26 m with a 90 hp?

[miamistyle]

I am going to be looking at a 26 m with a 90 hp tohatsu on the back of it. This boat should tide me over until the is being built.

Is this too much motor for this boat? Will it turn well with this beast on the back of it?

Does anyone else have an M model with a 90 on it? Any advice on this would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Erik Hardtle]

I know I am just an X boat... but I have had a 90 hp on mine for a while now... love it.

But as you know... all of us X boats have a flat bottom!

I would only concerned with doing tight turns at high speed with your rounded bottom.

Check my website out for my 90 hp mod.

[Brian]

I have had a with a Tohatsu TLDI 90 since 2005 and have no regrets. The boat is used year round and the motor has been super reliable. After 10+ years with the 90 hp I would not be happy with a smaller motor.

Also, once you get used to the extra space and headroom in the you might decide to skip the .

Go for the 90 hp. It will be hard to hide your smile as you leave the slower boats in your wake

[kurz]

I guess you cannot tilt up the motor with 90HP while sailing? So the steering has to be connectet all time?!

[Highlander]

I guess you cannot tilt up the motor with 90HP while sailing? So the steering has to be connectet all time?!

I have a 75hp merc 4stroke , I can disconnect the motor steering whether I have the motor tilted up or not just have to raise the seat , once it passes by the seat can be lowered again !

J

[Cougar]

My first Mac experience was in the Croatian Adriatic on a chartered with a badly trimmed Tohatsu 90 2-stroke. And I hated it, because it would turn right agressively when I briefly let go of the steering wheel, causing the boat to almost capsize. I know a lot of Mac owners fancy large a large outboard, but for me it's way too much.

[miamistyle]

I guess you cannot tilt up the motor with 90HP while sailing? So the steering has to be connectet all time?!

So can anyone else verify if this is true? It would slow the boat down when sailing if you can't get the motor at least mostly out of the water.

[Brian]

Leaving the the outboard in the water while sailing does not slow the boat down as much as you would think.

The TLDI 90 power head is small for a 90 hp. The outboard can easily be raised completely out of the water. Similar to a four stroke 50 hp. You can disconnect the outboard while sailing, but since I sail next to a rocky shoreline I seldom do so. Even connected I do not have issues with the outboard flopping over as mentioned above.

The transom opening on the is narrower than the opening on the . With the 90 hp there is still enough room for a large human to climb back into the boat after swimming.

You really need to test sail the boat that you are considering purchasing since the outboard installation can differ between boats. Since you are looking at a used boat this should be an option.

These are rock solid reliable outboards. The only complaint I have is that it's noisy at 25 mph. However, being able to go 25 mph in a sailboat is pretty awesome

[miamistyle]

Thank you Brian.

The previous owner said he picked the boat up in Texas. Was there a company rigging 26 m boats with tohatsu 90hp motors in Texas, or was this an option from the factory in Ca?

Thanks again for your input.

[Highlander]

My first Mac experience was in the Croatian Adriatic on a chartered with a badly trimmed Tohatsu 90 2-stroke. And I hated it, because it would turn right agressively when I briefly let go of the steering wheel, causing the boat to almost capsize. I know a lot of Mac owners fancy large a large outboard, but for me it's way too much.

That sounds like to me that the trim tab on the engine above the prop that corrects that very issue , is needing more adjustment !

J

[Hardcrab]

miamistyle,
I also have the 90 TLDI Tohatsu (2004) on a 2005 M.
I do raise the engine while under sail. It does not 100% clear the water, maybe 97% or so. The prop is fully dry however.
I found that the engine would tend to "flop" to one side or the other and/or make the steering while sailing harder to turn. (I don't think this is only a 90 Tohatsu issue however).

I decouple the engine steering linkage from the "push bar", and affix it to a homemade "park" place (not the factory stud) that was carefully positioned to render the fixed position so as to have the engine held at perfect "dead ahead". The rudders do a great job of steering with the engine "parked" for all uses except docking. I always reconnect for any close encounters.
My engine has over 500 hours, with 2 new water pump impellers and a new set of spark plugs as the ONLY maintenance its needed.

I seldom use the 90 hp available, just on the long trips to Catalina Island. 95% of my usage has been below 1500 rpm transiting in and out of the docks.

It's sorta loud when the speed comes up. I get about 5.5 gal per hour at 3/4 throttle, 17-18 knots, no ballast, lightly loaded.

It needs more "down" trim (another issue not Tohatsu exclusive). In that light, keep as much weight forward as you can stand. The boat is very stern heavy with most folks loading habits. Sailing improves also.

I'd say that the PO did the engine install. I'd think that no dealer would go there.

I would do it again, no question.

If there is a downside, it's a lack of dealerships. I've sourced everything on the internet.

[Flightfollowing]

I have a 2006 with a 90hp Suzuki which I think is ideal. Max speed is about 25mph and 8.5g/hr, economy speed is about 15mph at 3.3g/hr, and economy displacement is only 0.6 g/hr for about 5.5mph, ballast out but otherwise loaded. The motor tilts completely with no interference. Note that is is the same engine that blue water yachts installs as an standard option, but not the derated 70hp version. Nice quiet motor, low gear ratio, and relatively lightweight for a 4 stroke. The 90hp is always able to get the boat on plane at any loading also with ballast and run it not wide open but economically at about 2/3 throttle, which the 50hp typically will not.

[Tomfoolery]

. . . economy speed is about 15mph at 3.3g/hr . . .

My can just about do 16 mph, at WOT.

Wish I had one of them there Suzuki 90's.

[mrron_tx]

My 2011 has the Suzuki 70 four stroke on it..... Only complaint I have is that is isn't a Suzuki 90 four stroke Actually....I have no complaints at all. Ron.

[Nautical Miles]

My first Mac experience was in the Croatian Adriatic on a chartered with a badly trimmed Tohatsu 90 2-stroke. And I hated it, because it would turn right agressively when I briefly let go of the steering wheel, causing the boat to almost capsize. I know a lot of Mac owners fancy large a large outboard, but for me it's way too much.

See Highlanders comment about the trim tab.

Me.... I had a hard right "pull" and it bugged the peewaddle out of me for 1.5 years. I tweaked the trim tab. Better! Tweaked it more. even better!! 4th tweak, PERFECT. I can take my hand off the wheel WOT and she tracks like a Lional Train.

I'm running the 60hp factory E-tec, BTW.

As they said in Star Wars, "Use the Trim Tab Luke".

NM