Hi, I just purchased a 260 and am shopping for an engine. I am looking at the Mercury 9.9 Sailpower. Can anyone tell me if I need a long shaft (25") or a standard 15" shaft engine? I would like to be able to tilt the shaft out of the water when the engine is not in use - can I do that with a 25" shaft? But then, we will be sailing mostly on the coast with fairly large waves and I want to keep the prop in the water, hence the long shaft looks attractive. Also, is electric start much better than pull start? - because the engine is in a bit of a hole that may make pull starting the engine difficult. Has anyone experience with setting the engine up to run off of remote forward-neutral-reverse control? It seems like that would help a lot when docking, but I am not sure if that can be done with smaller engins. Thnaks so much.
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Ted, The 9.9 hp engine is the perfect choise
for a Hunter 260 or H26. I have a Honda 9.9 and love it. The long shaft is a must. The longer the better. I have found that even with my long shaft motor the prop will still come out of the water in seas with wave heights of 4 or more feet. (That's from the lowest part of the wave to the crest) Also I would insist on getting a 4 cycle (or stroke)engine as it does not burn oil mixed with the gas. The oil is in the crankcase. Also look for the motor with the largest amp rated charging curcuit so as to recharge your batteries. I also bought a lower pitched propeller for my Honda 9.9 so the motor would run at higher RPM. Motoring, in or out of the marina, is the only time my battey is charged. The higher the RPM the greater the charge. Honda's are fantastic motors, spendy, but they last forever and have very high resale values. My 1984 is used,used,used, runs perfect and still will sell for $1000. It uses no oil and with the optional $20 repair manual I can repair anything on or in it. Electric start is a must. Having remote controll shifting would be very nice but I do not know if it is offered. I would think so. Maybe someday someone will be smart enough to make the shifting an electrical solinoid controlled function. Ray S/V Speedy
for a Hunter 260 or H26. I have a Honda 9.9 and love it. The long shaft is a must. The longer the better. I have found that even with my long shaft motor the prop will still come out of the water in seas with wave heights of 4 or more feet. (That's from the lowest part of the wave to the crest) Also I would insist on getting a 4 cycle (or stroke)engine as it does not burn oil mixed with the gas. The oil is in the crankcase. Also look for the motor with the largest amp rated charging curcuit so as to recharge your batteries. I also bought a lower pitched propeller for my Honda 9.9 so the motor would run at higher RPM. Motoring, in or out of the marina, is the only time my battey is charged. The higher the RPM the greater the charge. Honda's are fantastic motors, spendy, but they last forever and have very high resale values. My 1984 is used,used,used, runs perfect and still will sell for $1000. It uses no oil and with the optional $20 repair manual I can repair anything on or in it. Electric start is a must. Having remote controll shifting would be very nice but I do not know if it is offered. I would think so. Maybe someday someone will be smart enough to make the shifting an electrical solinoid controlled function. Ray S/V Speedy
Mercury 9.9
Ted, I concur that the 9.9 is the way to go. The long shaft is a must, also. I disagree with the electric start idea, though. It adds extra weight back there, and it is not a problem for me to pull start my engine, which is a four cycle model. I thought I needed a remote control for better handling while docking. I have the single leveer remote and the adapter kit for the Merc, but I have not put them on yet. I have learned to control the gear shift with my foot while docking, and this works well. I will probably put the remote on at some point, though. Good luck. Don Barber S/V Third Degree
Ted, I concur that the 9.9 is the way to go. The long shaft is a must, also. I disagree with the electric start idea, though. It adds extra weight back there, and it is not a problem for me to pull start my engine, which is a four cycle model. I thought I needed a remote control for better handling while docking. I have the single leveer remote and the adapter kit for the Merc, but I have not put them on yet. I have learned to control the gear shift with my foot while docking, and this works well. I will probably put the remote on at some point, though. Good luck. Don Barber S/V Third Degree
Electric Start is a good investment!
Ted: Weather you use the electric start most of the time is irrelevent. When you are having problems with an engine and needs to keep pulling that damn string over and over is a real problem. I would spend the money for the electric start if you decide to pull start the motor most of the time, so be it. When you need that electric start it is worth about $5000. I also think that the Honda or Yamaha are probably the BEST of the breed. The Tohatsu and Nissans are also very good. Then Mercury. Long shaft is a must. If it drags in the water a little, it is still better than not having it in the water at all when the swells are high. If you buy a good quality engine, they can last as long as the boat (if you take care of them).
Ted: Weather you use the electric start most of the time is irrelevent. When you are having problems with an engine and needs to keep pulling that damn string over and over is a real problem. I would spend the money for the electric start if you decide to pull start the motor most of the time, so be it. When you need that electric start it is worth about $5000. I also think that the Honda or Yamaha are probably the BEST of the breed. The Tohatsu and Nissans are also very good. Then Mercury. Long shaft is a must. If it drags in the water a little, it is still better than not having it in the water at all when the swells are high. If you buy a good quality engine, they can last as long as the boat (if you take care of them).
Rudder link for this outboard?
Is it worth it to rig a rudder link? And is it compatable with kick-up rudder? I would think this would allow for a lot of agility when docking.
Is it worth it to rig a rudder link? And is it compatable with kick-up rudder? I would think this would allow for a lot of agility when docking.
Another OB Motor Question
Hi All: I have been reading your responses on the OB suggestions for the H26. I currently am new to sailing and aquired a H22, as a trial to see if I like sailing (had never been on a sailboat before). I think I will be upgrading to a H26 within a year (that is the boat I am considering anyway - used). Question: My H22 needs a new OB. I want one that will also be good for the H26 when I get that. I am at purcahse decison time. I reviewed Nissen 9.8 hp, and Merc 9.9hp and 15hp (all 2 strokes). My thoughts are to go with the Merc 15hp. Reason - Nissen does not make a 15 hp. I am concerned that 9.8 or 9.9 hp are not enough. I have no 1st hand basis fo this except that the tired 9.9 Johnson currently onthe H22 does not do a very good job of moving the boat. Any thoughts of Nissen vs Merc and the issue of 9.8 / 9.9 vs 15 hp ? Thanks for your insights ! Jim Dunlea Marco Island
Hi All: I have been reading your responses on the OB suggestions for the H26. I currently am new to sailing and aquired a H22, as a trial to see if I like sailing (had never been on a sailboat before). I think I will be upgrading to a H26 within a year (that is the boat I am considering anyway - used). Question: My H22 needs a new OB. I want one that will also be good for the H26 when I get that. I am at purcahse decison time. I reviewed Nissen 9.8 hp, and Merc 9.9hp and 15hp (all 2 strokes). My thoughts are to go with the Merc 15hp. Reason - Nissen does not make a 15 hp. I am concerned that 9.8 or 9.9 hp are not enough. I have no 1st hand basis fo this except that the tired 9.9 Johnson currently onthe H22 does not do a very good job of moving the boat. Any thoughts of Nissen vs Merc and the issue of 9.8 / 9.9 vs 15 hp ? Thanks for your insights ! Jim Dunlea Marco Island
Jim!!!
15 is WAY to much for the 22 and also not needed for the 26. I think most will agree that a 10hp engine is too much for the 22 too. Get a 5hp for the 22 and sell it with the boat. Honda and Yamaha are probably the best 4 stroke engines on the market. The rest are trying to catch up! Tohatsu makes Nissan.
15 is WAY to much for the 22 and also not needed for the 26. I think most will agree that a 10hp engine is too much for the 22 too. Get a 5hp for the 22 and sell it with the boat. Honda and Yamaha are probably the best 4 stroke engines on the market. The rest are trying to catch up! Tohatsu makes Nissan.
Thanks Steve... H22 Motor Recommendation
Hi Steve: Thanks for the post. Are you then recommending a 4 stroke motor over the 2 stroke ? What is the verdict of the Nissen / Tohatsu motors ? There is a web site called www.onlineoutboards.com that sell the Nissens at great prices. The people there seem very knowledgeable and helpful. The only issue I had was that Nissen / Tohatsu does not make a 15hp 2 stroke. I would think the Honda and Yamaha engines are much more pricey.. yes ? One of the posts in this thread listed the motors in terms of quality as; Honda and Yamaha, Nissen / Tohatsu, then Merc. It does not sound then that a Nissen would be a bad choice ??? Thanks; Jim
Hi Steve: Thanks for the post. Are you then recommending a 4 stroke motor over the 2 stroke ? What is the verdict of the Nissen / Tohatsu motors ? There is a web site called www.onlineoutboards.com that sell the Nissens at great prices. The people there seem very knowledgeable and helpful. The only issue I had was that Nissen / Tohatsu does not make a 15hp 2 stroke. I would think the Honda and Yamaha engines are much more pricey.. yes ? One of the posts in this thread listed the motors in terms of quality as; Honda and Yamaha, Nissen / Tohatsu, then Merc. It does not sound then that a Nissen would be a bad choice ??? Thanks; Jim
Would not even consider a 2 stroke!
Jim: I would not even consider a two stroke! If you look at the trend of the outboard motor industry, I think they will be obosolete within 5-10 years. Lake Tahoe is the first place that I know of in the country to totally outlaw the OLD two stroke engine. They pump excess fuel and oil into the waterways (not good for the environment). The burn a lot more fuel (not good for the wallet). They make more noise (not good for the ears and the mind). Nissan is a Tohatsu engine. Tohatsu makes engines for other mfg. too. There is NOTHING wrong with these engines. I just do not think that they are as proven as the Honda and Yamaha. There are old Hondas that are 25 years old still running and have never had anything done to them. The real point that I was making is the 15 HP engine is too heavy for a 22 ft. sailboat. There are places that do NOT allow anything over 10hp too. I (personally) would not even consider a 9.9 on a 22ft boat if it were mine. Shop around for a used 5-8hp engine and just sell it with the boat. By the time you decide on your next boat, you may not even want a trailerable one. Get some advise from some others here on the site on your engine choices. Check you local paper and the used gear site here on HOW. I think there was a used engine recently.
Jim: I would not even consider a two stroke! If you look at the trend of the outboard motor industry, I think they will be obosolete within 5-10 years. Lake Tahoe is the first place that I know of in the country to totally outlaw the OLD two stroke engine. They pump excess fuel and oil into the waterways (not good for the environment). The burn a lot more fuel (not good for the wallet). They make more noise (not good for the ears and the mind). Nissan is a Tohatsu engine. Tohatsu makes engines for other mfg. too. There is NOTHING wrong with these engines. I just do not think that they are as proven as the Honda and Yamaha. There are old Hondas that are 25 years old still running and have never had anything done to them. The real point that I was making is the 15 HP engine is too heavy for a 22 ft. sailboat. There are places that do NOT allow anything over 10hp too. I (personally) would not even consider a 9.9 on a 22ft boat if it were mine. Shop around for a used 5-8hp engine and just sell it with the boat. By the time you decide on your next boat, you may not even want a trailerable one. Get some advise from some others here on the site on your engine choices. Check you local paper and the used gear site here on HOW. I think there was a used engine recently.
15 vs 9.9hp
I have a 9.9 Suzuki which I really like but a 15 hp is only a couple hundred dollars more. I would opt for a long shaft 15 hp. The power is there if you ever need it and a 15 weighs the same as a 9.9.
I have a 9.9 Suzuki which I really like but a 15 hp is only a couple hundred dollars more. I would opt for a long shaft 15 hp. The power is there if you ever need it and a 15 weighs the same as a 9.9.
9.9 or 15?
For the Mercury which if I am not mistaken is made by Tohatsu the difference is only in the carberation the motor is the same. That will be a lot of overkill for the present boat but if you are definite about moving up to a 26 it may not be a bad idea. If you are going to use the engine to charge your batteries definitely go with the electric start. The manual start comes with a 6 amp alternator the electric with a 10. The other consideration is if you have someone else on bord who would not be able to start the motor by hand. My wife is cute but I am not sure she could get ours started if something happened to me. Just one more thing to consider.
For the Mercury which if I am not mistaken is made by Tohatsu the difference is only in the carberation the motor is the same. That will be a lot of overkill for the present boat but if you are definite about moving up to a 26 it may not be a bad idea. If you are going to use the engine to charge your batteries definitely go with the electric start. The manual start comes with a 6 amp alternator the electric with a 10. The other consideration is if you have someone else on bord who would not be able to start the motor by hand. My wife is cute but I am not sure she could get ours started if something happened to me. Just one more thing to consider.
Horsepower and Boat Speed
It's interesting reading all the comments here about horsepower requirements for a boat. Several years ago I had an interesting experience when I ran out of fuel in our Hunter 35. We were in the main shipping chanel near Seattle and since there was no wind I launched the dingy, stuck on the outboard, and towed the boat over near the shore where we could drop the anchor and then dingyied over to Kingston to pick up some fuel in a gerry can. What was interesting in all this exercise was that I could tow our 35 footer at well over 4 knots with the old 1965 3-horsepower Johnson! Realize the old motors were rated differently then than they are today so with todays benchmark it would probably be rated at, say, 2.5-horsepower. The engine in the 35 is, I believe, 24-horsepower continuous and pushes it at around 6-knots, give or take a few tenths, and depending on how clean the bottom is. Drag in flat water does not appear to be all that much so not much power is required. When the wind and waves kick up then the power required would increase so that's where the public opinion enters in as to recommended power needs. Fuel consumption and storage is another consideration. Fuel consumption is directly proportional to power so the larger outboard would require proportionally more fuel on board and it should never be stored below deck in an unventillated area. Something to consider. Two cycle vs four cycle: Our dingy uses an 8-hp two-cycle outboard (replaced the 3-hp) in order to get it up on a plane. What I've noticed is it uses one heck of a lot of fuel! And oil! Standardly I lug along 10-gallons just for the dingy. While heavier, the four-cycle outboards are apparently more (or much more) fuel efficient based on owner comments I've heard. If you're looking at a primary outboard and long trips are in your future I'd recommend investigating fuel burn for the units you're considering. Mixing oil is a pain (although some use oil injection systems) and more areas will prohibit use of the two-cycle outboards in the future. The Environmental Agencies are accutely aware of the polution caused by our two-cycle engines. Shaft length: The higher you can get the head out of the water the better. Although the newer outboards are better sealed there still is the possibility of swamping the outboard in a following sea.
It's interesting reading all the comments here about horsepower requirements for a boat. Several years ago I had an interesting experience when I ran out of fuel in our Hunter 35. We were in the main shipping chanel near Seattle and since there was no wind I launched the dingy, stuck on the outboard, and towed the boat over near the shore where we could drop the anchor and then dingyied over to Kingston to pick up some fuel in a gerry can. What was interesting in all this exercise was that I could tow our 35 footer at well over 4 knots with the old 1965 3-horsepower Johnson! Realize the old motors were rated differently then than they are today so with todays benchmark it would probably be rated at, say, 2.5-horsepower. The engine in the 35 is, I believe, 24-horsepower continuous and pushes it at around 6-knots, give or take a few tenths, and depending on how clean the bottom is. Drag in flat water does not appear to be all that much so not much power is required. When the wind and waves kick up then the power required would increase so that's where the public opinion enters in as to recommended power needs. Fuel consumption and storage is another consideration. Fuel consumption is directly proportional to power so the larger outboard would require proportionally more fuel on board and it should never be stored below deck in an unventillated area. Something to consider. Two cycle vs four cycle: Our dingy uses an 8-hp two-cycle outboard (replaced the 3-hp) in order to get it up on a plane. What I've noticed is it uses one heck of a lot of fuel! And oil! Standardly I lug along 10-gallons just for the dingy. While heavier, the four-cycle outboards are apparently more (or much more) fuel efficient based on owner comments I've heard. If you're looking at a primary outboard and long trips are in your future I'd recommend investigating fuel burn for the units you're considering. Mixing oil is a pain (although some use oil injection systems) and more areas will prohibit use of the two-cycle outboards in the future. The Environmental Agencies are accutely aware of the polution caused by our two-cycle engines. Shaft length: The higher you can get the head out of the water the better. Although the newer outboards are better sealed there still is the possibility of swamping the outboard in a following sea.
parts is parts...
...and make sure you can get parts. My h26 came with a Yamaha motor. We loved the thing, but when the prop dropped off it this past summer no one had a new one in stock and the back order was several weeks. We had had problems locating parts in the past. We traded it in on a Johnson. Now if we need parts we could probably get them at the grocery store!
...and make sure you can get parts. My h26 came with a Yamaha motor. We loved the thing, but when the prop dropped off it this past summer no one had a new one in stock and the back order was several weeks. We had had problems locating parts in the past. We traded it in on a Johnson. Now if we need parts we could probably get them at the grocery store!
OB Choice.... What a dilemma !!!
Thanls for all the comments so far on the OB engine choice for the H22. I am pretty sure that I will be upgrading to a H26 (or H260) within 1.5 year or less. Buying used means I might need an engine, so to be safe, I was thinking to have the 15hp for that boat (H26). As for the engine weight, yes, theMerc 9.9hp and 15hp are the same motor with diff carbs. They weigh the same (78lbs). The Nissen 9.8 hp weights in at 56lbs (all discussion is 2 stroke). I guess I need to make a decison in the next 2 or 3 days so that I havethe new motor to use in 2 weeks when I am back in FL. I guess, if others have used the 9.9 / 9.8 hp engines in 'real conditions' (not flat water, but wind and current... there is some pretty good current on the tidal changes of the Marco River), if by 1st hand usage, someone can tell me that a 9.8/9.9 is enough motor (in the real world) for a H26, then I should go with the Nissen 9.8 HP, 25", elec start with charging system. It is priced about $1700, compared to the 15hp Merc of $2500. Nissen parts are avail at Boat US, those stores seem to be everywhere. I think I will stay away from the 4 strokes due to cost and weight. Stop me if I'm about to make a bad decison this weekend !!!! Thanks; Jim Dunlea
Thanls for all the comments so far on the OB engine choice for the H22. I am pretty sure that I will be upgrading to a H26 (or H260) within 1.5 year or less. Buying used means I might need an engine, so to be safe, I was thinking to have the 15hp for that boat (H26). As for the engine weight, yes, theMerc 9.9hp and 15hp are the same motor with diff carbs. They weigh the same (78lbs). The Nissen 9.8 hp weights in at 56lbs (all discussion is 2 stroke). I guess I need to make a decison in the next 2 or 3 days so that I havethe new motor to use in 2 weeks when I am back in FL. I guess, if others have used the 9.9 / 9.8 hp engines in 'real conditions' (not flat water, but wind and current... there is some pretty good current on the tidal changes of the Marco River), if by 1st hand usage, someone can tell me that a 9.8/9.9 is enough motor (in the real world) for a H26, then I should go with the Nissen 9.8 HP, 25", elec start with charging system. It is priced about $1700, compared to the 15hp Merc of $2500. Nissen parts are avail at Boat US, those stores seem to be everywhere. I think I will stay away from the 4 strokes due to cost and weight. Stop me if I'm about to make a bad decison this weekend !!!! Thanks; Jim Dunlea
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