I bought a 1236 alumacraft last year and put a 7hp kohler long tail on it. With me 200lbs my dog 80lbs and deeks 20lbs it runs awesome, add my boy 130lbs it crawls!!!! So now I won't to add a bigger engine to the motor frame for a little more horse power. My question is what size motor to move up to so I can make this a family hunt? The frame will handle up to a 14hp but I think that would be a little heavy for the rear end. Any advise would be greatly appreciated!!!! Thanks in advance.

look at getting a larger boat... that 1236 prob wont take much more

1436 boats work a little better. Sell the 12 ft and look around, the 1436 boats are common. Depends on your budget, you can pick up a used 1436 pretty cheap or buy a new one.

It should hold the 14hp. make sure you have the weight in the boat at the right place. When you go to stop make sure ya dont stop to fast so the wake don't come over the back. A 14-36 would be a better choice though.

14 footer would be a better choice but my little boat does way better for where I hunt. I was planning on putting a 10 hp on it but I'm not sure if that would give me that little extra power to at last go 7 or 8 knots. Any thoughts besides get a bigger boat.. ha ha ha!

I've got a 14' with a 23hp and it does pretty good. Dont quote me on this but I think it ran around 24 mph with me(200 lbs) and my buddy(140 lbs) in it. It bogs down pretty bad with 3 people and gear in it though.

What brand of 7 hp Longtail do you have? Kohler only makes engines, not longtails.

Regardless, you may be asking too much from a 12X36.
Too much weight in the boat will "barge" it and it will simply never bring the bow up enough to get you to a comfortable speed.

{I have run a 23hp LT on a 14X36 (even with and without pods) but I found it spooky to balance compared to the same motor on a 16X48.}

On 12X36 I tried an old 11hp briggs and liked it with 2 people and a load better than my old 5hp Briggs GDLT.
So, to give some advice, I would suggest hopping-up your 7hp Kohler, or trying a cheap Harbor Fright Predator 212 (3/4" engine shaft) hopped up to about 11HP.
{ The Predator 346cc OHV 11hp would have been an option IF the engine output shaft size was 3/4'', it is NOT and is 1" on the 346cc}

Breast O' luck to ya!

Thanks for the replies. Now I have to make a decision! Thanks guys!

I just got rid of a 1236 alumacraft and it was rated for a 15hp. Is yours older? Mine was a 2011. I moved up to a 1442 and upgraded my engine from a 15 to a 25. This is the old 15 that I have. It runs great but just to slow for the wider boat.

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Drake:

Longtails run best on a long, narrow boat. My 23 GD is almost 5 MPH FASTER on my 16x36 fiberglas boat than it was on the 14x40 aluminum, even though the glass boat is 200 Lbs. HEAVIER!

Find a friend with a 16 - 17 foot boat and tri it out.

Somewhere north of 50hp and less than 25lbs
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@ deadeyedick: the boat goes about 11 to 15 knots with just me and the dog, add another person and it just plows through the water and the motor seems like it's right on the edge for power to get me up on plain.

@ USCG4X4: how well did your 15hp push the 12 footer. My only concern with a 15 would be the weight on the back of the boat + two guys + dog + gear. I would think the boat would be well over the rated lbs. For curiosity sack do you still have the motor and if so how much do you want for it?

My boat is a 2009 1236. It's pretty stable with the weight mentioned above as long as I am in calm water which is where I normally hunt anyways. 4 foot of water max. The engine setup is currently set up correct. The motor runs just underneath the water as it should so my motor setup is not the problem.

I had a 9.9 mercury on my 12x32 tracker and it got 25 mph with me and dog.

@deadeyedick: Your talking about an outboard not a long tail mudmotor right?

Yes, I dont know why I put that in there but it sure did scoot! I have a PPF 7 hp LLT that I'm putting on a 14x32. The boat is like 90 ibs so it should do good til I rip the bottom out! I'm curious as what it will do but have to wait. I'm out with broken ribs from a motorcycle accident right now ...

I was getting high teens on a surface drive type. I am guessing it weights about 70 lbs or so. The whole surface drive rig weighted about 120. Just a little much for that boat. From what I understand, the longtail frames are lighter. Yes I still have it. It also comes with a pulley. I am wanting 350$ plus shipping. Has @ 20 hours or less on it.

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