[sarafinadh]

Ok. Your Cal 25 weighs in empty at 4500lbs.
Our Cal 28 weighs in at 9000.

We started with a 6hp and it moved her but windage was a problem when docking her. But it moved her fine. Not fast but we hauled thru 15' swells at really close intervals once for 6 hours, and it was enough for us to climb and slide, climb and slide the whole time.

We have just moved to a 15hp. Oh man she handles like a dream now, docking in a high wind is no longer the impossible feat it was. But we never crank her up to full throttle. I can just feel that it would be alot of pressure on the lazerette outboard hole. So we are not using all of that 15 horse and we weigh twice what you do.

Based on that I suspect the 6 hp is fine and 8 might be nice in heavy weather, but I couldn't tell you if it was worth the expense to upgrade.

and yeah; a long shaft is the ticket.