One of the things every boat owner needs to ask themselves is what
kind of sailing do I want to do? The answer to this question
determines the answer(s) to many other questions down the line.
Another consideration is often your sailing aspirations change as you
get more experience, or you decide to become trailerable. An engine
used to exit a marina and return to your slip on a predictably calm
lake will differ greatly from the engine needed to safely transit
waters with strong currents and heavy weather. In my humble opinion,
I think it's always better to error on the high side than on the low
side of any situation you may encounter.
The second consideration is to realize the size of your motor
should be matched to the mass it needs to move when you need to put
the 'peddle to the metal' when trying to meet a deadline. If you are
'over sized a bit', you are not running your engine at peak load most
of the time. This helps with wear and tear on the engine and fuel
consumption. It's also reassuring to know you have a bit more hp.
left in the envelope when the proverbial s__t hits the fan.
One other consideration is cavitation of the outboard motor's
prop. All bets are off when this becomes your reality. It's why I
moved to an inboard diesel for my salty sailing, and I've never
looked back. Hope this gives you something to ponder for what is
life without a bit of ponder?
Cheers,
Herb Clark
[email protected]
Chico Yacht Club
s/v Imagine - Catalina 270
s/v Hotel Charlie - Catalina 25'
d/s Coyote - Coronado 15'
"Why sail a blow when I can tow?"
On Mar 12, 2010, at 4:38 PM, larryferber wrote:
Hi, I have a catalina 27 1973. my old 9.9 2 stroke johnson fit the
transom cutout and would tilt up. my 2003 nissan 9.8 2 stroke would
not tilt up. With out modifying the engine cowling or the transom
area does anyone know if any new engines will fit in the 8-9.8
range. I heard the honda classic 8 would but i do not think its
available. I am considering buying a nissan/tohatsu 6.0 with
alternator, anyone have experience with a 6 on a cat 27? Finally My
motors have all been 20 inch shafts, anyone use a 25 inch on the
transom mount? which is better?, thanks...
