new member intro and question

[intergalactic]

No, Sandy. I'm still a big Merc fan. But right now they're running a bit on the overweight side compared to the Etecs, and no matter how partisan I might be, I'm also honest, and the performance difference is truly negligible, and Evinrude has gotten a lot more reliable than they used to be.

All that said, If I'm going to repower my Seafari with any motor, and price is not a factor, my choice is gonna be a Hermco bracket and a Mercury Verado 200 4 cylinder.

I have a parishioner bought a 2010 Scout 21' with a T-top and a 200hp 4 cyl. Verado. He's got the Smartcraft setup and is getting 4.7 mpg at 4000 rpms, and 5.0 mpg at 3850 rpms, and averaging about 4.1 mpg overall.
His last boat was an '07 21' Sailfish cc with a T-top, and a Yamaha 150 4s, and he was getting 3.3 to 3.5 mpg.

The Verado is an outstanding motor. But I can't hang 510 lbs off the back of my 20" transom with only a 7 1/2' beam.

Ok, so if I am shopping for a 20'SF, do I need to worry about a bracket if it has one? Assuming the fuel tank is pretty far forward, is the additional length of the bracket a turtling hazard?

[Fr. Frank]

Ok, so if I am shopping for a 20'SF, do I need to worry about a bracket if it has one? Assuming the fuel tank is pretty far forward, is the additional length of the bracket a turtling hazard?

No worries concerning capsizing either way. If the existing bracket is a flotation bracket, you're good to go. Either kind of bracket will affect your minimum planing speed if you are without trim tabs.
Ideally, you want a bracket able to float 110% of the weight of your motor, which can save you from wet feet as well as preserve static trim.