10 Ft Drift Pram Question

[RandallG]

Hello everyone! I am new here so please bear with me. I am getting ready to purchase plans for a 10 ft drift pram. Here is my question. Can I modify the transom to accept a small boat motor? And if so what size motor would you recommend for motoring back up a moving river(tailwater). I am thinking a 4,5, or 6 hp motor. I don't want to over weight the back end. I guess I will need to use 3/4 of 1 inch plywood in the back end? The plans currently require 1/4 I think. Here is the link for the plans if it will help to answer my questions.
http://www.boatdesigns.com/cgi-bin/store/web_store.cgi?page=driftprams-8-10.html&&cart_id=1794433_463

I have already built a 13 1/2 cedar strip canoe that I am trying to sell to fund this new project.I look forward to any comments or ideas!!Or if you know of a better plan type please let me know! Thanks in advance everyone!!

[Dave Hadfield]

Drift boats are kind of narrow in the stern, aren't they? I think you'll have to keep the weight right down. ALso, they usually have a great deal of rocker, right? In that case they don't plane, which means you don't need extra power since you're limited to its displacement speed anyway.

I'd go with the smallest kicker that'll get you upstream, period. Even then you'll need a tiller extension to be able to move forward enough to trim the boat.

Good fishing.

[shadow99]

The largest motor on that pram should be no greater than 2 HP. Maybe an electric motor would be better.
I 've got a 15' sailboat that I've powered with a 2HP kicker,though the swells of the Long Island Sound, the motor throughs off the balance of the boat. The transom on your pram may have to be reinforced as well. If I didn't have to carry passangers on the boat, I'd row instead.

Rick