Can someone please tell me what size outboard I need for my Hunter 25.5? I just purchased it and it has an old Honda 7.5 hp on it which was used for lake sailing. I'm planning on using the boat as a coastal cruiser in the Charleston, SC area. I know the tides are significant and if I venture out into the ocean for a day sail I think I need more HP. Any help or suggestions are greatly appreciated> Thanks, Jim
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I Think You Will Be OK.
I sailed a Catalina 25 for 4 years w/8hp Evinrude Sailer and it was fine. Our tides, here in New England are, sometimes, tougher than yours. I just was cautious when the tides ran hard because 8hp isn't much in any boat other than a dinghy!
I sailed a Catalina 25 for 4 years w/8hp Evinrude Sailer and it was fine. Our tides, here in New England are, sometimes, tougher than yours. I just was cautious when the tides ran hard because 8hp isn't much in any boat other than a dinghy!
I think they made
2 versions of the 25.5: the daysailors with the 7.5 OB, and the cruisers with a 15hp diesel inboard. If you're going to be doing any cruising you might find yourself motoring for longish periods of time. Definitly want a 4 stroke, and you want enough torque so that you dont need full throttle to cruise. Biggest issue with the outboard - if it ever gets ugly, every pitch or roll will take your prop out of the water. On a port tack, the motor probably won't be in the water at all, if you want to motorsail.
2 versions of the 25.5: the daysailors with the 7.5 OB, and the cruisers with a 15hp diesel inboard. If you're going to be doing any cruising you might find yourself motoring for longish periods of time. Definitly want a 4 stroke, and you want enough torque so that you dont need full throttle to cruise. Biggest issue with the outboard - if it ever gets ugly, every pitch or roll will take your prop out of the water. On a port tack, the motor probably won't be in the water at all, if you want to motorsail.
A standard is..
2 HP per 1000 lbs, but make sure you get as long a shaft as you can get. The 15 hp weighs the same as the 9.9, but costs alot more. I have the 8 hp on my 23.5 and its fine. I suspect the 9.9 high thrust extra long shaft is what you want. You really only want to motor when the winds are light, because motoring in a rough see is difficult at best. Sailboats sail better than they motor in rough weather.
2 HP per 1000 lbs, but make sure you get as long a shaft as you can get. The 15 hp weighs the same as the 9.9, but costs alot more. I have the 8 hp on my 23.5 and its fine. I suspect the 9.9 high thrust extra long shaft is what you want. You really only want to motor when the winds are light, because motoring in a rough see is difficult at best. Sailboats sail better than they motor in rough weather.
A 9.9 Yamaha 4stroke is plenty
Last year I got a 9.9 Yamaha 4-stroke long shaft for my 93' Hunter 23.5. It is a great engine has plenty of power and probably would be better for a 25 boat. However, at least in my case the long shaft put a lot of torque on the wood bracket. I was wandering if I should have gotten a smaller outboard or install a stronger bracket if available. Any suggestion?
Last year I got a 9.9 Yamaha 4-stroke long shaft for my 93' Hunter 23.5. It is a great engine has plenty of power and probably would be better for a 25 boat. However, at least in my case the long shaft put a lot of torque on the wood bracket. I was wandering if I should have gotten a smaller outboard or install a stronger bracket if available. Any suggestion?
More HP Will Not Help With Tides
Well not until you get up to about a 125 so that you can get the thing to plane. 8HP is plenty the 9.9 would be OK if it does not weigh more than the 8 but I think is overkill and anything more than that you are running the risk of the torque being great enough to rip the mount off the boat after a while. Which ever one you go with while the motor is off the boat it would be a good time to reinforce the transom where the mount is. You can probably see it flexing now, adding a heavier motor with more torque is going to make it worse.
Well not until you get up to about a 125 so that you can get the thing to plane. 8HP is plenty the 9.9 would be OK if it does not weigh more than the 8 but I think is overkill and anything more than that you are running the risk of the torque being great enough to rip the mount off the boat after a while. Which ever one you go with while the motor is off the boat it would be a good time to reinforce the transom where the mount is. You can probably see it flexing now, adding a heavier motor with more torque is going to make it worse.
Check with Brian and Steph 
They sail a 25.5 named "EMPTY POCKETS" and it's all tricked out. They have, I beleive, a 9.9 Honda that they sail with. They may help.
They sail a 25.5 named "EMPTY POCKETS" and it's all tricked out. They have, I beleive, a 9.9 Honda that they sail with. They may help.
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