O/B shaft length - how bad is too long?

[Sleepy_Pete]

I have a really nice 24" shaft Yamaha 6 hp outboard that I would like to use on a 12' skiff that has a 20" transom. Since the cavitation plate will be well below the water line, I presume that there will be a decrease in performance. Howerver, is there a safety issue - Will having a shaft length longer than optimal affect the handling in a bad way? Or will I just have a performance deficit?

 

[trevorcday]

Re: O/B shaft length - how bad is too long?

Dragging the extra 4" of motor through the water will really slow you down. Also, you will draw that much more water and so be more prone to hitting submerged rocks etc.