O'Day 23 engine selection

[Dick Travis]

I am planning to replace my tired 9.9 Johnson with a new outboard. I would like to go to a 4 stroke but am concerned about the weight. Does anyone have experience with a 4 stroke smaller than 9hp like the Mercury 6 etc? If so, is that large enough for the boat?

 

[craig shaw]

motor for 23oday

I did a lot of looking when I bought a new one for my boat I went with a 15hp merc it weighs 3lbs more then the 9.9 and I have all the power I need some say its over kill but on the st. clare river I need it to get under the bridge good luck and happy sailing Craig

 

[Justin - O'day Owners' Web]

Engine Selection

Dick -I would go with the lightest 2 stroke you can find that will give you the necessary prop depth and power. Unless you have lots of windage I would expect 9 to be overkill but its a good place to be. I have an 8 on my 25 and have no problems. More power will let you fight wind but not current because you cannot increase your hull speed and your boat is not going to plane without a tow from a Cigarette boat. If the current is moving faster than the boats hull speed you're going backwards no matter how much power you have. The only place it might matter is in steep waves where you consistently come to a near stop and then need to power over the next set. Again, I have no problems doing this with an 8.I would not go to four stroke. Lots of debate on this but unless you are on a lake that doesn't permit two strokes anymore I think the weight penalty outdoes any gains. Check the archives for a recent thread on the subject.Justin - O'day Owners' Web

 

[Rick]

Outboard replacement

I just (last week) replaced my old 6hp Johnson 2 cycle with a 6hp Yamaha 4 cycle. I was concerned about the extra 25 lbs hanging back there, but once back in the water I found that it made no discernible difference. By the way, I can reach hull speed at half throttle with my O'22, so I can't imagine you'd need more than 6hp on your '23.