Dinghy Outboard HP

[Sergy]

Hi Everyone
I have followed this post with much interest as I am preparing my boat and Dingy for cruising I presently have an 8 foot Walker Bay with air bags powered by 2 hp Honda 4 stroke. It has served me well around our costal waters of BC.
A year ago I was in Bar de Nevada (Mexico) and one could see the heave swells and breaking waves from the Pacific I watched as many cruisers would try to navigate going back to their anchored boats and they tried to time the lull in the waves and then they would sprint out as fast as they could to get over the soon to be breaking wave. When I seen on more than one occasion Inflatable RIB not make the wave on time and over they went. My little 2 hp would never get us off the beach before the next breaker would be ready to engulf us. So now I am considering 11 foot RIB inflatable with 10 hp.
Will this do it were these breaking waves on the shore line the norm if we want to go ashore is there a right approach beside sitting in your boat or waiting to be in a marina.
It looks like 2 stroke is the way to go.

[s/v Jedi]

Annk: where are you cruising? What you write is absolutely right for some areas but I bet you're not in the Caribbean ;-)

So that is the important part: it depends on where you are. It also makes so widely different opinions come up in threads like these. They are all true for the area the writer is in.

Same for small 4-strokes. When you are i the US/EU with good quality gas I think they are fine.

cheers,
Nick.

[s/v Jedi]

Sergy: the best option is to anchor your dinghy just outside the surf and swim the last part. It really is, I'm not joking ;-)

I have to admit I flipped my dinghy in the surf once but it was coming in while running out of gas just as I opened the throttle for the spurt to the beach. Engine quit and I was beam to the breaker seconds later ;-)

A 10' dinghy: buy a 15hp engine. If you don't like the weight of the 15hp Yamaha consider another brand, like Mercury. The Mercury 15hp 2 stroke is the same size and weight as the 8 and 9.9 hp Mercury's and much lighter than the Yamaha 15hp.

cheers,
Nick.

[annk]

Currently in the Caribbean. You lose!

[GDFL]

Is there anyone out there using older outboards? I have a fishing boat that I keep in an empty slip near our boat and it has an 18hp Evinrude from the 60's. They are so incredibly simple and the parts are still very cheap. I just rebuilt the complete ignition from plug wires to coils, points and condensors for about $60. Carb kits are about $20. I was thinking of picking up 2 or 3 10hp outboards from the 60's-70's vintage since I can have 3 engines plus complete spares for less than the cost of one newer outboard. Is anyone doing this? What's wrong with my thinking? BTW, I will have the room and weight allowance to carry the extra engine(s) and parts.

[Sandero]

There are plenty of anchorages in the caribbean where a small OB is fine. I have been there for years but:

English Harbor
Falmouth Harbor
Lots of other Harbors about Antigua
Deashais
Point A Pitre
Il des Saintes
Bass Terre
Rodney Bay
Marigot Bay
Philipsberg
Lagoon
St Barth
St Kitts
Bequia
Granada
Monserrat ??
Dominica

Where MUST you have a planing boat with a big OB?

[s/v Jedi]

Ah, the lists of anchorages ;-)

"big" OB anchorages:

Trinidad except mooring field
Curacao
Aruba
Carriacou - Sandy Island
Grenada except St George lagoon
Isla Margerita (need to plane to pass shallows)
Bequia (no way you stay dry with small OB and it'll take you 30 minutes to Margaret Beach!)
St Lucia Rodney Bay (not just outside the channel where they steal your dinghy with big OB ;-)
All of Bahama's
99% of Turks & Caicos (all but Sapodilla bay)
Dominican Republic
Cuba
Cartagena
Sapzurro
San Blas
Colon
Statia
Saba
St Maarten Lagoon in any wind more than dead calm

In some of these anchorages the conditions are so choppy that you need more than 10' dinghy for a dry ride. We switched to a 10' dinghy with 15hp after ruining all groceries in Key West... the whole lot was soaked. We switched to a 12' in Curacao, should have done that sooner but 10' was all we could store on deck, even had to deflate it.

You can do most (not all) of the above with a small dinghy and 2-4 hp outboard but you better use weather gear">foul weather gear if you're going out for dinner!

What I find stupid is standing in planing dinghies to prevent getting wet. 90% of the cruisers doing that are not in control of the dinghy but they just have to copy cat the 10% that can do it with at least some form of control.

ciao!
Nick.

[annk]

Sorry but I disagree with you! It may be faster(!) but absolutely is not VITAL in many on the places on your list.

I have no experience of Bahamas, Turks and Caicos,but in every other place I have managed just fine with a 4hp.

Horses for courses I guess, but I know I'd rather shell out for a stolen 4hp than a 15hp

Can count on one hand the number of times I've needed wet weather gear...

[Sandero]

I lived aboard and cruised from St Martin to Grenada, male that Trinidad and had an Avon Rover with wood floor and a 6Hp which when I was alone and empty might plan, I actually don't recall. But I never felt HP challenged in any anchorage in 3 yrs down there.

[s/v Jedi]

Ah, now I understand you and I agree that you're not HP challenged or that it is vital for most of the places I listed. It's just that I am spoiled and don't want to get wet when I go to a party or dinner or do a 30 minute dinghy ride instead of a quick 5 minute planing ride. I also want to get my groceries aboard dry. You can also pack your groceries in watertight bags or something so it's not vital at all. But when you look around you, you will find that you are in the minority as most dinghies in these places are 10 feet with 15hp outboard.

But I wouldn't dare to leave my boat on the mooring at Saba when I don't have a planing dinghy as you're basically on the open sea.

ciao!
Nick.

[Sandero]

I have done it in Saba a few times. Crazy to live on that rock!

[MarkJ]

Buy a big 15hp OB and it will be stolen!

We have a 3.3hp Mercury. We never drag the dink with the outboard on, so 3.3 is perfect weight to toss from the dink up to Nic on the swim platform.
A 8 or 9 hp will be too heavy for me (or her!).

If you have davits it may be another story.

I would like a few extra HP and a new engine for exploring and excursions..... and getting back to the boat quicker when we are wet!

Dinghy-Wet-Bum is the bain of my life! Every friggin trip and I need a dry pair of undies! Salt on the toush ain't Marks fav irritant. Coming back from dinner a few months ago we drove Lil' Dink against 25kts and a chop for 1 NM. Nic was crying her eyes out at the end. That was one crappy anchorage is a crappy town that the Pilot books say is wonderful. Jeeze, it sucked.


I think a larger than 3.3hp on a big tube dink would be the way to go


Mark

[Highlander40]

Has anybody tried a catamaran dink? They sure smooth out the bumps.
We have a DUX 10' with a yamaha 8 hp 2 stroke. Nice ride but you get a fine mist sometimes blown back between the hulls. West marine used to carry a performance cat that had a traditional rounded bow and the rep claimed less spray.
If the thing gets stolen, it will be easy to find. Sort of rare.

Happy cruising
Carl

[Aussiesuede]

Smaller equals slower and lighter. Larger equal faster and heavier (and are definitely more attractive targets for the thieves) - but like everything else - the choice basically comes down to personal tastes. I'd say get the biggest size dink you can store and power it which ever manner pleasures YOU. One thing that bears repeating, when the need arises to use the dink to nudge along the big boat - you'll be VERY appreciative of every last horsepower you have!

What I'm amazed by is just how few folks use what I like to call "courtesy motors" as secondary propulsion. I'm naturally inclined not to disturb others on late night jaunts in a calm quiet anchorage. My little electric Minn Kota Endura 55 trolling motor is perfect for late night moving about. Makes not a lick of noise and plenty have voiced their appreciation. And that tiny little thing will move ya along just fine. Heaps more polite than a poorly maintained two stroker hacking up a storm at midnite, and the thing is lite enough (lighter than a 12 pack) to carry with if need be.

[getlostonpurpose]

I've got a Caribe L-9 with a Nissan 8 HP four stroke. I love the dinghy but I'm not so keen on the 4 stroke. I already had problems with it in several foreign countries and everyone's right, getting it repaired is costly if you can find a place to do it. The 8 HP will plane fine with one person, sometimes with two people (depends on the water conditions) but won't plane with 2 people and a bag of laundry. I absolutely love having a quick dinghy to explore harbors and I don't care how much a pain it is to lug around or how "attractive" it is to thieves. I had to pull the boat into two harbors last year using the dinghy and on one of those (where I lost the engine, then the wind behind the mountains) the dinghy saved the boat.

I WISH I had bought a Yamaha 15hp 2 stroke. Next time...next time.

Drew