I have used a 3.5 Tohatsu on a previous M15 and M17 and currently Sparrow 16,,,, ALL loaded with gear and crew. Still have the "same" motor and it has done quite well for me. Galveston Bay, Matagora Bay, Espirit Bay, and many miles of the ICW on the coast of Texas, as well as a few BIG lakes,,,, Sam Rayburn and Toledo Bend.... Very reliable and plenty of power. Bill Tosh www.tcboats.com Henderson, TX. -----Original Message----- From: montgomery_boats [mailto:montgomery_boats-bounces@mailman.xmission.com] On Behalf Of swwheatley@comcast.net Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 3:38 PM To: For and about Montgomery Sailboats Subject: Re: M_Boats: M17 motor requirements I have a 5 hp 2 stroke on my M17 and anything over 1/2 throttle just buries the stern. (Yes, I could get a prop with less pitch, but I rarely use the motor so it hasn't been a priority). Based on that, I think 3.5 hp would be adequate. The only issue is sub-4 hp motors do not have a reverse gear. That may or may not be important to you. ----- Original Message ----- From: "John Schinnerer" <john@eco-living.net> To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, September 18, 2015 3:32:39 PM Subject: M_Boats: M17 motor requirements OK, changing the topic a bit based on this: On 09/18/2015 11:59 AM, Dave Scobie wrote:
...the 4HP Suzuki on my M17 is running at less than 50% to reach cruise speed.
So what is anyone's experience on what HP outboard is adequate for an M17? Mine came with this nice, low hours Tohatsu 6hp sail pro model. It seems to me like overkill. And, with Tohatsu at least, no point downgrading to their 5hp or 4hp because they are the same carcass, basically same size and weight. Looking at Evinrude, Mercury, Suzuki, Honda...all making the same basic range of motors, same weight within a few pounds in HP class, etc. The break point is under 4 hp, where the 2.5-3.5 hp units are significantly lighter and smaller. Any experiences welcome - what do you find adequate for your M17 auxiliary motor needs? thanks, John S. -- John Schinnerer - M.A., Whole Systems Design -------------------------------------------- - Eco-Living - Whole Systems Design Services People - Place - Learning - Integration john@eco-living.net - 510.982.1334 http://eco-living.net http://sociocracyconsulting.com