long or short shaft outboard

[Bob Edgarton]

Someone sent me a note a week or two ago asking my advice about long or short shaft outboard for a Tempest. I must have deleted the message, so will reply here and hope the interested person see it.I have no basis for comparison. I have what I think is a long shaft motor, but do not work around motors enough to know on sight. The motor came with the boat, and I have no paperwork for it. Off the top of my head the first concern would be that the shaft is long enough to get the water intake needed to cool the engine (keeping in mind a shaft too short might rise out of the water in moderate seas and worse). Beyond that, I'm not sure how performance would be affected re: turning ability etc.Last year was my first season with the boat, and I stayed in a protected harbor all season (open water is about 13 miles down river). Of the little time I used the engine, I was pleased with the performance. It's an old Evinrude Fisherman 6 hp. If I get to use the boat out in coastal waters I may want a littl more horsepower, but my budget makes that a matter for delayed gratification.Hope this helps. Sorry I can't be more decisive in my response.

 

[Seth Dixon]

you will be able to tell

I have an evinrude/johnson with a 20 inch shaftor what mght be considered a long to some or medium to others. the way to tell what you have is by looking at the spacers between where the lower unit bolts to the engine.Above the Cavitation plate there will be a fin that wraps around the motor that looks like a smaller version of the cavitation plate. If you have two of these 1 to 1.5 inch fins it is likely that you have a longer than short shaft. Bewteen the two fins will be a spacer that is about 5 inches long. I have a friend who has a 25in model that his has three of the fins and two 5in spacers. Just think about what that motor would look lik on the back of an aluminum John boat and if the cavitaiton plate would be riding at or near the surface of the water. Seth DixonQuiet Time77 Oday 25