Big outboard as main engine.

[boaterbaz]

I used a 5h.p tohatsu on my 27 foot fin keeler with no major probs, stopping can be a bit interesting and the obvious problem of "hobby horsing" needs to be considered. Th main problem is having an engine hanging off the backend. Lifting it on and off was a real ball burster.

 

[A1Sailor]

Will the prop stay in the water? Can you mount the outboard in the middle of the transom?
If not, even with a long shaft a minor degree of heel may end up with it out the water. My first Sadler 25 had an outboard on a bracket on the port side of the transom. Even a small amount of wind from that side was problematic. I did a lot of "motoring on starboard tack"!

 

[Conachair]

I was in a similar situation a few years ago with my heavy Bruce Roberts. The engine (2.5 BMC London Taxi diesel engine) block cracked and while I was getting ready to fit a 3 cylinder Yanmar, I put at the back of the yacht a 25hp long shaft Suzuki outboard on a bracket.

It worked very well and I got used to it. But the engine was far too powerful, I reckon that a four stroke 10hp outboard will be adequate; and a 15hp will be plenty of power. You may need to have a course propeller.

My current yacht, Macwester Wight, has a old Volvo 28hp, and if ever breaks down, I have installed a bracket and I have a long shaft 6hp Tohatsu, to get me out of trouble. It is interesting to see how fast the yacht goes with only a 6hp.

Kind of locked into a 20hp now, we shall see. Not like it will a daily thing out on the water, just need to be self sufficient and move the boat. I should have sorted out a bracket for an outboard ages ago, last time the inboard gave up it took a week and 3 attempts once just to leave a bay, even half a mile away those rocks look too scary for words when you´re drifting in the lee of a mountain pumping the rudder praying for a gust Even the little 2hp honda would have moved the boat.

Who wants a "project" bukh then??

 

[Boathook]

I have a 30hp honda on my cat and use about 3/4 gallon/hr cruising. For calm waters this is well over powered but when the wind picks up along with a Solent chop and you need to get back the 30 sometimes feels underpowered. I would like to try the 25hp yamaha with the sail drive foot/prop just to be able to compare but the engines are different shapes so the yamaha would not fit in my set up except with considerable modifications. The other option is the yamaha 'foot' on my honda ....

 

[Neil_Y]

I've sailed two boats in Sweden that use an outboard mounted in a water tight well (works like a saildrive with a gasket) they were 8hp or 10hp twins on 35' yacht. They worked really well and as they were in a sealed (with air pipe) box they were also quiet and very compact.

I'd never seen this arrangement before but it shows that an outboard is perfectly suitable for a medium sized yacht.