Proper LS Outboard for a 27' 1981 Catalina?

[Faris]

I'm really tempted by the remote control setup, since it means you don't need to keep reaching down to switch between forward & reverse when docking

I absolutely love it! I previously had to motor with one hand over the transom and the other on the tiller (on a different boat). It made going through the locks a bit of a feat.

Plus, my new motor has a meaty oversized prop so I can really man-handle the boat around if I have to.

 

[Jon_E]

I believe the remote control comes as a kit on most motors. It does with Yamaha. I'm still on the fence about spending the money.

The electric start is great, of course. When running it puts amps back into your batteries. Attaching a lanyard to the engine cowling makes raising and lowering the engine a breeze manually, though you still need to reach down and flip the pin.

As I've stated earlier, of all the features of my new OB, the one I like the best is the high thrust prop. I'm sure the 3:1 gear ratio thingy has something to do with it too. Bottom line, the performance and fuel economy is outstanding. Mindbogglingly good.

 

[JRGresham]

To all who helped me out...I just wanted to report that yesterday I installed my short shaft Tohatsu 8hp in the transom of my Catalina 27 yesterday. I was very worried that it would not fit down into the transom, but it did (Just barely). In order to be able to reach the forward, neutral and reverse, I moved the engine about 1.5 inches offset from dead center to allow room for my hand to reach down and manipulate moving parts etc.

The engine was pretty easy to start manually which was a good thing, and the mechanism to disengage so I could raise the prop out of the water is located high on the shaft and just the cowling base. That high up leverage point is a big ergonomic improvement over earlier designs. So raising and lowering the prop is now pretty easy.

I only tested the engine in neutral, but don't think I'll have any further problems.

By the way, I'm sore. Taking out one engine and installing another while bent over and half upside down has a way of finding unused muscles that need a workout

 

[Faris]

Glad it worked out. Yes, it's kind of an awkward install. I'm also feeling some of those muscles - I went up the mast twice on Sunday. That shouldn't really be that strenuous, but my wife wasn't quite able to hoist me. So, basically I climbed while she belayed with the winch.

 

[ScottGrosenick]

I would be interested to hear whether your prop comes out of the water in choppy seas. I had always assumed that I would need a long shaft, requiring rudder modification in the case where the manufacturer's long shaft happened to be an inch longer than my current one.

Hmmm... I suppose that's not as big a deal for a 4 stroke as it is for a 2 stroke but that always concerned me about going with a short shaft vs. long.

To all who helped me out...I just wanted to report that yesterday I installed my short shaft Tohatsu 8hp in the transom of my Catalina 27 yesterday. I was very worried that it would not fit down into the transom, but it did (Just barely). In order to be able to reach the forward, neutral and reverse, I moved the engine about 1.5 inches offset from dead center to allow room for my hand to reach down and manipulate moving parts etc.

The engine was pretty easy to start manually which was a good thing, and the mechanism to disengage so I could raise the prop out of the water is located high on the shaft and just the cowling base. That high up leverage point is a big ergonomic improvement over earlier designs. So raising and lowering the prop is now pretty easy.

I only tested the engine in neutral, but don't think I'll have any further problems.

By the way, I'm sore. Taking out one engine and installing another while bent over and half upside down has a way of finding unused muscles that need a workout

 

[Faris]

Yeah, I have an XL shaft. It sits so deep that I had to limit the tilt so that it doesn't quite go down all of the way (though the shaft is nearly vertical) and interfere with the rudder. I haven't had it in rough seas yet, but I can see how the prop could come out even with that long of a shaft.

 

[ScottGrosenick]

Hey JR - one more question: can you raise the outboard all the way up & lock it in the upright position? (I'm also assuming you didn't modify the lazarette hatch to make it all work. I was a heartbeat away from pulling the trigger on this one but figured that I would actually re-confirm all the details.

I measured my 2 stroke and confirmed that it's actually a long shaft. The distance from the foil to the water line is 8 inches (the prop is at least 2 below that) so I figure that a short shaft ( 5 inches shorter) would probably still work in Puget Sound. Given that the motor is heavier, it would probably cause the prop to hang down an extra inch lower.

I'm getting pretty excited - the prospect of only having to yell at crew to be heard above wind, instead of wind AND motor noise has me almost giddy.