Outboards......

[corkscrew]

I have a 97' X with a 50HP honda. I may in the future be in need of a new engine. Curious as to what people have out there. Was considering dropping down to a 25, 30, 40. I don't really need the heavy speed and the diff in weight can be big. COuple questions though.....What brands do you all have? What are easiest to find parts and service for?

Also, what kind of cruising speeds am I looking at when comparing a 50HP to say a 25 or 30? Not talking about really full throttle, just a nice quick cruising speed.

[Night Sailor]

COuple questions though.....What brands do you all have? What are easiest to find parts and service for?
Also, what kind of cruising speeds am I looking at when comparing a 50HP to say a 25 or 30? Not talking about really full throttle, just a nice quick cruising speed.

Hmm. Stop and think about it a second. One cannot compare or suggest a cruising speed without knowing the following: what is your definition of fast cruising? What are wind, sea, and vessel weight conditions? Mast up or down or absent? With or without ballast? What horsepower and what prop size with what pitch are you using?

I suggest cruising speed is not the most important criteria when selecting your motor hp. Neither is fuel economy. I've learned to think of worst case scenarios, having been in one. I think taking into account the sea, wind and load conditions you expect, plus a margin of safety for storms, opposing fast tidal streams, etc. will better answer your question. My answer was the 50 hp option based on my experiences as skipper with a fully loaded small sailboat, with ill and injured folks on board wanting to get to shore immediately, while in an opposing seven knot tidal race and opposing 20 knot wind. It took us an hour to get through a half mile pass. With the X and the Merc 50 I would have been able to handle those conditions easily with room to spare.

The popularity, parts and mechanic availability is one I can answer from my experience. I chose a Mercury for my X because everywhere I've traveled in the US, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe during the last 30 years, Mercury has been the predominant brand in salt or freshwater. That is changing though, as the Japanese makes increase their market share. Still, those Mercury mechanics and parts houses aren't going away. If you tend to go only to one area to sail or motor, then look around there, call marinas, look in the phone directories for outboard repair places and assess which brands are most popular.

[Terry]

I have a 50HP Honda on my 26M and cruising speed for me is about 3500 rpm which gives me about 8-10 mph depending on wether or not I am towing a dink.For me cruising is keeping the rpm down for a less noisier ride while at the same time keeping my speed up enough to get where I am going in reasonable time. A 25 -30 HP 4-stroke is not going to be that much lighter to make a difference and the 40HP is the same as the 50HP so there is really not a big margin for weight savings. If anything I would consider the new E-TECs the factory is installing on new boats, specifically the 60HP since it has a bit more oomph. Although I rarely use WOT the extra Hp has got me out of more situations than I can think of off hand, especially in tidal passes and rip tides. To maintain resale value a 50HP is the way to go, to get a bit more oomph for the same weight an E-tec 60 is the way to go.

[Kelly Hanson East]

Ive posted this before but you can always sell a well-maintained 9.9 HP for about 80% of new price. Putting a motor this size on the boat is easy and saves you the cost of a pro install. Its a minimal-loss interim solution.

[Muschamp]

I have a 26X with a 2005 Honda 25hp. At full power the boat with ballast full, gear, and my family of five it moves at 9.75mph at 3/4 throttle it moves at 8 mph. I am seeking a larger honda. I was vacationing in Orange Beach last week. When the tide is going out of Predido Bay the channel near the sea gets moving fast. I steered well clear because I knew it could take my boat out to sea with only my 25hp.

[corkscrew]

Thanks for all the great tips! I have just had issues getting parts and service for my honda 50 and if I upgrade the motor I want the outboards that a lot of people service. I figured everyone would do Hondas......

[DaveB]

The economy must be good up your way, down here in FL. I have been trying to sell my New 4 stroke Tohatsu 9.8 hp with elect. start for over a year and down to $1200. I only used it once and has under 5 hrs.
Thats 60% of new price.
Dave

Ive posted this before but you can always sell a well-maintained 9.9 HP for about 80% of new price. Putting a motor this size on the boat is easy and saves you the cost of a pro install. Its a minimal-loss interim solution.

[Kelly Hanson East]

Things are rough down in FL - true. Might want to try ebay with a reserve??

[Kelly Hanson East]

I figured everyone would do Hondas......

Kudos to Brand Recognition, but....

Thats an incorrect perception, you will find. Honda Marine (and Nissan, and the rest) have no relationship with Honda Motors and you wont get the same level of service as you will in the auto industry for instance.

At least one member of this Board bought a Honda, only to find out it was a grey market Canadian model which would not be serviced in the US. This is also the same with other motor Mfg, not a condemnation of Honda.

My rec - find out what motor dealers are local to you and buy the size motor you want in that brand. Ive been real happy with my EFI Mercury 2003 50 HP and my Nissan 4HP kicker

[argonaut]

My Honda 50 was the worst feature of my 26X. Long story.
I'm a much happier Yamaha owner. 40HP 4 stroke. That said, I prefer to sail.

I lusted after an E-Tech but in the end couldn't do the cost justification. But it's a sweet motor for frequent power boaters, a pal has one on a bass boat. Just a sewing machine that thing.

So depends on what ya do. The smaller Hondas have a good rep, I wouldn't take anything 35HP or larger.

As little as I feel like using it a dinky 9.9 to 15 was on my mind to, but the inlets I traverse and the dual nature of the boat (and resale potential) drove me to a compromise, the 40HP Yammy 4 stroke. Quiet, reliable, easy to flush, and parts and repair shops are ubiquitous.
(on edit)
Also... the 40 Yammy fit hole for hole on my '97 X transom. Could be an issue with some motors, extra install expense unless you're DIY.

[DaveB]

My 97 Honda 50 works fine but I bought the boat last Jan. 2008 and do not know the service it received. It runs great but it is 12 yrs old and doub't it had proper service.
I have been searching the spec's on all outboards in the 40-60 hp range for weight, performance and size. Having a service center close by is priority. The Big Foot 50 or 60 Merc. looks like the best for the Mac. X .
It can do a 15 inch prop. compared to a Honda 50, 11.8 max. prop. has EFI and service and parts are everyware.
The bigfoot lower unit is made for high thrust movement for the Mac. and probably gets out of the hole faster than the E-Tec for our boats to drain ballest .
I have changed props at least 4 times (current 4 blade ) and with the 12 yr old Honda 50 the best I get is 14.2 knots with a very heavy loaded boat. Before when I didn't add all the weight I got 15.6 knots.
The X likes to plane about 15.5 knots and above fully loaded (empty ballest).
I like to sail but often stuck in the Intercoastal waterway were sailing to windward is not possable or against a 2.5-3 knot current.
The Honda 50 is fine but I want a larger prop. and lower unit, also the Bigfoot 60 has more torque so I don't have to go wide open to get on semi plane, the EFI is a must but heard the Honda came out with a EFI 50.There is almost a 200 cc diffrence between the Merc. and Honda
Dave


Kudos to Brand Recognition, but....

Thats an incorrect perception, you will find. Honda Marine (and Nissan, and the rest) have no relationship with Honda Motors and you wont get the same level of service as you will in the auto industry for instance.

At least one member of this Board bought a Honda, only to find out it was a grey market Canadian model which would not be serviced in the US. This is also the same with other motor Mfg, not a condemnation of Honda.

My rec - find out what motor dealers are local to you and buy the size motor you want in that brand. Ive been real happy with my EFI Mercury 2003 50 HP and my Nissan 4HP kicker[/quote]

[hart]

My rec - find out what motor dealers are local to you and buy the size motor you want in that brand.

Why not take this a step further. Find a mechanic you like and think you will trust first. Then get whatever brand he is best suited to service - factory authorized dealer or whatever else you want as credentials. Seriously, with all the money we pay these guys to maintain the motor why not go with what they know best?

[The Mutt]

My rec - find out what motor dealers are local to you and buy the size motor you want in that brand.

Why not take this a step further. Find a mechanic you like and think you will trust first. Then get whatever brand he is best suited to service - factory authorized dealer or whatever else you want as credentials. Seriously, with all the money we pay these guys to maintain the motor why not go with what they know best?

I like the way you think ... good idea.

Glenn

[Kelly Hanson East]

Even better - buy the service manual for about 80 USD and do the maintenance yourself.

Cheaper and you are safer on the water to boot!!

Maybe the thing to catalogue here is which motors need the dreaded "special tools' which they wont sell you.