outboard downsizing

[DaveB]

Most motors under 30 hp you can buy and install yourself. These motors you have to look at as remote steering and throttle controls. Most of us require higher generating aps from motor and ones less than 25 hp usually have only 5 amps were a 50 hp has 17 amps/ or 60 hp E-tec can do 27 amps.
A new 50 big foot cost quoated $5300 plus install, after trade in would cost $6000.
Worth trade in if you decide to sell, Hunter 23 1995 sells at $8000 with a 8 hp outboard/with trailer.
Looks like what you need and add $ 500 raymarine autohelm
Dave

I'm looking to replace my tired old Nissan 50D and am seriously thinking about downsizing to something in the 9.9 hp area. Where I boat, sailing is not practical, so I motor 100% of the time and mostly prefer low speeds (~12KPH) for the sake of peace and fuel efficiency. There are no tides or intense seas here, just occasionally strong winds. I'm wondering what everyone's thoughts are as to what small outboard would be best suited to my needs/desires.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

[Russ]

Since you bring it up what power boat would you recommend to replace a Mac?
Most i have seen are around twice the weight of a Mac. Drink 3 times the fuel to run the same speed at wot. Most would just be alot more money to operate.

I just wondering if there is a comparable power boat out there. Trailerable, fuel consumption, cabin room?

I'd go with a similar sized Bayliner or SeaRay. My slipmate has a Bayliner 265. Nice boat. True, it eats more gas and is heavier. He tows it to Arizona a lot. Lots of room down below and in the cockpit. It's MUCH more comfy than my Mac, but I can sail my Mac. He can't sail his Bayliner.

Those little trawlers are nice too. Very stable. A bit heavy but that's a plus when the seas get bad.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1987-Bay ... 718wt_1165

I had a powerboat. We drove it slow because we didn't like the noise. It was okay on gas, but got boring after a while. Now I sail when possible and motor when not. I enjoy motoring, but not exclusively.

[dlandersson]

You know, I've noticed that quite a few of the nicer/bigger powerboat owners almost NEVER take their boats out - they will often clean them, piddle around in their dinghy and just sit around drinking martinis. Whereas the sailboat owners (as a group) tend to be much more active in leaving the marina. I attribute this to the cost of an outing in refueling. I can spend all day out on the water - the wind is free.

Since you bring it up what power boat would you recommend to replace a Mac?
Most i have seen are around twice the weight of a Mac. Drink 3 times the fuel to run the same speed at wot. Most would just be alot more money to operate.

I just wondering if there is a comparable power boat out there. Trailerable, fuel consumption, cabin room?

I'd go with a similar sized Bayliner or SeaRay. My slipmate has a Bayliner 265. Nice boat. True, it eats more gas and is heavier. He tows it to Arizona a lot. Lots of room down below and in the cockpit. It's MUCH more comfy than my Mac, but I can sail my Mac. He can't sail his Bayliner.

Those little trawlers are nice too. Very stable. A bit heavy but that's a plus when the seas get bad.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1987-Bay ... 718wt_1165

I had a powerboat. We drove it slow because we didn't like the noise. It was okay on gas, but got boring after a while. Now I sail when possible and motor when not. I enjoy motoring, but not exclusively.

[mastreb]

Yep. Saw about fifteen stinkpot owners at the Marina this week, drinking and jawjacking on their aft decks. We were the only boat I saw coming or going.

[fouz]

ATM I have taken the mast off and have been using the boat as power boat for day trips. It's about and hour and 20 minute drive to where we do our boating and after the long drive and just day trips I don't wanna mess with it. When we start doing some weekend or longer trips then we will put the mast back on.

But ATM we are happy with it. Launches easier then most power boats and I have been getting around 3 mpg wot and doing 16.5 knots. Choppy seas all the other boat end up doing around 20 knots so they aren't blowing by us.

Most of the cost to operate the Mac for us as a power boat is pulling it. $50 gas to pull it there and back $15 in the boat.

[mallardjusted]

I can't imagine going less than 15 hp if you have winds to deal with. But, for me I wouldn't think of going less than what I have, a Suzie 50! In fact, I want to go bigger (yammie 70 maybe). But then again, due to health issues (knees), I don't even have the mast installed on my boat.

Not to sound like a kill joy, but why not trade the boat in for a 26' powerboat. You'll have more room and comfort. If you power 100% of the time, seems like a waste to have a powersailor and never sail it.

and

I'd go with a similar sized Bayliner or Se

aRay. My slipmate has a Bayliner 265. Nice boat. True, it eats more gas and is heavier .... It's MUCH more comfy than my Mac .[/quote]

Interesting .... I'm not familiar with the 265, but we had a 2650 for several years. The Bayliner had a bigger cockpit, but I would take the 26X's cabin any day ........ much more efficient space down below. And the annual maintenance costs and fuel costs are WAY less than on the 2655!!!

[mastreb]

What sold me on the Mac was the efficient cabin interior. There's just nothing on the market at 26 feet with this much usable interior space that I saw. We were looking at considerably more expensive boats, but with three kids going into their teenage years and two adults, we wanted a boat we could live aboard for two weeks at a time and have room for everyone. The Mac is by far the bigest cabin we found on anything that can be trailered by the owner.

I'm 6'5"--I could use more headroom, but it's way more than anything else we looked at.

[snardlump]

I'm located about 1000 miles from the nearest decent market for reselling a MacGregor, so selling it in order to buy a power boat is not practical. Besides which, I'm quite happy with the boat and like it's amenities, size, weight and functionality.
Getting back to my question though, is anyone familiar with any of the newer small outboards and their ability to push a larger boat. Should I be fixated on any particular brand, gear ratios, prop sizes, etc or is the difference negligable?

[Ixneigh]

My 2 cents. Stick with the Mac if your happy. No powerboat, even a trawler, will get the same displacement mileage. Macs where made to sail. That requires an easily driven hull. Don't go less then Fifteen. In the odd chance you need extra power, you'll be glad you have it.
My experience with the etec 60 is better the ten mpg at five knots. Pretty good. Comparable with my Honda 5 on my v22.2. I hardly ever run the boat on a plane, once Ina while just to give everything a workout.

As people collect injuries or age, they sail less. Someone out to make a bolt on hard dodger/ cockpit enclosure for the Mac to turn it into a mini trawler.
Lose the cockpit lifeline stauncions, have a sliding door on each side, a small door on each side of the main hatch, and a windshield over the main hatch. The back could be just a canvass and plastic curtain, or left open. The structure could be made from cored glass to keep it light, and produced in a mold for cost economy.
The roof could also have a large opening in it for nice weather operation.
The one thing I gave up in my custom venture 22 was inside operation. I do miss it for night time operation in areas with a lot of space.

Ixneigh

[snardlump]

Ixneigh, your ideas resemble mine. Where I live, the warm season is quite short and some form of enclosure is definitely on my list of desired modifications. Having removed the mast, etc, I'm thinking that I have some leeway for added weight from some sort of rigid structure up top. I'm also thinking that an outboard with an extended tiller might be feasible and allow removal of the steering console. My tendency is to modify everything I come in contact with and I see no reason to leave this boat unscathed.

[mastreb]

Ixneigh, your ideas resemble mine. Where I live, the warm season is quite short and some form of enclosure is definitely on my list of desired modifications. Having removed the mast, etc, I'm thinking that I have some leeway for added weight from some sort of rigid structure up top. I'm also thinking that an outboard with an extended tiller might be feasible and allow removal of the steering console. My tendency is to modify everything I come in contact with and I see no reason to leave this boat unscathed.

You could replace the rudders with rudders that come up to the gunnels, and put a tiller on each. Two tillers would be no more odd than two rudders IMHO, and make it easy to steer from the windward side when you switch sides. I too dream of getting rid of the helm

[Catigale]

Snared lump...sorry for the thread drift

You can always resell a 9.9 as there is a big market for these for tender motors. I believe the 9.9 HP comes from a historical issue - some states/provinces do not regulate or even license engines under 10 HP

On a lake you will be fine with a 9.9 getting you to hull speed with some reserve, 15 HP would have more reserve, 30 HP would be overkill IMHO. If its windy enough to overcome a 9.9, you are going to have trouble slow speed handling with any size motor.

You cn install these engines yourself, which is a savings of 1000 or so, too.

[WASP18]

Snared lump...sorry for the thread drift

You can always resell a 9.9 as there is a big market for these for tender motors. I believe the 9.9 HP comes from a historical issue - some states/provinces do not regulate or even license engines under 10 HP

On a lake you will be fine with a 9.9 getting you to hull speed with some reserve, 15 HP would have more reserve, 30 HP would be overkill IMHO. If its windy enough to overcome a 9.9, you are going to have trouble slow speed handling with any size motor.

You cn install these engines yourself, which is a savings of 1000 or so, too.

What do you mean by a "tender motor"?

[K9Kampers]

Tender = big dinghy

[mastreb]

What do you mean by a "tender motor"?

A motor for a tender--a dinghy.