Cost vs. Power
You might be interested. The 8 and 9.9 hp Nissan/Tohatsu motors are exactly the same. Same weight, displacement, etc. Except the 9.9 allows more air into the carb. I just figured that if I was hauling around the weight, I might as well be getting full power. The trade off is a little more expense vs. a little more power. Here is where the power matters- Our Macs have a lot of hull out of the water and in the wind. If you are making a tricky turn into a slip with a crosswind, every bit of power can be useful. Same goes for motoring into a brisk headwind. Too little power and the boat squirrels. I learned to sail with no motor at all and everything worked out fine. Had some hairy experiences coming into the dock too fast, but those are learning experiences. Sure is nice to have a reverse that will slow down the boat quickly.
