"Sherwin Dubren" wrote in message
...
Hi Ferg,

I feel badly being the 'critic' here on some of these replies, but
they
really go against my experiences with sailboat engines at sea.


No problem, but allow me to retort.


If the San Juan 21 is similar to my boat, 5hp is plenty.

That depends on the weight of his boat.

Like I said, I'm not familiar with Bruce's San Juan 21.


I thought running at lower throttle uses less gas.

Of course, but you still have more juice getting sucked through the carb
with a larger engine. My 5hp uses less gas than my 10hp did doing the same
job. I speak from my humble experience.


You probably had the engine height set too high for the longshaft.

Maybe it was just the inate problem of using an outboard on a small
sailboat. Please don't assume that I'm an idiot.

The outboard situation on my Catalina 22 is not unlike most trailer-sailors.
The boat itself is lightweight and can get bouncy in a moderate chop. But
if there's chop or short waves, then there is likely wind as well, and wind
is the desired source for propulsion anyhow. Even if it takes longer to
tack upwind to get home, it's probably SAFER to do what the boat was
designed to do than tinker and struggle with a cavitating outboard. You're
much more likely to pay attention to your surroundings if you focus on your
telltales on a tight reach, instead of adjusting the outboard's throttle
during each wave crest.

And frankly, my Catalina 22 sails better now that I got rid of that old,
beastly, awkward twin-cylinder machine on it's stern.

I consider all small outboards problematic and subject to unforeseen
problems... No matter how much you spend on one. It's a luxury on my larger
boat's dingy, but I always carry oars.

If you really want a small trailer-sailor that works well with its outboard,
maybe you should have bought one of these:

http://www.macgregorsailboats.com/sa...fications.html