If you can I would get a Honda or Suzuki. I might add I have a stick steer boat with a 40 Mercury.....have used it a ton in the last 5 years with no issues what so ever....but I still wish I had a Honda or Suzuki. As to horse power.....my boat is only 14.5 feet long yet it has a 40 HP. When I had it built I was only going to get a 25....then a 30.....and so on. Forty HP is the max for my boat and I’m glad I maxed it out. I’m afraid you may regret not getting a bigger motor for a 17 foot boat. Right now you may not can see yourself ever selling the boat but that day may come and an under powered boat might take a while to sell. Of course this is just my opinion. I will in all likelihood re-power in 3 or 4 years and then I will have the Honda or Suzuki.
Regards
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