I always used a 4 hp long shaft Johnson in a 17 for cruising and consider it somewhat of an excess of power, and I think Howard's comment of getting 4 knots at 3/4 power sounds about right. I've used an ancient 1.5 hp Johnson for gettting out to the starting line for races, and I did just fine but probably did less than about 3 knots. If I were going to buy a motor for a 17 I'd be tempted to get a 2 or 3 and would feel fine about it.
Actually, I'm surprised that a 7.5 will fit in the transom cutout! I know you all already know this, but if a given moter will push a given boat at 4 knots on a lake it will still push it 4 knots THRU THE WATER against (or with) a tide current. Speed over the bottom is another factor, of course. Wwind is the killer and that's where an excess of hp is of value. Remember that, according to our old friend Al, the force of the wind (like all matter) increases with the square of the velocity, so the same boat moving against a 30 knot wind has 68 times the wind resistance of the same boat moving at 4 knots in no wind, according to my shaky math. I sailed a few years ago on a 15 with a 2 hp Honda and I can't imagine that it wouldn't very quietly push a 17 along at 4 knots or better. I'm pretty sure that it has LOTS more power than the 1 1/2 hp Johnson that I used- more of an increase than the extra 1/2 hp suggests. If you frequently have to short tack up a narrow channel against a really hard wind it might be inadequate, but usually when the wind comes we sail and we're happy and we don't care about the stupid motor. Jerry jerrymontgomery.org ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Ray Wisely" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, June 13, 2008 9:21 AM Subject: Re: M_Boats: Outboard Power > Hello all, > > I have been trying to come to terms with the power issue on my M-17 as well. > I have the original 7.5 Honda 4 stroke that came with the boat (I imagine) > way back in "19 hundred and Eighty Four" (add old codger voice here). > I have read thru quite a few mailings on this issue and it seems like the 17 > more often than not came with 6hp + and quite a few had the 7.5 honda. > I bet Jerry had a good reason for the pairing. > With that in mind (although I have seen a few with the 2 or 2.5hp as the > power plant) my opinion is, anything less than a 3.5 is too lite for other > than light to medium conditions. I'm looking to replace the honda 75 with > something in the 4hp range for several reasons. > > Ext fuel tank: Most 4hp 4cyc's have external fuel capability (nothing under > 4hp does. I don't want to have to try and fill up that little tank at the > dock or under way. > > F-N-R: many smaller motors don't have reverse. > > Noise & Vibration: If you have to use the iron sail for extended periods of > time, you want it to be a quieter rather than noisier experience. A motor > that has to work a 3/4 power is much noisier than one that can do the same > at 1/2 power. > (every outboard rep I have talked to has said that the honda 2 is the > noisiest 4cycle out there when you have to do more that a 1/4 throttle.) > > Over all ability: I am on the SF Bay. I was out with my wife and my 5 year > old on one of our maiden voyages last year when the wind just died. We were > miles from Marina Bay harbor in Richmond and it was getting quite late and > we needed to be back. I knew from the tide chart that we were coming up > against a 3.8 flood. It felt good to know that I had the power to get back. > That said, we still got tired of the noise during the 1:30 trip back in. > > In Summation: I want the quietest, most reliable, F-N-R, lightest, 4hp (or > maybe five) > On the market. > Yamaha, Merc, Honda, ???? Which is it? > > I don't know, but, that's my criteria. Hope it was helpful. > > As far as the electric outboard's go...For me, the technology/price point is > not there yet. > > And I'll take any advice on the quietest 4hp...any opinion's? > > I love reading this list,...so thank's to you all for being around. > > Michael Ray Wisely > The "Meg" > M-17 #383 > SF Bay > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats > > > -- > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG. > Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 270.3.0/1501 - Release Date: 6/13/2008 6:33 AM > > _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats
