You have to understand that a kicker engine will not get your boat up on plane, so your hull will be acting like a displacement hull. Basically that means that as you pile on more and more HP at the rear of the boat, the underwater bow wave at the front of the boat increases the resistance of the water against your hull. So while you may think that a 30HP engine will make you go faster than say a 9.9, in fact there's very little improvement.. Yes, you'll go faster, but not a lot, and you'll burn a lot more fuel trying to do it. A kicker is really useful as a trolling engine or an emergency "get home" engine. As for myself, I have a 9.8 hp Mercury longshaft mounted on my boat and I'm very happy with it. Personally I wouldn't think of mounting anything larger than a 15 HP engine.
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1987 V20 w/1987 150HP Yamaha on a Shoreland'r Trailer
1978 16.5 Airslot w/1996 120HP Force on a Four Winns trailer
1996 V21 w/1993 200HP Mercury on a Shoreline Trailer
All towed by a 5.7L Hemi Durango.
If God didn't have a purpose for us we wouldn't be here, so
Live simply, Love generously, Care deeply, Speak kindly.
(Leave the rest to God) 
Silence, in the face of evil, is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak, not to act is to act. God will not hold us guiltless.
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