I can recommend the 4-stroke Mercury 9.9 "Bigfoot". Just installed one in the well of our 6800lb
sailboat. This motor has the lower gearcase from the 15hp motor and a four-blade prop. Quiet,
surprisingly powerful thrust and the boat still achieves hull speed despite the size of the prop. A
major upgrade from the 2-stroke 15hp Johnson that we used to have. Gotta go...Georgian Bay looks
beautiful this morning.

On Sat, 28 Jul 07, the_bmac wrote:
the boat still achieves hull speed despite the size of the prop.

Thanks for the opinion, unsolicited or not.
But I'm puzzled by your choice of words here. I would think you would
have said "the boat achieves hull speed *due, in large part, because*
of the size of the prop. no?

Rick

On 2007-07-28 11:08:42 -0400, lid said:

On Sat, 28 Jul 07, the_bmac wrote:
the boat still achieves hull speed despite the size of the prop.

Thanks for the opinion, unsolicited or not. But I'm puzzled by your
choice of words here. I would think you would have said "the boat
achieves hull speed *due, in large part, because* of the size of the
prop. no?

Rick

I'd agree with your assessment. A big, slow prop is more efficient,
more able to deliver the power to the water.

--
Jere Lull
Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD
Xan's new pages: http://web.mac.com/jerelull/iWeb/Xan/
Our BVI pages: http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/

lid wrote:
On Sat, 28 Jul 07, the_bmac wrote:

the boat still achieves hull speed despite the size of the prop.


Thanks for the opinion, unsolicited or not.
But I'm puzzled by your choice of words here. I would think you would
have said "the boat achieves hull speed *due, in large part, because*
of the size of the prop. no?

Sorry for the ambiguity. I meant under sail, the boat still achieves
hull speed easily with that prop hanging down. I had visions of us
losing a knot or so with that thing hanging down there like a sea anchor.

PhantMan wrote:
I would think you would
have said "the boat achieves hull speed *due, in large part, because*
of the size of the prop. no?

prodigal1 wrote:
Sorry for the ambiguity. I meant under sail, the boat still achieves
hull speed easily with that prop hanging down. I had visions of us
losing a knot or so with that thing hanging down there like a sea anchor.

There's no way to raise or tilt it??
That'd be a shame as "no drag" is a major advantage of outboard
auxilliary power.
But anyhow, thanks for the clarification.

Rick

lid wrote:

There's no way to raise or tilt it??
That'd be a shame as "no drag" is a major advantage of outboard
auxilliary power.
But anyhow, thanks for the clarification.

Yeah, I can tip it up a bit but because of the long shaft and the width
of the prop I can't get it fully up into the lazarette. These boats
were spec'd for short shafts and had well plugs you could drop into
place once the motor had been brought up.
Fair winds...

prodigal1 wrote:
These boats
were spec'd for short shafts and had well plugs you could drop into
place once the motor had been brought up.

I like that idea (although I'd prefer a design for the longest shaft
possible). Especially a plug to keep a stern wave from squirting up
into the well.
What make/model boat do you have?

lid wrote:

What make/model boat do you have?

It's a 1966 Hinterhoeller HR28.

PhantMan wrote:
What make/model boat do you have?

prodigal1 wrote:
It's a 1966 Hinterhoeller HR28.

Nice boat.
And there's an owners group on the web too. Maybe some other owner has
already come up with a system to deal with the retracting a long shaft
& large prop with the plug shut issue. Wouldn't hurt to check.

Rick