for maintenance and access), and whether the planned upsloping sterns (12" over 4') will be a good idea or unnecessary.
Any other advice will be most welcome. (Yes, we've already heard that this approach to boat construction is a: crazy, b: dangerous, c: never been done before.
We'll be careful out there.)Thanks for the thoughts!
Amelia