Outboard motor for Capri 25

[Mike]

I am the new owner a Capri 25 and wonder if any other owners could comment on what size outboard they are using. My boat currently has a long shaft 4hp outboard which seems a bit small.ThanksMike

 

[Gary Bordeaux]

Outboards

When we purchased our Capri 25 it had a 9.9 Yamaha 4 stroke high thrust. It went hull speed at 1/4 throttle. I had a 4hp Suzuki ls from another boat and put it on. It works great. I have to motor for an hour to where our races are held and I will do 5.5 knots at half throttle. So unless you are motoring in lots of wind with big waves it will be all the motor you need. The Capri is really good in light air so you don't need to motor if the wind blows. It will sail lots faster than you can motor.Gary

 

[Steve Truax]

Of the 30 Capri 25's in our local fleet, most use a 4 hp outboard. From a racing perspective, reducing weight onboard is always a prime consideration. On a calm day a 4 hp should provide a 5 kt push (if your outboard cannot achieve at least 4.5 kts on a clam day, it is under performing). On the other hand, if you are attempting to drive into a 30+ knot breeze, you may have to motor sail to make headway.Steve Truaxhwy61sail@aol.com

 

[Keven Piper]

Outboard Suggestion

I sail on the Great Lakes, mostly on Lake Erie. When I bought the boat several years ago it had a 4.5hp Merc long and if it was blowing more than 15 knots, with the waves, we had to motor sail out of our harbor. I quickly replaced it with a 4-stroke 5hp Honda longshaft. The big difference is the torque, it just doesn't slow down in waves and we can motor out of the harbor in any conditions. We do several regattas that require us to deliver the boat 40-70 miles, and if the weather is nasty, I know that the Honda will get us off a lee shore if we need to. The added benefit is the miserly fuel consumption. We get more than 50 nautical miles out of 3 gallons at full throttle. It weighs about 5lbs more than most 4.5's, performs better than 6's, and is more than worth the extra heft.