i'm looking at a mercury 9.9 4 stroke for my 26' pearson. they weight about 84 lbs. will this be a problem? if anyone has any suggestons for an outboard i'd appreciate the advice.
thanks!
What conditions are you going to be motoring in? Under most situations a 4hp will do everything most 26 Pearsons will ever see. Most 26'ob sailboats where I live have 4hp or 6hp hanging off the back. A friend of mine had a 25 Catalina with 4hp merc and it had no problems unless the waves were big and winds howling...even then it made headway but was slower. Punching though large waves and 25kt+ winds is about the only time 9.9hp is useful. If and when that happens you will likely need a 20"-25" shaft version to keep the propeller in the water.
