Elec Start Outboard on Tender?

[LeeV]

We may have found our "final" cat, but I'll need to buy an 11' dinghy with a 15hp outboard.
I've considered an electric, but we want to roam around, and tow toys = more power.
With some shoulder issues, and the Admiral having a hard time with pull starters, I'm considering an electric start but with a 2000A digital jump starter in place of a 12v battery.


I'm sure echoes of "decadence" ring through everybody's head, but the very fact that we're looking at a 46' cat after 4 trimarans is already decadent to me!


Thoughts, or solutions, anybody? Am I the only one???! :-)


Thanks,

[44'cruisingcat]

Friends of ours have 20hp electric start outboards on the big boat, and the same (less power tilt) on the dinghy, for commonality of spares.

LiFePO4 battery saves a little weight.

[wayne.b]

Originally Posted by LeeV

We may have found our "final" cat, but I'll need to buy an 11' dinghy with a 15hp outboard.
I've considered an electric, but we want to roam around, and tow toys = more power.
With some shoulder issues, and the Admiral having a hard time with pull starters, I'm considering an electric start but with a 2000A digital jump starter in place of a 12v battery.


I'm sure echoes of "decadence" ring through everybody's head, but the very fact that we're looking at a 46' cat after 4 trimarans is already decadent to me!


Thoughts, or solutions, anybody? Am I the only one???! :-)


Thanks,

===


We've had a Honda BF20 with electric start and power tilt for over 10 years on a 12 ft RIB. We use a small tractor battery which works fine. The downside is additional weight and cost but I have no regrets. My next dinghy engine will be fuel injected however after tiring of carburetor issues.

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Friends of ours have 20hp electric start outboards on the big boat, and the same (less power tilt) on the dinghy, for commonality of spares.

LiFePO4 battery saves a little weight.

Whew; and I thought 15hp was huge! I had a 15 on my Condor 40!
Nice idea although we'll have 2 diesels on the big boat.
Here's what I'll carry with me to start: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...6YTQSQT8JAVVBP



Works well starting a v-6 jeep!

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by wayne.b

===


We've had a Honda BF20 with electric start and power tilt for over 10 years on a 12 ft RIB. We use a small tractor battery which works fine. The downside is additional weight and cost but I have no regrets. My next dinghy engine will be fuel injected however after tiring of carburetor issues.

The boat davits have a 400lb limit, but I'd rather not go that far - I'd prefer keeping weight off the stern - but your comment about FI is spot on; several of my outboards always seemed to suffer with carb issues.


Thanks!

[ranger58sb]

We have an electric-start Suzuki DF15A, and at the time their DF15A/DF20A platform was the lightest 4-stroke fuel-injected outboard on the market. I think ours in electric-start format is 107 lbs, but their chart will clarify if I remembered incorrectly.

I occasionally have should issues, the electric-start option solves that. And it also means wifey can start it easier.

We use a small AGM battery sized for the required cranking amps... and it doesn't self-discharge much. Even when we store the dinghy ashore over a winter, the battery stays good if it was fully charged when we put everything away.

-Chris

[tkeithlu]

Don't consider for a moment any idea of your being a wimp because you have an electric starter on your outboard. Any one who has tried to deal with any of the multiple ways a small engine can go into "It won't start" mode with a rope starter will envy you.

[sguerrero1971]

Originally Posted by LeeV

We may have found our "final" cat, but I'll need to buy an 11' dinghy with a 15hp outboard.
I've considered an electric, but we want to roam around, and tow toys = more power.
With some shoulder issues, and the Admiral having a hard time with pull starters, I'm considering an electric start but with a 2000A digital jump starter in place of a 12v battery.


I'm sure echoes of "decadence" ring through everybody's head, but the very fact that we're looking at a 46' cat after 4 trimarans is already decadent to me!


Thoughts, or solutions, anybody? Am I the only one???! :-)


Thanks,

The jump box is a good idea, but if you go with a small motorcycle battery or lawn tractor battery you get the benefit of running a bilge and lights too. I believe those are things you're going to want\need anyway, so it may make sense to have them all ran from one source. Just something to think about.

[Steve_C]

Basically you are buying a lithium battery. They make small light lithium for things like starting motorcycles that would work just as well, but be more suitable for the marine environment. Even 10 years ago I raced off road and used a 1 1/2 lb lithium battery to start my 520 KTM that was rated at about 50 HP. It withstood exceptionally brutal conditions and worked flawlessly.

No need to re-invent the wheel, this is a common need with a lot of options already suited to what you want.

I have no shoulder problems, but for the extremely slight weight difference will also opt for electric start just to keep the wifey happy.

Best of Luck! keep us informed with whatever you choose.

[Sand crab]

You will have to figure out a system to connect the jump box to your motor because those clamps won't work. And I wonder how marine proof the box is. I think not at all. Motorcycle batteries are less than 20 pounds so there's not much weight there.
FWIW Yamaha just came out with a new lightweight 25 HP motor. It's around 126 # in basic configuration which is the same as their 20 HP unit. The 15 HP starts at 111 #.

[Waterford]

I purchased a slightly-used Suzuki 9.9 with fuel injection and elec start. This is the first time I've had either EFI or elec start and they are both great. If doing again I would add power tilt. I'm using a small AGM battery and the outboard has no problem maintaining the charge.

[Stu Jackson]

A friend bought a nice Yamaha 15 hp elec start, but chose one without a pull start. One day it wouldn't start and we had to get towed back to our boats from the dinghy dock. Turns out he'd forgotten to reinsert the kill switch!!! Yes, it was a very good dinner right before!


Seems that there is a choice of elec only vs elec AND pull.


Your boat, your choice.

[LeeV]

Originally Posted by sguerrero1971

The jump box is a good idea, but if you go with a small motorcycle battery or lawn tractor battery you get the benefit of running a bilge and lights too. I believe those are things you're going to want\need anyway, so it may make sense to have them all ran from one source. Just something to think about.

You're right; I hadn't thought of those. I've always used batter operated lights for the dinghy, and left the drain plug out and tilted it to drain, but a lawn tractor battery is cheap and not that heavy.

[a64pilot]

No, you definitely want to go with a lithium motorcycle battery, I had one on my Husqvarna TE-450 that was electric start and had lights etc. much lighter and better than a LA battery when weight is an issue. They aren’t much bigger than say two packs of cigarettes and weight is insignificant, about what one beer would weigh.

Plus in my opinion 15 isn’t big enough, go at least to 20 HP. We have a 20 HP on our AB and it could use more, but more is the next weight class of motor and that would be too heavy
Go with the biggest motor in that weight class, for example the Suzuki, 9.9, 15 and 20 are the identical weight as they are the same motor with different states of tune. Almost always electric start dinghies also come with steering wheels and center consoles and are on power boats, they are without a doubt HEAVY beasts and usually have a 60 or so on the stern.
Assuming you don’t go the CC route the electric start motor’s weight will have you sitting far forward for a good CG for planing, further forward than you may realize. Most probably both of you will be up there with the seat, so a good tiller extension Handle will be needed of course.
Once you start going down that electric start road you may end up with more than your davits can handle, so every pound or kilo counts.

[HopCar]

I have a 15hp Lehr outboard. It has electric start and the lithium iron battery is under the engine hood. No external battery needed. It works great.

I don’t know why other engine manufacturers don’t do this.