thompsondockside.com

My dad and I are getting our 1959 18' Sea Lancer restored, and it will need a new engine. In the past it was run with a 50 and at one time with a 75 on it. The guy doing some of the work on our boat said 50 was the max he would recomend putting on it, and that a 75 would push the bow down and give us a hook. Yet I have seen our same boat online with 80's, 90's and even a 110 . My dad's dream is to put twin 35's on the back, which I have seen also. But once again, it was reccomended that twins would be too much for the transom. So what would you guys say is a safe power plant to drop on the boat? We don't need a speed boat, but it would be nice if it had get up and go to it.

If she is indeed a 1959 Peshtigo built Thompson Sea Lancer, she is rated for up to 90 HP. And the centerline length is 17'-0"

I would not feel there would be any problem with a 75 HP OMC (Johnson and Evinrude and Gale) from 1960 or later or the higher HP Mercurys. In 1959 50 HP was the biggest HP you could get from OMC. Not sure what the biggest HP Mercury had in 1959.

From 1967 until 2005 I had a 110 HP Mercury on my 1957 Thompson Sea Lancer. Since 2005 I have had twin 1957 Johnson 35 HP outboards. There has never been any problem with the transom or the hull. I do not agree at all with your restorer saying anyhting over 50 HP will cause problems.

Andreas

I would go with at least a 75 hp, A friend has a restored boat just like this with a 90hp Honda and is it one sweet ride. I have had 80hp and 90hp Johnsons on hulls very similar to yours and been pleased.
If your restored has concerns about transom holding engine then you have transom problems that need to be repaired.
Engine hp has nothing to do with hooked bottoms.
Check out http://groups.yahoo.com/group/classicoutboards/ for pictures of boats like yours.
Dan

Thanks for the replies guys. The boat is in the shop now because the transom is being repaired. I didn't think it would be problem with a bigger than 50 hp motor. And I am being told that my Sea Lancer may be a 1960 rather than a 1959, since it has aluminum windshield frames, don't know yet if that's correct or if that would change anything.

Get the hull ID stamped into the wood of the transom to determine the year.

The 1959 Sea Lancer had the aluminum operable inserts in the front of the windshield.

Andreas

My fathers 18' 1959 Lyman came with twin 35 Evinrudes, and my 1959 CORTLAND Thompson also was purchased originally equiped with twin 35 Evinrudes. Never a transom issue with either boat.
Twins are fine for these boats, and I would think up to @ least a 75hp single would also be fine.