9.9 vs. 15hp 4s for new 9.5' AL AB Dingy

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by witzgall

mark, AB makes two versions of 9' fiberglass boats. One weighs 106lbs, and the other 143 lbs, quite a difference. Do you know which one you have, out of curiosity?

Chris

I have the lightweight one. It doesn't have the box in the bow and the FRP is thinner.
If certainly feels lighter when I run over a boat wake and the dink slams back onto the water. I don't like that, so I slow down on head on wakes.
But without davits the light one is much better.

With big davits weight isn't a problem, per say, but as everything gets heavier it may start putting the bow out of the water!

[STG]

I'm not sure about the rules in your neck of the woods, but in our state (WA) as long as the boat is less than 16' and does not have over 10 hp, you are exempt from registering and paying for the yearly tabs. Just extra food for thought if all else where equal.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by STG

I'm not sure about the rules in your neck of the woods, but in our state (WA) as long as the boat is less than 16' and does not have over 10 hp, you are exempt from registering and paying for the yearly tabs. Just extra food for thought if all else where equal.

After a gentle discussion with a Florida Nazi Storm Trooper Police Mongrel I can assure you that any dinghy over 6 inches long and with a wind up rubber band propellor needs to be documented with 3,000 forms, taxes paid, stickers stuck, numbers painted and generally fornicated over by some huge number of brother Floridian Government officials.

The assho!e may well have been right but he lowered my otherwise extremely high opinion of USA officials to something to the level of cess pit mud, ooze and offle. You guys gotta pull your police into line.


Mark

[STG]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

After a gentle discussion with a Florida Nazi Storm Trooper Police Mongrel I can assure you that any dinghy over 6 inches long and with a wind up rubber band propellor needs to be documented with 3,000 forms, taxes paid, stickers stuck, numbers painted and generally fornicated over by some huge number of brother Floridian Government officials.

Ha! That paints an amusing picture, and describes a number of government agencies.

Still... that is Florida, and the OP is from NC. So rules might be different there like they are in WA State? My dinghy has never been registered as I do not have over 10hp for that very reason. I do not post T/T on it either, although I have been meaning to get around to it for id'ing just incase someone tries to "borrow" it.

I did verify WA rules to make sure my ever diminishing memory was still serving me ok. Seems to be (reasonably) ok this morning.

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by witzgall

Hi all,


We are full-time cruisers. I would jump at the 9.9, as it would use less gas, and is lighter, but how I am unsure how it will perform with two people, three people, or two people, full diesel and water jugs, and groceries.

The "recommended" engine is a 8hp, and max is 15hp.

Any thoughts???

Chris

Also consider that you dinghy motor should be big enough to get your vessel out of trouble. We went for the 15.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by STG

I'm not sure about the rules in your neck of the woods, but in our state (WA) as long as the boat is less than 16' and does not have over 10 hp, you are exempt from registering and paying for the yearly tabs. Just extra food for thought if all else where equal.

Really? I thought anything with a motor had to be registered... foolish me!

UPDATE: just checked....what does the last line mean? I think if you are on salt water it must be registered...?

"What to Register

Any boat or other water vessel that is 16 feet or longer, has a motor larger than 10 horsepower, or is used on federal waters."

[STG]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

UPDATE: just checked....what does the last line mean? I think if you are on salt water it must be registered...?

"What to Register

Any boat or other water vessel that is 16 feet or longer, has a motor larger than 10 horsepower, or is used on federal waters."

I could be wrong (would not be the first time) but it is my understanding that saltwater within 3 miles of the coast is State waters, with the exception of lakes which are in Federal Parks. And waters 3-200 miles off the coast are Federal.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by STG

I could be wrong (would not be the first time) but it is my understanding that saltwater within 3 miles of the coast is State waters, with the exception of lakes which are in Federal Parks. And waters 3-200 miles off the coast are Federal.

OK, did some more searching and found this, but there seems to be alot of questions about this....:

"Federal waters, where registration is required on all mechanically propelled vessels regardless of size (gas, diesel, electric), include Puget Sound, Hood Canal, Lake Washington, Lake Union, Lake Sammamish, Columbia River, Snake River, Lake Washington Ship Canal, Capitol Lake, Pend Oreille River, Walla Walla River, Yakima River, and other bodies of water effected by the ebb and flow of the tide and are on or bordering federal land. For further clarification of federal waters, please contact the local marine law enforcement office in the jurisdiction.

Exception: Vessels equipped with propulsion machinery of less than ten horsepower that: (a) Are owned by the owner of a vessel for which a valid vessel number has been issued; (b) Display the number of that numbered vessel followed by the suffix "1" in the manner prescribed by the department; and (c) Are used as a tender for direct transportation between that vessel and the shore and for no other purpose are not required to be registered."

If going without registration, I think I would print this portion of the code and keep it on the mother ship!

[H Romberg]

Put the most horses you can safely run on the back of your dink. You'll appreciate them a lot when you're out and about. Either way, it looks like you're going to be hoisting the motor off the dink, so weight seems like a non issue except for how it affects your mother ship's sailing. If it's only a few extra pounds, I'd go with the 15.

I'm not saying to overprop the thing. Just that when I was in the Bahamas last year I ran all over the abacos in my dink. Having a fast one made all the difference.

[witzgall]

We ended up buying a 15 4 stroke yammy. The 2 stroke is up in the classifieds. The new engine is heavier by about 24 lbs. We got a great deal on a 2011 model.

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by witzgall

We ended up buying a 15 4 stroke yammy. The 2 stroke is up in the classifieds. The new engine is heavier by about 24 lbs. We got a great deal on a 2011 model.

15 is the way to go.

You can go eat at McDonalds now and still get on a plane!

[Gordon]

The SUZUKI DF15A four stroke manual short shaft weighs in at 97 lb/ 44 Kg. This is the new engine with Lean Burn and Battery-less Fuel Injection. The 20hp DF20A is the same weight. Extra power rating comes from increased rev. range to full throttle.

Just a thought.
Gordon.

[stevensuf]

I Have the ab vs95 (about 140lbs) with a tohatsu 9.8 2 stroke (58lb) it planes fine with 2 on board but not 3 and can struggle with 2 + full tank (50lb) and lots of shopping. The reason i went with the 9.8 was it is easy to remove and man handle the engine, when you go up to the 15hp you are more like 90lbs, the vs9 is one of the heaviest dinks for its size, but it handles much better than my older dink which was the same size but lighter weight and the nose jumped everywhere.

[H Romberg]

Sail down to Marsh Harbor in the Bahamas and snag a 2 stroke 15. You'll LOVE it, and it'll weigh less than the 4 stroke 9.9