Tohatsu 6 hp Four-Stroke Outboard Questions

[gfspencer]

I've done a search and I've read a lot of answers but I'm still not sure.  Help me out here.

I have decided to buy a Tohatsu 6 hp Sailpro.  Which shaft length do I want?  20" or 25".  This will be for freshwater sailing.  (Lake Norman)  My old 2-stroke will cavitate if the water is rough.

The 25" shaft looks like it is really long.  Can you get it out of the water when you are under sail?  (The old 2-stroke 8HP Tohatsu is only about 3' tall.)

If you run a four-stroke motor do you disconnect the fuel tank and run the motor dry between sails?  Sometimes it will be a month before I get back out to the boat.

[skip1930]

Last Q? " If you run a four-stroke motor do you disconnect the fuel tank and run the motor dry between sails?  Sometimes it will be a month before I get back out to the boat. "

No ... just run non-gasohol gasoline from BP [British Petroleum aka Standard Oil]  or who ever sells gas in your area.
I pull the hose and run her dry at take out. And slip the hose back on in the spring.

~No idea if the long motor can be lifted and tilted out of the water enough to not ' drag'.
~Can barely lift and tilt my short shaft out of the water on my CP-19. Engine must be turned 90 degrees to do this Tilt & Lift.
~Actually had to grind away some of the 'pick-up bar' of the mount for maximum lift. It touches the rub rail on the stern.

skip.

[atrometer]

I ALWAYS run the carb dry on any of my engines.  As far as tilting up it depends on the mount.  I'd go with the 25, especially since you already have a problem with the current engine.

[brackish]

Most of us who have that motor got the 25" shaft, but it certainly depends on your particular mount to determine if you can get it out of the water when sailing.  I can.  My mount has four lock positions.  I operate the motor on the second from the bottom leaving one more to go if the waves cause cavitation.  I lift it up and tilt it on the highest position.

I NEVER run my motor dry.  I leave it hooked up, all cavities filled so that daily temperature gradients do not cause surface water condensation which is much worse at causing corrosion and problems with crud in the jets than old gas.  I also never use any fuel with ethanol in it.  I've NEVER had any problems with my motor(s).  If you are going to store your boat in a humidity and temperature controlled atmosphere then that doesn't matter, but who does that.  Just an opinion.  

This picture is the mid tilt position.  You can also tilt it one position higher.

[skip1930]

I leave all the gas, filled to the brim for 6+ month winter storage on the 1930 Model 'A'.
But do run the O/B dry for winter storage.
Gas always filled and wet fuel system when in the water.

skip.

[gfspencer]

Thanks for all the answers.  I appreciate the wealth of knowledge that we have here.  I'm going out to the boat today and pull the 16-year-old Tohatsu 2-stroke off the boat.  It just isn't that reliable anymore.  It's getting old like me.  (I used to sail a Flying Scott with no motor.  It didn't bother me a bit.  Now I need an outboard.  Oh well.)  I'll measure the shaft and go from there.

I guess I am going to start bringing my boat into the slip bow first so I can tilt the motor up.  It's hard to change the way you do things after 16 years.