25" outboard shaft length

[Brent65]

Eclipse Sailors,

I'm considering buying an Eclipse and am thinking through the outboard motor options.  As you may know, many modern small outboards come in several shaft lengths, ie. 15", 20" and now extra long 25" shafts.  I would prefer the longer 25" length for motoring...less chance of cavitation, but have a few concerns. 

Here're my questions:  Do any of sail with the 25" shaft length?  Does it drag in the water when tilted in the UP position, while sailing the Eclipse?  Is it dangerously low to the ground in the DOWN position when trailering or launching? 

Also, the Tohatsu 6hp Sail Pro seems very attractive in that it's offered in a 25" shaft length and high thrust prop.  Anyone have this setup?  Likes/dislikes? 

Your real life experiences are very helpful, do please share. 

Best,
Brent

[slode]

I wouldn't go any shorter than the 6hp sail pro Tohatsu that I have.  The 25" shaft is about perfect for the boat.  Tilted up it sits darn near horizontal with plenty of clearance.  Down the skeg is still above the keel.  I've actually had the prop cavitate in 2-3' waves when trying to reverse to slow down coming into a downwind dock.   It was fine going forward, just had me scared trying to slow down when the motor revved up in every trough.

[Whisper]

Hi Brent , I purchased an Eclipse and it came with an Evinrude 6 HP four stroke outboard with the 25inch long shaft . This outboard comes in several brands including the Tohatsu.
I think the 25 long shaft is great however I found that the outboard vibrated really badly and the screw on the back does not lock the outboard in one position . It's a faulty design , just google it .
You can get an aftermarket fitting from Tohatsu that locks it and stops it turning .
I purchased one of these and fitted it but the vibration problem was worse.
Not sure if my outboard was faulty but when you google this 6 HP it confirms mine was not the only one . I think it's because it had only one cylinder.
What to do , well I have had many Yamaha outboards and have been very happy with them .
So I chose an 8 HP long shaft 4 stroke , 21 inch shaft and twin cylinder , I also managed to lower the plastic outboard pad by 1 inch ,that gave me really 22 inches of depth .
This outboard is super smooth ,no vibration and very quiet . Really very happy and haven't had any cavitation problems yet .
The 8hp is overkill but only needs low revs to get maximum hull speed . Plus if I need more push in heavy going ,this outboard provides it. Tasmania can have strong winds at times .
Cheers Des