Thanks for your reply. My boat is a late 80s or early 90s 13 ft whaler that's rated for 40 hp max. I don't know enough about this sort of thing to say whether I could get away with a slightly larger motor or not. Any thoughts?

My .02 - NEVER exceed the rating for your boat.
Throbbin Rods

I'm sure you're right. Thanks for the reply though.