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i mean 40-60 horsepower.
As an ex : mercury 4 strokes 40-60 horsepower.It is a 40 Hp but , changing an electrical stuff, it becomes a 60 HP.
In italy u can boat with a 40 Hp without any licenze, with more hp u need a license.
thats why im lookin for a 40 hp.
I love sailing and fishing with my boat, so im lookin for the right engine for a good trowling .
I dont know if 2 strokes are better than 4 strokes for this kind of work.

If it were me, I would get the license and a 60HP or perhaps even larger (70-90 HP). Why is it a problem to get a license? I think to be a good boater, you would need to know the required skills for a license anyway.

A 40HP is just about the bare minimum to still be able to plane the boat. If planing is not important and you want to use it only as a sailboat, then IMO you may as well go to an even smaller motor (10-15 HP) and save more fuel by going slower (hull speed).

a 40hp will plane a completely "gutted" Mac.

If it were me, I would get the license and a 60HP or perhaps even larger (70-90 HP). Why is it a problem to get a license? I think to be a good boater, you would need to know the required skills for a license anyway.

Dear Dimitri,
the license its only a burocratic stuff.

nothing more then what i learned in plus than 20 years sailing and boating.

by the way, u boat with a mercury 4 strokes 50 hp: what is your impression with this engine?

Except for the overheating problem I just resolved, it is an excellent motor. Although I would prefer a larger motor, the one I have now which was already on the boat just works too well to justify selling it for a song. It turns the larger 14 inch prop which works better on a big long boat like a Mac. This makes it more maneuverable at lower speeds (like docking). At WOT with the 14X10 prop, it turns about 5800 RPM and gets 19-19.5 mph lightly loaded. With the full family, speed goes down to about 17.5. I suppose it would be a bit faster if it didn't have bottom paint. The 4 stroke runs very nicely at lower RPM's too. Parts and service are easy to find too since Mercury is probably the largest outboard dealer.

At WOT with the 14X10 prop, it turns about 5800 RPM and gets 19-19.5 mph lightly loaded.

At the end of the season i received the '2001 i bought in France in July.
The engine is a Mercury 50 BF, with a 14x10 prop.
The boat is in a wery good shape , same the engine ( only 110 hours ).
The boat is equiped with a roller jib and the main sail.
I tested the boat in light wind : wery easy sailing with good speed ( 4,5 - 5 mph ).
Underpower with ballast full: 15 mph at 5300 rpm
With ballast empty and my family : 17,5 mph at 5300 rpm.
With boat empty: 18,5 mph at 5300 rpm.
The bottom is painted.

The only trouble i have is: i read on the engine istruction that it can run till 6000 rpm.
Mine doesnt run over 5300.I cecked every trim position: always the same. no more than 5300 rpm.
i asked to the mercury dealer , he told me it depends on the boat shape.....i think this answer is not correct.[/quote]

My '06 will only turn 5150 rpm's. I have talked to the dealier and asked about a prop change and he said that I could but I would loose speed.

RPM's of 5300 will not hurt the motor. I wish that I could get more rpm's and greatter speed, but so far I get the same results that you are.

Marsanden, I answered your other thread. I'm not sure you can make a direct comparison between a 26X and a 26M, as they have somewhat different hull shapes. The boat came with a 14X11 prop and with that, I was never able to get above about 5200-5300. Btw, if you have hydrofins (or whatever they are called) on your motor, you might be losing a bit of top speed also.

The boat came with a 14X11 prop and with that, I was never able to get above about 5200-5300

hi Dimitri,My Mercury 50 4T ( 2000) BF is all original. And the RPM are the same ( 5200-5300) u got with the original prop.

Did you changed the prop?

Yes, I put on a 14X10 prop which gets 5600-5900 depending on the loading. See my more detailed response in your other thread.