I have a 2006 Yamaha T8 that I transferred from an 18.5ft to a 26ft hull. It has plenty of power to troll at 2-3kts at less than half throttle. It's actually taken me home three times now and wide-open will push the boat at about 4.5kts.
The kicker initially on my 26ft was a Johnson 15hp with a regular prop and shorter shaft. It was noisy and because of the shorter shaft, the prop would nearly come out of the water in heavier seas.
This kicker has a tiller arm with the throttle, tilt and starter on the engine itself. I personally like that setup better than fully remote as I can grab the tiller and turn the boat while fighting a fish. I use an EZ-Steer linkage to my IO and it allows you to freely turn the kicker while the IO stays put -- but you can also steer from the helm.
Couple of minor things to keep on top of. First, I had to replace the tiller arm last season. The pivot bushings are a combination of cheap stainless and plastic. It completely seized last season and there was nothing I could do to get it unstuck. These bushings ship dry and despite being stainless, completely rusted away -- so I'd highly recommend loosening the pivot joint and getting some waterproof grease in there.
Also had to repair the trim/tilt switch. Came to the boat one morning and the house battery was dead. Found that the trim switch had gotten corroded, shorted and it activated the trim on the engine until the battery died. Came apart in 5 mins and I was able to clean and lube it with a waterproofing lube.
Engine itself has been bullet-proof.
TenMile
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