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 Catalina 250 Specific Forum
 Outboard shaft lenght		  New Topic  Reply to Topic
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buddha
Deckhand

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USA
5 Posts
Initially Posted - 07/24/2026 :  12:32:31  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I am replacing the outboard on my 250 and the manual recommends an extra long shaft. There is much more selection in long shafts. How important is having a extra long shaft?

Thanks
John
Catalina 250 hull 42

Ellen254
Deckhand

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USA
15 Posts
Response Posted - 07/24/2026 :  12:37:21  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
You definitely want a longer shaft. Because the outboard mounts so high up on the transom, a shorter shaft isn't going to sit low enough in the water.
2004 C250WK #750 Waco, TX
"Ba-de-ya"
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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3515 Posts
Response Posted - 07/24/2026 :  21:09:46  Show Profile  Visit OLarryR's Homepage  Reply with Quote
I am not familiar with the mounting for a Cat250, however, based on what you indicated that the manual recommends an extra long shaft and also Ellen's comments, I would only consider extra long shaft outboards. My Cat 25 also has an xtra long shaft outboard.

The issue is that a shorter shaft outboard used on a sailboat, the outboard may not sit low enough in the water to ensure that adequate water is pumped for water cooling - It may suck in air. Also, while the prop may be fully in the water at the dock, it may not be low enough and then when applying the throttle, the prop will start to cavitate. This is also a real concern when you trying to make forward progress but have to deal with a wake, waves and whitecaps and the prop momentarily comes out of the water or cavitates in the water.

If you know for sure that the outboard you are considering does not have an xtra long shaft but has been used by others on a Cat250 and in similar waters as you, I would not consider it.
Larry
'89 Robin's Nest#5820, Potomac River/Quantico, Va
http://catalina25.homestead.com/olarryr.html
Edited by - OLarryR on 07/24/2026 21:11:39
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5922 Posts
Response Posted - 07/25/2026 :  06:36:06  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
When you're motoring to windward against a significant chop, the waves roll under the bow of the boat. As each wave rolls aft and under the stern, they lift the stern and that lifts the prop out of the water. The longest shaft will enable you to continue motoring to windward in bigger chop.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5489 Posts
Response Posted - 07/26/2026 :  06:26:31  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Honda, Tohatsu, Yamaha, Mercury, Suzuki, and a few other four-stroke 8 and 9.9 outboard brands come in XL shaft length.

In the parlance, Long Shaft generally means 20” (51 cm) while Extra Long Shaft means 25” (63.5cm).

Also, most 8 or 9.9 HP 4 stroke outboards weight around 100-120 pounds, while 2 stroke engines (gas mixed with oil) weigh much less and are easier to carry and mount. 2 stroke disadvantages include smoky operation, oil sheen on the water, and having to mix gas and oil in the correct ratio (e.g.: 25:1 or five oz of oil per gallon of gas).

Defender Marine stocks several brands, and may be a good guide for browsing features. These include electric start, powered tilt, etc.

In my experience, a good adjustable motor mount with an XL long shaft outboard will provide you with reliable power in almost any sea state conditions without fear of prop cavitation. When every second counts to avoiding disaster, you should never have to worry about your outboard not delivering for you.
Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
Edited by - Voyager on 07/26/2026 06:36:15
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5922 Posts
Response Posted - 07/26/2026 :  14:25:13  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
People tend to overestimate the importance of horsepower for a sailboat motor and underestimate the value of light weight. Because a sailboat has a displacement hull, a motor that is more powerful than is necessary to push the boat to hull speed is wasted. A Tohatsu Sailpro 6 is a 6 hp motor that will push a 25' boat to within about 1/2 kt of hull speed. It's a single cylinder motor and it's very stingy on fuel. 8 and 10 hp motors are 2 cylinder motors, cost a lot more than a Sailpro 6, use more fuel and weigh over 100 lbs compared to 59 lbs for a Sailpro 6. Its light weight means you can unmount it by yourself and carry it to your car for servicing. I had one on a Cal 25 on the Chesapeake Bay and it never failed to get me where I needed to go. There will be rare occasions when you won't be able to power to windward against a severe chop, and you'll have to turn and go back or go to shelter, but when it's that rough, you won't want to be out there anyway. I had to turn and go back once on a 28' sailboat with an inboard engine. That's the nature of small sailboats. A few people need that extra 1/2 kt, but most really don't.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5489 Posts
Response Posted - 07/27/2026 :  06:09:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Steve, you make a very good point on the 6HP Sailpro engine.
The power to weight ratio compared to an 8HP is a huge selling point.
Fuel economy is correspondingly better too.
With an 8HP, I can run at 5.2 kts for 1 hour and 15 minutes on a gallon of gas. I’d imagine that with a 6HP, you could run about 2 hour plus.
I definitely need help mounting and unmounting my 8HP. At 59 pounds, the Sailpro would be very manageable.
You can’t beat the price savings: $1800 vs $2900, smaller is smarter.
But it all comes down to trade offs - do you need that little bit of extra power in the most critical situations? Probably not very often. It’s really a judgment call…
Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
Edited by - Voyager on 07/27/2026 06:29:42
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5922 Posts
Response Posted - 07/27/2026 :  07:03:15  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I usually motored at about 5.5 kts (just shy of full throttle). The distance from my marina to Annapolis Harbor is about 30 nm. That used about one 3 gallon tank of gas. On a long passage I carried one or two extra 3 gallon tanks with quick disconnect fittings, so I didn't have to refill the tank from a jerry jug on the rolling boat. A 9.9 hp will drive the boat about 6 kts, but that extra speed will only help when motoring downwind or in smoother water. When motoring to windward against a chop, there's a point when the waves will lift the prop out of the water. That point will be the same for a 9.9 hp with XL shaft as for a 6 hp with XL shaft. When the prop lifts out of the water the extra hp will mean nothing. In that situation it's time to abort your plan, turn downwind and return to your starting point. In a day or two the conditions will change and you can complete the trip. The people who find the extra 1/2 kt most useful are people who sail on a river against a strong river current.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore
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buddha
Deckhand

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USA
5 Posts
Response Posted - 07/27/2026 :  11:09:53  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks Ellen, Larry, Steve, and Bruce for all the good information on outboards!
Catalina 250 hull 42
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5489 Posts
Response Posted - 07/28/2026 :  05:41:04  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
You’re welcome John. Good luck with your decision.
Stev - my marina is upriver from the Sound, and the river current occasionally gets up to four knots! The 2 miles or so is a tough slog even with an 8 HP kicker.
Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5922 Posts
Response Posted - 07/28/2026 :  06:16:36  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Voyager

You’re welcome John. Good luck with your decision.
Stev - my marina is upriver from the Sound, and the river current occasionally gets up to four knots! The 2 miles or so is a tough slog even with an 8 HP kicker.
After our reservoir lake was closed in the fall, some of our sailors launched their sailboats in the Ohio River at Cincinnati to extend the season. They told me on a light air day the current could carry the boat faster than the sails could drive the boat, and the sails slatted. I saw commercial tugs use powerful engines to work against the current there and wondered how a sailboat could make much progress against the current. From the shore you could watch floating debris in the river and see how fast the current was. I suppose they stayed in shallower water where the adverse current wouldn't be as strong. I sailed on some rivers off the Chesapeake Bay, but never experienced currents like that.
Steve Milby J/24 "Captiva Wind"
previously C&C 35, Cal 25, C25 TR/FK, C22
Past Commodore
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Voyager
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
5489 Posts
Response Posted - 07/30/2026 :  05:56:21  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Steve -
I’ve been sailing and docking Passage through that 2-mile stretch of river since 2006. It has some good and some bad features. Once I transit the river, then I’m out into Long Island Sound, where current is rarely greater than 1 kt.

The good is when you’re going WITH the tide, you can easily move at 8 kts so the passage takes under 15 minutes. When opposing river and tidal currents are the strongest, it can take almost an hour.

The river has taught me how to maneuver the boat in almost any docking situation, especially when winds are strong. That’s when it’s essential to have an outboard, since you can steer with both the rudder and the engine.

It’s not for the meek of heart, but once you learn it, it’s a great comfort.
Bruce Ross
Passage ~ SR-FK ~ C25 #5032

Port Captain — Milford, CT
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