im looking to replace the outboard on my 76' oday 25. currently it is equipped with a 6 hp evinrude from the early eighties. What size can/should upgrade to? I'm concerned with the strength of the transom with regard to thrust of the engine and overall weight of the engine as it hangs on the bracket. suggestions? experience? thanks!
outboard sizing
- Thread starter tigereye37
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I think that a 6 hp is kind of a small outboard for an O'Day 25 especially if you ever have to stem a foul current motoring through the Tiverton basin near the Old Stone Bridge. I would go with something like a 9.8 Tohatsu extra long shaft with the electric start and charging system. Just beef up the inside transom for a heavy duty four stroke rated engine bracket and you'll be good to go. One of my friends bought one of these engines for his Seaward 22 and he loves it.
I'm still using a two stroke Johnson 8 hp long shaft with the charging system on my 86 O'Day 222 and I'm satisfied with it but some day I may have to make that big change and switch to a four stroke engine.
I've got a 9.9 Merc for mine. The 8 hp weighs the same. About 85# with a long shaft and no electric start. All the new OBs weigh about the same for the same hp. An electric start (which will also give you a charging system) will add about 12- 15#. A hundred pounds is a lot to lift from the down position to the up position. Not to mention adding the weight of the extra long shaft. Heck, 85# is a lot for me to lift.
I don't know where you sail but from Joe's answer I suspect somewhere on the coast. On an inland lake 6hp would be adequate. If it is coastal then 8- 9.9 would be the minimum I would go with. I sail on the NW end of Lake Erie and a few weeks ago we had (for the first with with this boat anyhow) some good sized waves from the SE. I admit that I had some trouble with the prop coming out of the water while motoring into the waves. Plenty of power but the motor could have been mounted lower. But if it's too low the outboard could flood out in large following waves. But I think there's enough floatation in the wide ass stern, that mounted at the right height, a long shaft would give you enough range between flooding and not coming out of the water. I've got to do some serious thinking on lowering mine a little. But lowering will make me reach down farther to raise it. With the setup I have (transom wedge and outboard motor bracket), that's going require some noodling.
I don't know your size or physical abilities -I'm 5-5, 150# and in decent shape- so lifting the motor out of the water when sailing is not too much of a problem. This could determine if you need to get an electric start or not. I like having the motor out of the water when I'm sailing. Usually tilting it up also. We have a weed problem around here and an outboard lowered into the water all the time could be problematic.
Rich
I don't know where you sail but from Joe's answer I suspect somewhere on the coast. On an inland lake 6hp would be adequate. If it is coastal then 8- 9.9 would be the minimum I would go with. I sail on the NW end of Lake Erie and a few weeks ago we had (for the first with with this boat anyhow) some good sized waves from the SE. I admit that I had some trouble with the prop coming out of the water while motoring into the waves. Plenty of power but the motor could have been mounted lower. But if it's too low the outboard could flood out in large following waves. But I think there's enough floatation in the wide ass stern, that mounted at the right height, a long shaft would give you enough range between flooding and not coming out of the water. I've got to do some serious thinking on lowering mine a little. But lowering will make me reach down farther to raise it. With the setup I have (transom wedge and outboard motor bracket), that's going require some noodling.
I don't know your size or physical abilities -I'm 5-5, 150# and in decent shape- so lifting the motor out of the water when sailing is not too much of a problem. This could determine if you need to get an electric start or not. I like having the motor out of the water when I'm sailing. Usually tilting it up also. We have a weed problem around here and an outboard lowered into the water all the time could be problematic.
Rich
My concerns about weight are related to strength of the transom. Ive seen a few posts where people say that a 25 oday transom isnt strong enough for a 9.9hp. I dont necessarily believe that, but i wanted some other opinions.
Maybe this will give you a ballpark idea of what you need (my boat is smaller than yours). I have a 1997 2-stroke 8 HP Mercury with electric start (outboard weighs 83 pounds) on my 1987 Oday 222. My bracket is original and rated for a 2-stroke 115 pound max. I sail inland lakes and 8 HP is probably more than I need ( 6 HP would probably be fine for my needs).
O'Day 25 was originally "rated" for a max of 15 HP. That was a 2-stroke size, but the OEM bracket was certainly more than strong enough for the thrust of a 15 HP, and so the transom would have been built to handle that load. I'd want to inspect the area inside the transom where hte bracket mounts, what condition is the plywood backing in? How well were the bolts bedded? After 35 years it may be time to remove the bracket and at least apply new sealant around the holes....... and if any doubt about the conditio nof the plywood backing, replace that. Then you know it will handle the new outboard, and replacing the bracket (even if you replace the 6HP with another 6hp) now will really improve your peace of mind.
A friend of mine used to have a 1979 O'DAY 25 fin-keel model in Apponaug, he had the OMC 15HP ZEPHYR inboard. Great boat, but the slip that he was in at the time I joined him for a sail wasn't really deep enough for the 4'6" keel....... well, actually I seem to recall that there was enough water in the slip, just not enough in the approach to his slip! We ran hard aground (in mud) about 10' from the slip! Enjoyed our lunch while we waited for the tide to come in....... and waited, and waited.... I had to leave around 4 PM to teach a Boating class that evening, and had to jump over to the pier (just made it!) when I left. I hear that he finally slid into the slip the rest of the way 30 minutes or so later.
To those wondering, Warwick, RI is in the Northern end of Narragansett Bay.
A friend of mine used to have a 1979 O'DAY 25 fin-keel model in Apponaug, he had the OMC 15HP ZEPHYR inboard. Great boat, but the slip that he was in at the time I joined him for a sail wasn't really deep enough for the 4'6" keel....... well, actually I seem to recall that there was enough water in the slip, just not enough in the approach to his slip! We ran hard aground (in mud) about 10' from the slip! Enjoyed our lunch while we waited for the tide to come in....... and waited, and waited.... I had to leave around 4 PM to teach a Boating class that evening, and had to jump over to the pier (just made it!) when I left. I hear that he finally slid into the slip the rest of the way 30 minutes or so later.
To those wondering, Warwick, RI is in the Northern end of Narragansett Bay.
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