long shaft ??? short shaft ???

[ozrick]

Was wondering what horse power motor i should get for a 1984 4.5 meter swiftcraft half cab i just brought and if i need a long or short shaft motor ...will be using the boat in the Gippsland lakes and was thinking speed would be an advantage as the lake system covers hundreds of k's

[Roughasguts]

Anything over a 90 HP will guzzle fuel big time in a two stroke.

I would imagine a short shaft, but measure from your bottom bolt hole on your boats transom to your keel. And that distance will be the measuremnt your looking for on the motors bottom bolt hole to the Cav plate.

[ozrick]

Thanks Roughasguts
Just did some measurements .....The boat had an old 67 model evinrude on it that i still have .I measured the bolt holes on the motor to the cav plate and it measured 9 inches yet when i measured the holes drilled in the transom to the bottom of the keel it measured 7 inches.The transom also has some holes higher up that have been siliconed over and they measure 12 1/2 inches

[Noelm]

you need to measure from the very bottom of the Boat, to the top of the transom where the motor sits, nothing to do with Bolt holes!! forget them for now.

[ozrick]

Thanks Noelm
It measures 16 inches....i take it thats the leg length i need
Now for the horse power ....The boat is actually 4.3 / 4.4 meters and really only suited for 2 people ....i was thinking of a second hand 50 horse (95/2000 model) would be good