We've had good luck with the Honda 2 HP long shaft on a number of small boats. sal In a message dated 9/16/2011 8:54:49 P.M. Mountain Daylight Time, ndorf@surfbest.net writes: I think that it really comes down to where you sail most of the time and in what range of conditions as well as personal preference with respect to features. Klaas, In my case, with a Jerry-built M15 from 1985 with a fixed motor mount and a long-shaft Yamaha, my prop has never cavitated in Folsom Lake, Scotts Flat Reservoir, Eagle Lake, Tomales Bay, or calm Delta conditions. But change the venue to some decent sized swells like we had at Cruiser Challenge in Monterey this year, or in the Carquinez Strait off Benicia with some seriously choppy conditions, well, yes even with my long-shaft my prop cavitated from time-to-time. 2 years ago, if I were buying a used boat without a motor or buying a new one and had to choose a motor, without the benefit of personal experience over these 2 years, I probably would have gone for the Honda 2hp with a long shaft (due to fixed motor mount). Now, 2 years later, I'm not so sure. The situation today is that 2 strokes like I have are really not an option, and on a hp-per-pound basis, the 2 strokes do put out more power for their weight. A 4hp 4 stroke that can be purchased today is probably heavier still than my old 4hp 2 stroke, so I might be looking at a 3 1/2 at 41 lbs (although I would be giving up the reverse gear for just fwd and neutral). They have a 2 1/2 but interestingly it's the same weight. That said there are plenty of votes for the air-cooled Honda 2hp ;-) Food for thought, anyway. -Neil _______________________________________________ http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/montgomery_boats When posting, remember that there is no privacy on the Internet!