Tender Outboard Size. 15HP or 20HP?

[malbert73]

Originally Posted by boom23

On my ex Lagoon 450, I had the AB 10AL with the Suzuki 20hp EFI 4-stroke and electric start (for my wife), and the Danard dinghy wheels. The setup was really nice and at my max weight limit. I could drag the dinghy on my own even on steeper beaches. Also, with the Danard wheels, I did not have to lift the motor when I beached the dinghy. I plan to get the same setup for my next boat.



Now, that I hear that I can get the dinghy to plane with more than 2-3 people with a new prop, it's is even better!

Interesting! Did the weight of the motor behind the wheels help balance the weight of dinghy ahead of them? Ie lifting the bow was easier?

[boom23]

Originally Posted by malbert73

Interesting! Did the weight of the motor behind the wheels help balance the weight of dinghy ahead of them? Ie lifting the bow was easier?

The bow is still heavy but the engine behind the wheels helps a little. The other good thing about not having to lift the engine is that you can motor until the bow hits the sand and stops the boat. This is useful when there are waves.

[darylat8750]

Originally Posted by boom23

Is it possible to let me know what prop you have, or you suggest, on your 20hp Suzuki outboard?

I had the same motor (4 stroke EFI model) on my previous boat dinghy and I loved it but it would not plane our AB UL10AL with 4 people.
Thank you!

I'm still running my beat up old Yamaha. The Suzuki is what I'll get when it finally dies. Reducing the pitch 1" from the stock made a noticeable improvement on the 15hp.

My friend has a 58 foot Hatteras and my 15hp with the "power prop" will tug his boat better than his 25hp with the "cruise" prop.

[boom23]

Originally Posted by darylat8750

I'm still running my beat up old Yamaha. The Suzuki is what I'll get when it finally dies. Reducing the pitch 1" from the stock made a noticeable improvement on the 15hp.

My friend has a 58 foot Hatteras and my 15hp with the "power prop" will tug his boat better than his 25hp with the "cruise" prop.

That is good to hear because I don't want to go to a 25hp engine as it's heavier. Thank you!

I was sceptical about the 20hp Suzuki EFI but it was an amazing engine. It would start with one or two pulls and hold idle always.

[NewMoon]

Originally Posted by clockwork orange

As a guy who has always had hard dinghies with oars and a tiny outboard i have always wondered what folks with large RIBs with large motors with a combined weight of 300 - 400 lbs do when you get to a beach in an area where the difference between high and low tide could be a half mile hump. What happens when you come to the beach at high tide and when you get back to the dinghy after being ashore for some hours you have to get it back to the water? Or you hit the beach at low tide and the dinghy is too heavy to pull up the beach do you just anchor it and swim for it when you get back? These are mysteries to me as ive not cruised in areas to witness the solutions first hand. Obviously less of an issue in the lakes with no tides to deal with. I have seen talk of beach wheels but all ive seen are ones that mount to the transom which would negate the weight of the motor but it seems to me you still have to be lifting the weight of the boat and anything in it when dragging it from the bow. This could still be 150 lbs or more. What am I missing here? We just shipped a customers 36ft powerboat to Florida last week that they will be cruising the Bahamas with. They previously had a sailboat in the Bahamas for a few years and this time they took the smallest of the AB aluminum RIBs with an 8hp Yamaha 2 stroke which is a very light combo, because she can drag it up the beach alone.

Steve.

Know what you mean!

Used to an Avon Redcrest and 2hp motor - 65 lb max. With the bigger boat we acquired a Bullfrog dinghy that is over 300# with motor. Went ashore for kid and dog to take a walk. Good thing my brother and I were still sitting in the dinghy. Suddenly realized we had next to no water under us, and tide was still going out. Both of us jumped out and were barely able to slide the dinghy back into deeper water. If we had waited another ten minutes we'd have been stuck there for hours.

Got an anchor setup that should allow us to pull the boat out into deeper water, and then back in again. Haven't tried it yet.

[boom23]

Originally Posted by NewMoon

Got an anchor setup that should allow us to pull the boat out into deeper water, and then back in again. Haven't tried it yet.

We used that setup in Marquesas. Very useful. Together with the large dinghy wheels, a heavier dinghy is easier to deal with.

I've also seen few cruisers using a kayak, or paddle board, to get ashore after anchoring their too-heavy dinghy. They drop off people at the shore and then they anchor the dinghy and use the kayak for the last person. It works.

[44'cruisingcat]

Split the difference with a Tohatsu 18? Same as the 15, with 20% more power.

[bhensey]

The Suzuki 20hp is the same weight or lighter than the Yamaha

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by bhensey

The Suzuki 20hp is the same weight or lighter than the Yamaha

It’s actually a little heavier at 99 lbs. if we are talking the Yamaha Enduro, and quite a bit heavier than the lighter non Enduro 15 Hp Yamaha.
However per HP, it’s lighter than the Yamaha 15 HP Enduro.

So it does go to show that in the 21st century that it is possible to build a lightweight four stroke, which of course has always been one of the biggest downsides to a four stroke outboard.
Heck there are now even four stroke weed eaters, and these engines can be run at any angle. The division between four and two stroke is growing smaller. When I see a light weight four stroke chainsaw, then I will feel that the two stroke is dead.