Motor question

[glc482]

This is my first post/question. I apologize if it is not in the correct forum. I couldn't find a particular motor forum.
I have a 22' Catalina with fixed keel. What is the correct motor size for this boat. It did not come with motor, so I am looking now. It will be on Cayuga Lake in New York. Thanks in advance!

[Barquito]

5-10 HP is typical. Less if all you need it do is putt around the shore. Mine is 5 HP and can get to about hull speed (the speed at which displacement hulls tend to go to without huge power increase). Get a long shaft model so the prop does not come out of the water as much.

[Barquito]

... and a paddle! I have had to motor die, and used a paddle to get back to shore.

[timangiel]

you don't say what year you have, and I'm not sure if it really matters, but this owner's manual states that it requires 3-6 hp:

C-22 Owners Manual 1977

Nice lake BTW

[sailingdog]

Stick closer to 3.5 HP if you get a four-stroke engine. The four stroke engines are heavier than their two-stroke counterparts, and a six HP might be a bit heavy for the transom.

[AboardIndigo]

I would actually disagree with SD in this case.

I have a 4.5 HP 2 -stroke that just cuts the mustard when the lake kicks up and I need to fight my way back to safe haven.

I wouldn't want to lose that oomph by going to a 4 HP 4-stroke and would want a 6 HP to equal the output of my 2-stroke. The 15 lb or so difference wouldn't discourage me from going that route.

You can also get a 25" saildrive from Tohatsu once you move up to the 6 HP. Mine is a 20" and it frequently pops out and cavitates in the steep chop.

[MazeRat7]

I still own my '83 C22 (which I'm trying to sell). I put a new Mercury on last summer and went with the 5hp 4 stroke. Initially the boat came with a 4hp Suzuki that only had a single forward setting (no reverse).

The Mercury was a big help in heading into wind as was reverse when in tight quarters in the marina. Also, the 4 stroke was quieter and not as odorous.

BTW. As others pointed out. Be sure to have one or two good paddles on board. I learned that the hard way when my Suzuki lost its water pump while in use.

Maze

[dacap06]

Oh, yes -- Cayuga lake -- one of NY's glacial finger lakes. 3 miles wide and 30 miles long - 40 long if you include the mud flats.

Sailing on Cayuga, I shouldn't think you would need so much motor as you would in a bay or sound. If you ever want to sail down to NYC and sail the Long Island and Block Island sounds, you should probably get a 5 HP motor. Otherwise, a 3.5 or 4 HP motor should be fine.

The Dog makes prudent recommendations in general and it is almost always warranted, but in this case I will conditionally disagree. Although SD makes a good point about the weight, the smaller HP 4-stroke motors of today are lighter than they were even 10 years ago and are even close to the weight of '70s 2-strokes. However, I have my own cautions to issue:

Don't get a bigger motor than you need. The bigger they are, the more expensive they are, the heavier they are, and the harder they are to horse around -- even when it is mounted on a movable motor mount that helps you lift it (I have personal experience with this on my sailing club's Cat 25s).

Also, I'm guessing that you recently bought the boat since you are looking for a motor and "it came without one." If you didn't get a survey done before purchase, I'd recommend getting one now to understand fully the boat's condition and to find and prioritize all the things that need to be fixed. It will also ensure your hull (and specifically the transom) is sound and can handle the forces the motor will generate.

Happy sailing!

DaCAP

[tommays]

4 HP with a high thrust prop will move the boat through most anything

The standard prop on small motors is for planing hulls and even the 7" is to BIG the HT prop is compleatly different



I was able to move this broken down 8000# Cal 29 at 4.5 knots 15 miles to a travel lift and it has pushed my J24 is 30 knots of wind trouble free

[sailingdog]

How dare you... I think you need to be flogged...

The 4-6 HP Tohatsu/Mercury/Nissans are about 70 lbs, vs. 40 lbs. for the 3.5 HP. They're still reasonably light, but this is a Catalina 22 we're talking about, which is not a huge boat. IIRC, the recommendation is 1 HP per 500 lbs. of boat or so—at 2250, it is about 4 HP or so the boat needs.

One major advantage that AI didn't mention is that the 4-6 HP small outboards can usually use an external fuel tank...the 3.5 HP can not, at least stock from the factory.

What makes a huge difference is how the engine is propped. That can make the difference between the engine being able to push through stormy chop or not.

The extra-long shaft is key on a transom mount for a sailboat.

Originally Posted by AboardIndigo

I would actually disagree with SD in this case.

I have a 4.5 HP 2 -stroke that just cuts the mustard when the lake kicks up and I need to fight my way back to safe haven.

I wouldn't want to lose that oomph by going to a 4 HP 4-stroke and would want a 6 HP to equal the output of my 2-stroke. The 15 lb or so difference wouldn't discourage me from going that route.

You can also get a 25" saildrive from Tohatsu once you move up to the 6 HP. Mine is a 20" and it frequently pops out and cavitates in the steep chop.