Catalina 25-27' - Outboard or Inboard?

[manollo3]

Hello,
I am currently looking for a 25-30'sailboat and have narrowed it down to most likely a 25' or 27'Catalina. Now these models come sometimes with an outboard engine and once in a while with either a gasoline or diesel inboard.
Honestly I would have more faith in the inboard diesel but assume that the outboard would do it as well? They mostly come with 8-10 HP and wonder if that is enough to push the boat through any currents.
Will most likely doing some coast cruising and later on to the Bahamas. Will an outboard work sufficient for that?

Appreciate any advise from you.
greetings,
Mario

[Abaco]

Manollo,

An outboard can be a real negative if you are trying to motor out through Port Everglades in any kind of waves. The pitching of the boat will pull the prop out of the water. On the other hand, an outboard should be easier and less expensive to maintain.

[slomotion]

Also, no matter how spartan your lifestyle, for cruising you want to be able to charge batteries without resorting to shore power. An inboard can do it; an outboard can't.

[Randy]

Why not refer to this website? Used Boat Notebook it discusses pro & cons of the different engines & other options to look for.
Personally I'd never rely on an outboard to get you anywhere other than in & out of harbors or slips.

[John P]

I have an '84 Catalina 25 with a 9.9 HP outboard. Although I hope to go to a bigger boat someday, I would have preferred the inboard. It is a double edged sword. The engine stays in the boat, which is good for storage but makes maintenance a pain. Most older boats that had the inboards had painfully small engine compartments. One 25 I was on a few years back, the owner had totally gutted the interior and rebuilt to his specs, with a fully accessible engine compartment. Obviously, with the larger boats, this is usually not much of a problem.

That being said, You should look at where plan to sail/motor. In rough seas, an OB can be a pain.

Regarding the previous charging comment, my OB is outfitted with a small alternator for charging. Not a great deal of charging, but it does work, nowhere near the cap of an inboard though.

My advice is to talk with owners who have both. I wanted the inboard, but the boat with the OB was too good a deal to pass up, and I do not get too many huge waves up here on Champlain.

Good Luck!

P.s. I have motored up to 15 miles at a time with my OB with no problems.

[manollo3]

Thanks a lot everyone. Appreciate your input.
At least it confirmed my initial thought.
So I will be looking for one with an inboard. Fortunately I am not in a rush and will look around for a while.
Mario