So I have posted on here before about a year ago when I was thinking about purchasing a MM for my gheenoe. Then it happened, my little Bobbin's put me in hospital debt and I had to put the whole thing on hold. Well now, I am back at looking at one of these Backwater motors. My gheenoe is not a normal gheenoe. It's 16 foot long and 4'6 Beam the transom does not go back to being narrow in the least bit. Dry hull weight of the boat is 350 lb's and will be running at most 3 people, but the majority of my hunting is me and another. I do not know if this matters but about 4 feet of the back of the boat is filled with foam and really does not sit in the water back heavy.

Right now I have a 2014 Suzuki 4 stroke on the back that I use for the Mosquito Lagoon motor weighs in at around 250 lb's. I purchased a Cherry Picker to be able to switch motors for duck season when I hit the St. Johns. I am not looking at the mud flats, stump jumping, rocks, and what not but I want to push through the vegetation and get where the ducks will be. Lots of these areas my boat floats but the water intake and prop get matted to the point I stop. Some of the guides down here have flat skiffs that were in the 40-60k range and I still go where they do with my gheenoe. (I love the boat)

I had contacted Backwater about the transom height being 20" and he said the 71" shaft would work on the boat and also recommended the 23 vanguard instead of the 35. What input can you guys give me on things I should know. I am not looking to set speed records with a long tail just to take it where I can get the birds.

If your outboard weighs 250 and it floats well I'd go with the 35. I think you'd be a little disappointed with the 23. I'm running my 35 on almost a 20" transom and it runs good.

What performances would I be looking at with the 23 and say myself (175lbs)