I am upgrading the motor for my Catalina 25 -fixed keel. The manual recommends a 9.9 hp. Does anyone have input on whether a 15 hp is viable or a waste of power? Thanks, Ernie Kollar
- Status
waste of power
My father has a 9.9 yamaha high thrust four stroke on his 30' ten thousand pound sailboat. Pushes boat to hull speed at 1/3 power. I would look into a 8 h.p. yamaha high thrust four stroke with 25" shaft.
My father has a 9.9 yamaha high thrust four stroke on his 30' ten thousand pound sailboat. Pushes boat to hull speed at 1/3 power. I would look into a 8 h.p. yamaha high thrust four stroke with 25" shaft.
C25 Motor
Ernie, A 15hp is a bit of overkill for the C25. I've used an 8hp 2 stroke Merc on my C25 FK on Lake Erie and it has been plenty for my boat. Some inland sailors even use 6hp to move their C25. If you haven't been to the C25 National Association Forum yet, I suggest going there and doing some research. There is an abundance of knowledge in the archives and a ton of friendly sailors waiting to help their fellow mates out with any question. Click on the related link to take you to the C25 National Association Sailor's Forum...
Ernie, A 15hp is a bit of overkill for the C25. I've used an 8hp 2 stroke Merc on my C25 FK on Lake Erie and it has been plenty for my boat. Some inland sailors even use 6hp to move their C25. If you haven't been to the C25 National Association Forum yet, I suggest going there and doing some research. There is an abundance of knowledge in the archives and a ton of friendly sailors waiting to help their fellow mates out with any question. Click on the related link to take you to the C25 National Association Sailor's Forum...
Get the smaller
When I needed to replace the 9.9 on my Cat27, the 15 was only about $200 more. I thought "Why not get 50% more power for so litle $$?" Answer: FUEL USAGE. The 15 has 50% more power, but also uses 50% more fuel! Both motors would push the 27 at hull speed. The only advantage to the 15, is now I can tow an inflatable without too much slowing. But at $3.00/gallon, I'd rather have the better mileage all the time than the extra oomph for those few times I'm towing.
When I needed to replace the 9.9 on my Cat27, the 15 was only about $200 more. I thought "Why not get 50% more power for so litle $$?" Answer: FUEL USAGE. The 15 has 50% more power, but also uses 50% more fuel! Both motors would push the 27 at hull speed. The only advantage to the 15, is now I can tow an inflatable without too much slowing. But at $3.00/gallon, I'd rather have the better mileage all the time than the extra oomph for those few times I'm towing.
Outboard
Eight HP is plenty for a C25. Had an 8 HP Yamaha for several years, more than enough power.
Eight HP is plenty for a C25. Had an 8 HP Yamaha for several years, more than enough power.
Get your OB online
I just bought a Nissan 6hp 4-stroke from onlineoutboards.com. Great service, had the motor 10 days after the order and well packaged. Saved $500 over the West Marine price for their Mercury. FYI, Tohatsu, Nissan and Mercury are the EXACT same outboards, all made by Tohatsu. The only difference is the decal they put on the cowling.
I just bought a Nissan 6hp 4-stroke from onlineoutboards.com. Great service, had the motor 10 days after the order and well packaged. Saved $500 over the West Marine price for their Mercury. FYI, Tohatsu, Nissan and Mercury are the EXACT same outboards, all made by Tohatsu. The only difference is the decal they put on the cowling.
8HP Honda
At different times I had a 8 and 10 HP Honda on my tall rig fixed keel C25. The 8 HP was more than enough to reach hull speed in just about every condition. Never could exceed hull speed no matter how much HP. Not everyone is aware, but funny thing was, the two engines were essentially the same motors, even down to the displacement. The 10-hp version just had a different camshaft and carburetor to allow the maximum RPM to redline about 500 rpm higher, resulting in the increased HP rating. Since the C25 is a displacement hull, the engine was never run at full rpm anyway. So the 10 hp did not actually result in more power than the 8 HP version. The 8 hp, being tuned for a lower rpm may have actually had more torque than the 10 horse.
At different times I had a 8 and 10 HP Honda on my tall rig fixed keel C25. The 8 HP was more than enough to reach hull speed in just about every condition. Never could exceed hull speed no matter how much HP. Not everyone is aware, but funny thing was, the two engines were essentially the same motors, even down to the displacement. The 10-hp version just had a different camshaft and carburetor to allow the maximum RPM to redline about 500 rpm higher, resulting in the increased HP rating. Since the C25 is a displacement hull, the engine was never run at full rpm anyway. So the 10 hp did not actually result in more power than the 8 HP version. The 8 hp, being tuned for a lower rpm may have actually had more torque than the 10 horse.
- Status