Cheata Bracket & Outboard on 18' Magnum

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I would rather be sailing than talking about sailing!

Low horse power (1-2) and short shaft are recommended for Cheata brackets. They are not strong enough for more than that. You may be able to modify them to get more strength, but the above is there typical recommendation

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Matt Miller
Former - Director of Parts and Accessory Sales
Warranty and Technical Support
Hobie Cat USA
(Retired 11/7/2022)

Thanks Matt! Have a Great Holiday!

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I would rather be sailing than talking about sailing!

[color=#0000FF]So my questions, for those of you who use this setup, are as follows: what horsepower engine do you use; what shaft length is best (I am concerned with the short shaft that it will be coming in and out of the water when the wave action heats up); what approximate speed do you get both without and with significant head wind?[/color]

I have the Honda 2HP 4-stroke for my 21SE and it makes getting into and out of the busy boat ramp a pleasure. A couple of sailing days ago my wife and I flipped the boat on our last run into the beach. To make a long story short.....we went straight to the beach once we were up and going. We had drifted down the lake shore about 200yds or so. We lowered the mainsail and it took quite a few pulls on the motor to get it start as it was on its side for approximately 30 minutes. The winds were sideshore 15-25 and the waves were 3-5 feet. Once I got the motor to start I gave it gas and the boat did not want to move with that much side and head wind. I thought I broke a propeller pin....The whole reason for writing this is the small lightweight engine is the best for weight to power, but has a lot of trouble pushing during the high wind days. Sail the boat when its windy and use the motor to assist when there is lighter winds. The next time I will sail into the dock if I have the stronger winds. This is similar to a fishing boat and the kicker motor can't push them either when the winds are up.