Hunter 26 outboard engine

M

Marc the army sailor

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Jan 18, 2021
9
Hunter 26 Wasaga Beach
Looking to replace my outboard.

Anyone know:

What is the Max HP rate for H26?

Does it need to be long shaft?

Weight limit to prevent list?

I have an 8hp 2 stroke that pushes plenty but Looking at 9.9hp long shaft high thrust.
 
Rick Webb

Rick Webb

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Jun 2, 2004
3,509
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
8hp is plenty

Extralong (25") shaft can be helpful Long (20") is minimum

9.9 is more than what is required but might make sense to gain other features like electric tilt or starting.
That adds weight however so a consideration

A 4 stroke weighs considerably more than a 2 stroke motor
 
Joe

Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
8,176
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
The Tohatsu 9.8 will save you considerable weight over the 9.9. since it doesn't have the larger block and efi. It'll weight in around 85lbs for short shaft and electric start. Check out OnlineOutboards.com for good pricing and also an excellent place to compare features. All tohatsus can be equipped for remote control by purchasing the parts. Check the parts catalogue on the onlineoutboards website.
 
rgranger

rgranger

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Jan 19, 2010
12,553
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
Max HP is not what limits what you CAN put on the boat, it is the transom strength and weight. You CAN put a 9.9 on an H26 but I would not recommend it. When I got my H26, it had a 1-year old Honda 9.9 on the back. It was new and worked well but it was heavy. It would push the boat at hull speed at about half-throttle but it drug in the water anytime I was on a port tack. The engine head was too large to fully tilt it into the engine well. Also note that extra HP will not make your boat go faster. For a displacement hull you have a max hull speed based on the hydrodynamics of the hull shape. For the H26 it is about 7.5 mph (~6.5 kts)

After the first season, I sold the 9.9 and got a Tohatsu 6 sail-pro with the high thrust prop. For me that was the PERFECT OB for the H26. It would push at hull-speed at 2/3 throttle so I had a little extra for pushing into strong winds... it was light and easy to lift off the boat and carry to my truck... and it sipped gas. I sailed about three times a week over the summer months down in Alabama... and I would overnight on the boat once or twice a week during the fall and spring months. I had two 3-gallon tanks and I never once went through one of them in season. The Tohatsu SIPS gas. For me the PITA was what to do with the old gas in the auxillary tank.

I'm sailing a hobie right now but my next pocket cruiser will probably be a compac and I will go electric for that but... I can say that for pushing an H26 or H260 at hull speed, you don't need more than 5 hp.

I would base your decision on other criteria... for example

1) Is weight an issue? If so, a 9.9 would not be my choice.
2) Is fuel consumption an issue? If so, a 9.9 would not be my choice
3) Are you okay with dragging your prop in the water on a port tack? Or are you willing to modify the mount to avoid that? If you go with an OB with a bigger power head, you will not be able to fully tilt it up into the motor well unless you modify how it attaches to the transom.
3) Do you need (want) electric start and tilt. If so, the Tohatsu 6 or other smaller OB is not a good choice and you will probably need a larger OB.
4) Do you need (want) an alternator? BTW, the Tohatsu has a 6 Amp alternator.

A note on OB alternators. The rated amperage of OB alternators is at WOT. Since you almost never run your OB at full throttle, the amount of actual electricity produced is much less than the amperage in the specs. When looking around at OBs, the alternator is nice but it would not be the reason I choose one OB over another. An inexpensive (and small) solar panal will easily out produce the alternator on a small OB over the course of time.

Whatever you decide, get the extra long shaft (25")
 
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Rick Webb

Rick Webb

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Jun 2, 2004
3,509
Hunter 23.5 Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida
One more thought, a two cylinder motor typically runs much smoother than a single cylinder motor does.

May be worth factoring into you decision process.
 
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patbratton

patbratton

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Jun 12, 2021
290
Hunter 240 Aqualand Marina, Lake Lanier
There was an 8 HP Honda on my H240 when I purchased it a year and a half ago. It did feel strong and seemed a good fit. It was however heavy enough to bend the outboard bracket on the transom and it weighted almost 90 pounds. When it quit working (it was a 2008) I replaced it with a propane 5 HP Mercury Sailpro (made by Tohatsu). It does everything I need it too and it only weighs 57 lbs. It does vibrate as it is a single cylinder. I was never able to pull start the Honda more than four times before having to rest. The Mercury requires half the strength.
 
C

Crazy Dave Condon

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Jun 8, 2004
10,404
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Except for the power sailors whose transom is built to power boat standards, the max hp for all sailboats is 10 hp per industry standards. However, there are variables in the equation.

Two stroke engines require an oil/gas mixture but due to EPA rules, they no longer could be built starting in 2006. They generally were lighter than the four stroke engines which most are today. It is gas only but for the record, buy ethanol free gas because the corn syrup or corn crap as I call it in ethanol gas., will clog your carburetor. Tohatsu builds their own small engines but also the small Mercury and Nissan engines as well.
I believe te 9.8 Tohatsu was a two stroke engine.

The size engine will be determined for inland lakes, ocean, bay and electric start. @patbratton owns a Hunter 240 and down sized to a 5 hp on an inland lake which is ideal. l am not sure if a small charging is available for that engine but some folks install shore power for reasons to include a charging system on the boat. I was a former dealer but I am not sure if a small charging system is offered. @rgranger downsized from a four stoke 9,9 hp Honda that I believe my dealership installed at the request of the owner against my recommendations as I sold the boat originally . Rob down graded to a Tohatsu 6 pro long shaft or 25 inches long. 20 inch is minimal ! If you want an electric start engine, you will have to go for a 8 hp engine due to the size cable but be aware that the Tohatsu, Mercury and Nissan engine for the 8 and 9.9 are the same engine but the carburation is different as the weight will be the same.

For trailering the motor, some sailors store the engine forward or back of the tow vehicle. However if you leave the motor on the outboard motor bracket during transport, you will need to distribute the load of the bolts with larger backing plates versus the washers. In addition, you will need to tie the motor handle of the engine upward to the base of the stern rail seat to keep the motor from bouncing which could cause damage to the transom..

to get a fuller understanding what you want the engine to do for you, can you advise if trailering alot, where you plan to sail, electric start and so forth.
EVeryone has given you some good advice already.

Rick, is that possum alive drinking some grog?

Crazy dave Condon
 
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