I would like to know what is the right size motor for a 17-ft
fiberglass center console. The parameters a

- The combined weight of the boat plus motor will be
around 1,900-lb.

- There will be 3 men and 1 woman on the boat (around
600-lb).

- I will run the boat in fresh water lakes or
in protected sea water (inshore or bay).

- I expect to run the boat at 20-mph cruising speed
(land mile, not nautical mile). I don't do skiing.
I only use the boat for fishing.

I would like to know how small a motor I can use to satisfy the
requirements stated above. I understand that fiberglass center console
boats in that size tend to have a 90-hp or 115-hp outboard motor. But I
also understand that most people like to run their boat in a very high
speed (like 35 mph or 45 mph) that I don't enjoy doing. I am thinking
of downsizing the motor to match the relatively low cruising speed that
I likely will run the boat at.

Based on past discussion, I am under the impression that an outboard
will work the most efficient if it is being run in wide-open-throttle.
This means I am looking for a motor that can satisfy the requirements
stated above when it is being run in wide-open-throttle (instead of
getting a BIG motor and then running it at low speed).

Thanks in advance for any info. And hope people don't mind the fact
that I have asked a similar question previously.

I posted a similar message not so long ago about matching a motor with
a 18-ft aluminum boat. But I have changed the requirements (18-ft
downsized to 17-ft, aluminum changed into fiberglass, ...etc).
Therefore, I need to ask around here again. Moreover, my wife wants to
run the boat in sal****er from the get go instead of phasing in from
freshwater into sal****er (as what I have originally planned).
Therefore, I need to get the right gas engine from the very beginning
instead of using a small kicker engine to get by.

Jay Chan