Will a 6hp outboard drive my 4000 lb boat?

[Quickstep192]

My Quickstep weighs 4000 pounds. It's always had an 8 hp outboard. I'm wondering if a 6 is enough because I'd like to be able to reduce the weight in the stern and on my arms when it comes time to take it off. I've never been able to get the 8hp up to full throttle, so that has men wondering if less HP would be OK. Also, if I can get by with 6HP, do I need to have any concern that the 6's only have a single cylinder?

[PBzeer]

Depends on what you expect the motor to do. Are tides or currents a factor? Heading into a stiff wind or chop? Does your bottom stay clean?

If none of those are a factor, then a 6 should do. If they are a factor, you might, probably, will miss the extra umph from the 8.

[Quickstep192]

Good points. Yes, I would want to be able to power into a chop or headwind.
Do you think a 6hp wouldn't be up to the task?

[sawingknots]

for a short time i used a 6hp on my py26,7000 plus lbs,the 6 did ok until i had to go against a strong current or head wind,i would think the 6 might be ok for your 4000 lb boat depending on the current ,wind factor,i don't see any problem with the single cylinder.btw i replaced the 6 with a 9.9 and cut the fuel consumtion in half,i suppose because the bigger engine had to work less hard

[Faster]

In most conditions a 6 hp should do what you need.. but relatively speaking you might slow a bit in a stiff headwind vs the 8 horse.

Sawingknots.. did you go 2 stroke to 2 stroke or 2 stroke to 4? That's an interesting observation.

[JoeDiver]

I'm replacing my motor next month. I currently have a little Yamaha 5HP, 99 model. Normally, I only use my motor to get in/out of the marina. Soon as I clear the channel I'm under sail. I also use it to anchor or hunt a ball to tie up. It's been perfectly fine for my C25, although it is a bit underpowered and only hits 4.5 kts under full throttle. I sail on a lake so current and chop are not a factor.

I was considering a 9.9 as it's the most common motor folks with my boat move to, but I'm looking at $2500 at least with motor and new mount.

I decided to step back a little. I'm going to buy the new 2012 C model Tohatsu SaiPro. It's a little 6HP, 25" shaft, longer tiller, shifter moved to front of motor, and an alternator to charge the house. No new motor mount needed. Comes with high thrust propeller.

I think this little motor will work just perfect for me and what I need. The extra 1HP and deeper bite with high thrust propeller should motor me around 4 kts at 3/4 throttle or maybe less. Plus, I'm saving about $1k in cost, with no new mount needed.

Tohatsu SailPro

[sea_hunter]

No tide, no wind, no chop, no traffic sure. Where I come from we'd put a 15-25 to do the job.

[sawingknots]

Originally Posted by Faster

In most conditions a 6 hp should do what you need.. but relatively speaking you might slow a bit in a stiff headwind vs the 8 horse.

Sawingknots.. did you go 2 stroke to 2 stroke or 2 stroke to 4? That's an interesting observation.

i went to a 9.9 2 stroke,it was a desperation buy, i was far from anywhere and it was the only one available,i've since installed a inboard diesel and only use the outboard as a backup

[lans0012]

I think you should be ok with a 6 hp. I had a 6 on my 2200lb ranger 22 and it was way more power than I needed. however it's not like you are going to get it going any faster than hull speed.

Currently I've got a 7hp inboard on my CAL 27 that weighs about 6k pounds when fully loaded. I have powered into 30kt headwinds towing a dinghy with no problem to make 5kts.

They do make 25" shafts and that really helps keep the prop in when you are going against chop. I had a 6hp Nissan 1 cylinder 25" shaft that I paid about 1500 bucks brand new, and also charged the batteries.

They also make a elephant ear prop that is more appropriate for sailboats because you are only going 5-7kts anyway. The props these things come with are more setup for planing a small dinghy or skiff at higher speeds around 10kts.

[Ulladh]

I have a 6hp Tohatsu on a 3,000 lb boat. At slack current on the Delaware less than 1/2 throttle will move the boat at 5+ knots, but against the current it will be 1 1/2 to 2 knots.

Add chop to current and if not enough breeze for sailing, I just have to wait for the current to change.

Select your outboard for local conditions or your tolerance for waiting.