Outboard Length
Lots of discussion on this subject in the archives, but the consensus is that the longer shaft helps reduce cavitation. I have the 25" shaft on my H260 and have only experienced cavitation a few times in heavy weather. Some people take the engine off to get more tongue weight (10 percent plus is desired for proper towing). However, I think moving the boat forward on the trailer makes more sense if you need more tongue wt. Hunter expects you to hang an engine on the transom and designs it to handle the wt. Take the engine off and put it back on a few times and decide for yourself. If you can find it at a decent price get the alternator, power tilt, long shaft; you'll be glad you spent the extra money. I have a friend with the honda 9.9 and it hums like a sewing machine and always starts the first crank. My 4 yr old Evinrude weighs twice as much and is a Model T by comparison.
