Looking for outboard jet for canoe.

**Ak Fireman** · 01-19-2007

I have a Old Town, Discovery Sport, I believe it is 14'. I have ran a 2hp evinrude on it and had more than enough speed. I'am looking for a small outboard that is a jet. I haven't been able to find anything smaller than a 20hp. I have heard there was a motor called a Chief that was something like a 5hp but they stopped production in the 1950's.
I want to use the canoe to run up some shallow rivers where I go moose hunting and Iam afraid the prop and lower unit would just get abused.

**AKmud** · 01-19-2007

I don't think you will find anything smaller than an 18hp jet. At least that is the smallest I have ever seen. I think it was a newer Mercury. The problem is that jets are so inefficient the smaller motors wouldn't be worth much at all with a jet unit.

**Alaskacanoe** · 01-19-2007

I think ADMUD is right, I did some checking around, and did not find anything in the jet units that small.
I did find some interesting reading though about Durajet units.
This are what the military uses and although they are a jet, they don't lose the HP that a Bradly jet pump does. They are a totally different design than the foot style pump.
I think its only a matter of time before someone puts a jet on small boat Outboards. The jet units used on water playcraft, and the one used on the Mokai units are getting better at the craft.
Sorry that I have not been able to help you with this project, but like anything. If there is a need, someone will find a way to fill that need.
We can only hope that a couple of forward thinking inventors are reading this forum.
Max

**Sid** · 01-20-2007

# 1 back in the early 1970 there was a a place in Fairbanks that but a small eng in the middle of the conoe with a jet an thr way you steared it was rotate the ENG [it could 360 DEG] saw it on paxton lake only time
# 2 in the late 70 early 80 there was a sports shop on Muldoon RD across from Range view trailer park that brought 10 10 HP jets in to the state saw one on the little Sue it did not run so never look any farther than that.

an Eng on a 19 FT with a lift should do all you need, if it will not work for you you should be walking it an don't get me wrong you will go through props an water punps [they melt with out water] you should not go thriugh gear boxes if you are going slow, do the small engs. have sheer pins? or slip props, as will you will find out you don't want sheer pins on the eng. the problem you will get into on small streams will be log jams an lots of them. Sid

**Ak Fireman** · 01-20-2007

Originally Posted by AKmud

I don't think you will find anything smaller than an 18hp jet. At least that is the smallest I have ever seen. I think it was a newer Mercury. The problem is that jets are so inefficient the smaller motors wouldn't be worth much at all with a jet unit.

I had it on step with the 2hp evinrude and with another adult in it, it was a ride to say the least. I've always heard that a pump will take 40% of the power so I was ideally looking for a 5hp power head.

I was also thinking of something like the http://www.godevil.com/6.5hp_Intek_Pro.html ,but I think the weight being so high above the transom would make it tip.

**AKmud** · 01-20-2007

Yeah, I think 110#'s that far above a canoe would be a little scary. Plus, with the long tiller handle you would have to change your seating arrangement. I think the way the Go-devil steers with the long tiller and long tail would be a major pain in a canoe when you are trying to keep things centered over the keel most of the time for balance.

Maybe look at the Mokai and see if you could modify their engine/jet setup for a canoe?

**Sid** · 01-20-2007

they are good but not sure it is on the back of a conoe,
# 1 heavy for what you get out of it
# 2 lot hanging out back of the conoe [weight]
# 3 takes a base ball field to turn them [not good in small streams] little sue size
# 4 high center of gavity
# 5 hard to handle in a conoe
# 6 cant standup an run, you need to do it in small rivers, little sue size

you will be better off going a lift, 10 / 15 hp out board with a couple of extra props
A friend of mine made one of thoes motors sticking way out the back we went down the big SUE from the Denali HY [to Tyone river an back up ]
when he got back he switched over the only adavantege was it could run with prop out of water where an out board heats up an the water pump melts MY 2 CTS SID

**alaskamokaiman** · 01-20-2007

Mokai uses an axial jet so part of the tunnel is molded into the boat so it would not work for you. Midnight Sun had a jet unit that fit into a canoe but you had to cut the keel to get it in then hook it up to a weed eater motor worked well but don't remember who it was made by.
If you found an old jet ski that you could take the axial pump you could make it work.
Look up the radio control boat thread on Boat Design.net they have some jet pumps that might work or at least give you some ideas on how th mill one for yourself. PM me if that is the wrong .com.
You can see the Mokai at the Northway mall this coming week or we can meet and you can see one at my house.

Cheers

**alaska bush man** · 01-21-2007

I run a 9.9 Merc with a Rock Hopper on my Grumman Frieighter w/lift......good setup.

**Sid** · 01-25-2007

Like Alaska bush man said what he has is hard to beat 75 lbs on the back,
an a prop that has a slip cluch in it, not a sheer pin, I would like to have a 15 HP eng. in place of the 10 hp he has, as the same weight, some times you just need the extra HP in going up a fast shoot or down river to miss the sweeper but like I said it is what you can find at the time, when you are putting the rig together HAPPY CONOEING SID

**VernAK** · 01-29-2007

Fireman,
Have you considered a jacklift for existing motor?.....some giys do very well with them here in AK....I personally always raised my transom about 4 inches as most canoes have squated quite a lot anyway....also you can put angles on teh side near stearn so forward movement will raise the rear end....and the planes on the cavitation plate help also.....

**walk-in** · 03-12-2007

I used a 19' Grumman with an 8 horse Johnson and a lift for several years for moose hunting. It worked well, and weighed a lot less than a jet unit. I don't think that would be practical on a canoe. I finally sold the canoe last fall after moose season, but I still have the motor if you decide not to go with a jet. I put a skeg guard on it and a Stingray, and never had any problems.

**godevilalaska** · 03-13-2007

Originally Posted by Ak Fireman

I was also thinking of something like the http://www.godevil.com/6.5hp_Intek_Pro.html ,but I think the weight being so high above the transom would make it tip.

I sell the Go Devils and try to talk people out of useing them on canoes. They are too heavy for the narrow transom and the long tiller handle reduces the steering radius. The only canoe I've seen work well with a Go Devil was a 24 ft cedar strip work of art with a real broad beam. The length and beam handled the weight well and the beam provided the displacement to allow the canoe to go shallow enough to take advantage of the Go Devils' shallow water capabilities.

**Sid** · 03-13-2007

I will 2nd that as I went moose hunting a few years back off the Big Sue with a person that made one with a 8 HP 4 cycle, the out boards would leave him in the dust in deep water, but shallow water he was faster, but he need a base ball field to turn it around, could not go up any streams less than 20 ft wide or so ,an down he had to walk it most of the way ,the boom out back did him in ,you can't beat a out board motor on the back of the conue with a little experance you can really do a lot of things with it