MacGregorSailors.com

Hello,
I just got this 25' boat and trailer. I will need a motor to use it or to see what else needs to be repaired. Will a long shaft (20") work with this motor mount or do I need the XL 25" shaft? I read in the manual that 9.9 hp was the max for this boat. Is that really the max? I found a deal on a 8 hp Nissan with tiller arm but without electric start. Would that suffice with this boat in normal conditions?

Whatever deals you find - check out the availability of local service. The best "deal" isn't much of a deal if no one local will touch it.

thelederfam wrote:Hello,
I just got this 25' boat and trailer. I will need a motor to use it or to see what else needs to be repaired. Will a long shaft (20") work with this motor mount or do I need the XL 25" shaft? I read in the manual that 9.9 hp was the max for this boat. Is that really the max? I found a deal on a 8 hp Nissan with tiller arm but without electric start. Would that suffice with this boat in normal conditions?

22' iron swing keel
8HP works OK fine intercoastal and nice sailing days--- battling tides and currents, better go bigger


Vintage brochure for M25 says 10 \HP


Although apparently Daddy Mac thought a Max30 was fine for a 22'
???

And I would say the shorter shaft works better for skinny waters, longer if you plan on motoring to other countries
electric start is a nice luxury as i have had problems with pull starters, especially helpful i bet in those "oh sh~t" moments when a quick restart needed, but also not as simple to maintain- repair

I only plan to take it out on Lake Michigan so at least the tide won't be an issue. The motor mount is adjustable so that should help if I am in the shallows.

Jonair222 wrote:Although apparently Daddy Mac thought a Max30 was fine for a 22'

It looks like the 22 has a notch in the transom on the port side for an OB, rather than a bracket bolted on. That may have something to do with it, but that's just a guess on my part.

thelederfam wrote:I only plan to take it out on Lake Michigan so at least the tide won't be an issue. The motor mount is adjustable so that should help if I am in the shallows.

No, tide isn't an issue, but do be aware that Lake Michigan might as well be an ocean when things turn nasty. I've gotten into some difficulties with a 23 footer with a 9.9 mounted off-center when the waves caused enough pitching and rocking that it couldn't get an adequate bite for long enough to move the boat. The longer leg would have helped to keep the prop buried, and 15 hp would have helped to move the boat against waves that were stopping me dead every time.

I'm not saying you need more than 10 hp, but do be aware that it can get pretty rough in a squall or with wind traveling a long way over water, and being able to put the prop deeper can be an advantage, especially with the OB off-center the way it is. A motor mount with a large adjustment range is nice to have in such a case. Just sayin'.

Extra long shaft 9.9 with the tip up feature on most brands like Mercury. If it's shallow your are going trolling speeds anyway, and if it's snotty you want it down 25 inches.

Tomfoolery wrote:

Jonair222 wrote:Although apparently Daddy Mac thought a Max30 was fine for a 22'

It looks like the 22 has a notch in the transom on the port side for an OB, rather than a bracket bolted on. That may have something to do with it, but that's just a guess on my part.

This is partly true. Not all V-22s were created equal. Some have a motor well others have a motor mount.

I had a long shaft 10 HP on my V-222 and transferred it over to my 26D when I upgraded. It was okay for the most part. It would, however, come out of the water when it got choppy (in both boats). I now have a 9.9 HP with XL shaft and have never had any problems with it.

The 10 HP motor will push your boat at hull speed at a little more than half throttle and is all you should ever need. A V-25 has a displacement hull so having a larger engine really won't make it go any faster.