I am a very new Hunter 26 owner, I have a 95 model,it has an 8 horse nissan attached, I am going to put that 8 horse on my dingy, and put a new motor on the boat, I hope to directly mount it on the wooden transom block, we do extended (2month) cruises, so I'm thinking a 15 horse honda, to provide ample power, and a strong 12 amp charge for the house batteries. My initial guess is that a short shaft would work nicely..but will it properly swing up and clear all obstacles in the sailing position? is 15 horse overkill (the 15 horse weighs only 6lbs more than the 9.9)..I know the boat can be bought to hull speed with an 8, but I like the quietness of a larger motor at lower throttle. I would like to hear from you if you are very happy with the motor installation on your boat..Thanks very much...Robin
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Well my 260 has a::
8hp 4 stroke Yamaha with electric start and power tilt. Works just fine. More than enough power both for motion and power generation.
8hp 4 stroke Yamaha with electric start and power tilt. Works just fine. More than enough power both for motion and power generation.
More Can be Too Much
8 is plenty for the 26 anything more than a 9.9 is a waste of money. The extra torque may actually inflict damage. The battery chargers on most of these motors will do little more than power the lights. A short shaft will not work on these boats you need at least a long 20" shaft and the 25" shaft is better. They tilt up and out of the water easily. There have been several discusions on this before check the archives for motor sizes on the 26 and the 260.
8 is plenty for the 26 anything more than a 9.9 is a waste of money. The extra torque may actually inflict damage. The battery chargers on most of these motors will do little more than power the lights. A short shaft will not work on these boats you need at least a long 20" shaft and the 25" shaft is better. They tilt up and out of the water easily. There have been several discusions on this before check the archives for motor sizes on the 26 and the 260.
9.9 HP max recommended...
A 4 stroke will be quiet during operation and provide pleny of low end torque. A 2 stroke will be lighter to lift on/off the boat and put less weight in the stern where you really don't want extra weight. Long shaft is needed. Look at the Tohatsu motors for good value, but check to see which brands have service shops close to you. Most people are happy with Honda, but in New England there are not many places to get parts and service. I purchased an Evinrude in 1999 for the features and local support; 6 service shops within 50 miles. Good luck... Tom
A 4 stroke will be quiet during operation and provide pleny of low end torque. A 2 stroke will be lighter to lift on/off the boat and put less weight in the stern where you really don't want extra weight. Long shaft is needed. Look at the Tohatsu motors for good value, but check to see which brands have service shops close to you. Most people are happy with Honda, but in New England there are not many places to get parts and service. I purchased an Evinrude in 1999 for the features and local support; 6 service shops within 50 miles. Good luck... Tom
Just bought
a Tohatsu 9.8 4 cycle to replace a Tohatsu 9.8 2 cycle on my 260. Both are great engines. The 4 cycle is to heavy to lift on and off the way I used to with the 2 cycle. Recommend the extra long shaft 25 inch shaft with electric start and 10 amp charger. Motor gets boat to 6.4 kts also recomment prop for displacement hull, plently of touque. cost me around $1800 USD. John S/V Baums Rush
a Tohatsu 9.8 4 cycle to replace a Tohatsu 9.8 2 cycle on my 260. Both are great engines. The 4 cycle is to heavy to lift on and off the way I used to with the 2 cycle. Recommend the extra long shaft 25 inch shaft with electric start and 10 amp charger. Motor gets boat to 6.4 kts also recomment prop for displacement hull, plently of touque. cost me around $1800 USD. John S/V Baums Rush
TOO MUCH TORQUE
I had the same questions about my 1992 27' Hunter. Want to upgrade to a new 4 strokes. Currently have an 8hp tohatsu. I e-mailed the folks at Hunter to see if I could go with the 15 hp since the 9.9 and 15hp are close to the same weight. According to the responce I got from Hunter the problem is not so much the weight but the torque. The 15hp would not be appropriate for your mount/boat.
I had the same questions about my 1992 27' Hunter. Want to upgrade to a new 4 strokes. Currently have an 8hp tohatsu. I e-mailed the folks at Hunter to see if I could go with the 15 hp since the 9.9 and 15hp are close to the same weight. According to the responce I got from Hunter the problem is not so much the weight but the torque. The 15hp would not be appropriate for your mount/boat.
investigating the tohatsu 9.8
thanks to all for helpfull input, I have found a tohatsu 9.8 w/remote, electric start, and a 6 amp alternator for 1997 + 160 shipping..I could not find mention of a 10 amp charging circuit, is it an option..plan to install the remote unit either on a board mounted on the pulpit rails, or on the transom below the stbd pulpit seat..I saw both ideas at this forum and they made sense
thanks to all for helpfull input, I have found a tohatsu 9.8 w/remote, electric start, and a 6 amp alternator for 1997 + 160 shipping..I could not find mention of a 10 amp charging circuit, is it an option..plan to install the remote unit either on a board mounted on the pulpit rails, or on the transom below the stbd pulpit seat..I saw both ideas at this forum and they made sense
extra long shaft
Go with the 25" shaft. My 20" will clear the water in much over 2' waves if you're catching waves on the sides. I have an H240 Ken
Go with the 25" shaft. My 20" will clear the water in much over 2' waves if you're catching waves on the sides. I have an H240 Ken
I had a honda...
...8hp that someone else apparently needed more than I did. I replaced it with a Yahama 8 hp with the power thrust prop and power tilt rim. Much better motor. Starts easier and is quiter.
...8hp that someone else apparently needed more than I did. I replaced it with a Yahama 8 hp with the power thrust prop and power tilt rim. Much better motor. Starts easier and is quiter.
H26/H260 Throttle
There appear to be four options for H26/260 throttle: 1. Dealer wanted to install it on the stbd side of the helm seat but its too low for my taste and could interfere with opening the lid. 2. On stern rail: Works good because it's in the center of the boat, but I had to mark the F & R positions because I kept forgetting which is which. 3. On Stbd rail: More intuitive for F & R but you have a 50% chance of being on the wrong side of the boat during docking. 4. Edson install. Most expensive/complex option by far but probably the best of the choices. I now have opt 2, but will switch to opt 3 next summer just to see if I like it better. As I recall the 8.0, 9.9 and 15.0 hp outboards are essentially the same with slight tweaking of the engines. I'd worry about too much torque on transom with the latter. I belive that's Hunter's view also. Longer shaft is always better. You might appreciate powertilt if you are drawing social security. I have a friend with this feature on his 9.9 honda and it is very slick.
There appear to be four options for H26/260 throttle: 1. Dealer wanted to install it on the stbd side of the helm seat but its too low for my taste and could interfere with opening the lid. 2. On stern rail: Works good because it's in the center of the boat, but I had to mark the F & R positions because I kept forgetting which is which. 3. On Stbd rail: More intuitive for F & R but you have a 50% chance of being on the wrong side of the boat during docking. 4. Edson install. Most expensive/complex option by far but probably the best of the choices. I now have opt 2, but will switch to opt 3 next summer just to see if I like it better. As I recall the 8.0, 9.9 and 15.0 hp outboards are essentially the same with slight tweaking of the engines. I'd worry about too much torque on transom with the latter. I belive that's Hunter's view also. Longer shaft is always better. You might appreciate powertilt if you are drawing social security. I have a friend with this feature on his 9.9 honda and it is very slick.
Consider more than horsepower
Several manufacturers make a 'high thrust' model for their outboards. These motors have a larger propeller that turns at a slower speed relative to the engine RPM's. A high thrust model is probably a better choice for a sail boat. Since the hull speed of the boat is only 6 or 7 mph the propeller will not be moving through the water very fast ( as it would be for say a fishing boat ). The high thrust will give you better performance with less horsepower.
Several manufacturers make a 'high thrust' model for their outboards. These motors have a larger propeller that turns at a slower speed relative to the engine RPM's. A high thrust model is probably a better choice for a sail boat. Since the hull speed of the boat is only 6 or 7 mph the propeller will not be moving through the water very fast ( as it would be for say a fishing boat ). The high thrust will give you better performance with less horsepower.
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