Cruisers Forum
 


Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on Cruisers Forums. Advertise Here
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread Display Modes
Old 27-03-2015, 11:48   #16
Registered User
 
ranger58sb's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Maryland, USA
Boat: 58' Sedan Bridge
Posts: 5,418
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

Quote:
Originally Posted by dkchen View Post
It is a 2.5 HP engine, but I heard that the 4-stroke engines are not as powerful as two-stroke. So I was thinking of going one step up to a 5 HP engine.

We don't need to plane or go really fast. It just needs to be able to take us from point A to point B without falling into the water or running into things. We'll be mostly using it for going from our boat to the docks.
"Power" differences not really true. Various engines may have slightly different torque curves... so may feel different at varying levels of acceleration. Might be relevant when comparing to HP vs. weight, though (4-strokes generally heavier).

If docks are close, weather is benign, and load is reasonable, that speaks to the way you'll use it... and suggests modest horsepower would work.

It might also suggest considering electric, assuming you can recharge. And nowadays, there's propane as well, assuming you can keep yourself supplied with that fuel.

-Chris
__________________
Chesapeake Bay, USA.
ranger58sb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-03-2015, 13:41   #17
Registered User
 
Scout 30's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Florida
Boat: Scout 30
Posts: 3,112
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

I've had a Honda 2.3hp for about 14 years. It's sensitive to fuel problems so I only run non ethanol gas in it & run it dry when I'm done for the day. I've learned that when you start having carb problems rebuilding the carb does not work so I just replace it at about $90. It's easy to work on but it's air cooled so it's loud when you rev it up. I like it because it's light, has an internal tank, burns very little fuel & is very reliable as long as the carburetor is not gummed up. I use it on my 11' Avon with the inflatable floor & my 10' Bauer sailing dinghy & it works well for both although a bigger motor would be fun with the Avon.
Scout 30 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-03-2015, 16:13   #18
Marine Service Provider

Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Auckland, NZ
Boat: Compass 790 , 7.9 metres or 26 ft
Posts: 2,803
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

If you want a replacement for oars I can recommend a 2hp Yamaha 2 stroke. You do need to learn something about outboards as others suggest tho. 2 strokes cope with neglect better with the oil in the fuel. I left a 15hp Yamaha untouched in a shed for 10+ years & it started 2nd pull! We use our 2hp Yamaha ( bought used maybe 2005 model) for travelling along the coast diving one 200lb guy free diver with weights & 1 150lb scuba diver with tank & all his gear in a 7ft inflatable. Never have a problem making headway against the chop & wind albeit slowly. Can lift it up to the pulpit one handed too which is an important factor if you are constantly taking it on and off the dinghy which we have to do. 2 strokes are noisier, smellier & use more fuel as others have said but simpler & cope with salt air better. Most outboard problems seem to come down to fuel supply or bad connections resulting in loss of spark. At the bare minimum you need to learn how to check & clean or replace fuel filter & check for ignition spark & cooling water flow IMHO
Compass790 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-03-2015, 18:31   #19
Marine Service Provider

Join Date: May 2012
Location: New Orleans
Boat: We have a problem... A serious addiction issue.
Posts: 3,974
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

SEL THE ENGINE YOU HAVE TO A DESPERATE RACER.

These really small (read light) engines are incredibly prized by one design race boats thatare required to carry an engine but don't really use them. The entire Olson 30 class comes to mind, J-24, Melgus 24, basically any one design class between 20 and about 30' are possibilities.

Last time I bought an old non-working two stroke I bought the guy a new Tohatsu 4hp in exchange for it.
__________________
Greg

- If animals weren't meant to be eaten then they wouldn't be made of food.
Stumble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-03-2015, 19:44   #20
Registered User

Join Date: May 2008
Location: daytona beach florida
Boat: csy 37
Posts: 2,976
Images: 1
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

If you intend to go cruising you had better learn to fix/service your outboard. A 2 stroke is much simpler and easier to fix/service.
onestepcsy37 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-03-2015, 21:39   #21
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: Oregon
Posts: 209
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

I used a little tiny 3 horse Tohatsoo. It would push my little walker bay really nicely. one day I went from the island over to George Town and shopped for groceries. when I came out and got in my dink the wind was starting to blow out of the east towards town. Before I got halfway to my boat the wind was blowing about 30 knots and I had the little motor wide open and going backwards. well the wind got faster and I thought I was going to be swamped before I got to land. I made it back to George Town just barely and a few hours later back to my boat. so sometimes you will wish you had that little bigger motor. Mac
Hard Rock Candy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-03-2015, 22:02   #22
Registered User

Join Date: Nov 2013
Posts: 42
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

Dkchen: There is no such thing as a folding rib. Rib means it is a solid fiberglass bottom with inflatable tubes above the fiberglass. Small point but one you need to know. That way you can land it on shore with out tearing out the bottom but you need to pick it up on a substantial arch with davits or pull it behind your mother ship because of the added weight of fiberglass. If you get one to plane off like a 15 horse you can go exploring in it with out your mother ship. In Key West if you have a 2.5 to 3 horse you are looking at 30 minutes to get to the dinghy dock and it means you can't go to the Historical Harbor in Key West because you can't handle the current at tide change under the bridge unless you plan it for the tide that favors the moment you want to go. Fifteen horse power solves all of these problems especially if you get a 15 horse power 2 stroke from the Bahamas. There is a multitude of situations you need more horse power. One you can use the 15 to pull your mother ship through any problems that might occur when the main motor quits. That's reason enough. No less than 15 horse power is my rule. There built better they may save your life or your main boat. It's a back up like insurance. Too heavy put a pole up and add a pulley at the top for leverage and quit making excuses. You can lift other things with this pulley. The difference is not that much more in money and great insurance. You will like the speed. Over the years at Key West I have towed and uncounted huge number of boats and non of them have had an engine with more than a 10 horse engine on them unless it was a fuel problem. The bigger engines are built better.
jamestholtzinge is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 27-03-2015, 22:30   #23
Registered User
 
goat's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Everywhere (Sea of Cortez right now)
Boat: PSC Orion 27
Posts: 1,377
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

Except for this one;
http://winboat.info/en
There are also folding transom ribs like the fx (?) series from Achilles which pack down pretty small. An 8 horse 2 stroke got my old one up on plane quite easily.

Sent from my SGH-I257M using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
goat is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-03-2015, 03:33   #24
Registered User
 
Dulcesuenos's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Western Caribbean
Boat: 38/41 Fountains pajot
Posts: 3,060
Images: 4
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

Had darn near every engine from 2-20hp made in the last 30 years. Love the older Nissan 2.5 and 3hp 2 stroke for simplicity and reliability. The 5hp is great too. Love even more the honda 2.3 hp 4 stroke, 20 lbs, no water pump worries, and powerful. Cheap, and It will store anywhere . Just not real good in areas of really strong tidal currents.

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app
Dulcesuenos is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-03-2015, 04:48   #25
Registered User
 
ranger58sb's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Maryland, USA
Boat: 58' Sedan Bridge
Posts: 5,418
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

Quote:
Originally Posted by goat View Post
Except for this one;
WinBoat ENG | UNIQUE PATENTED FOLDABLE RIGID INFLATABLE BOAT TECHNOLOGY
There are also folding transom ribs like the fx (?) series from Achilles which pack down pretty small. An 8 horse 2 stroke got my old one up on plane quite easily.

Interesting link. Hinged for storage, rigid (RIB) when operational. Seems maybe useful, depending on weight and circumstances and so forth. First thought is that a motor with enough HP to plane will usually be too heavy to routinely mount/dismount. Still, interesting...

We have a folding transom RIB (Walker Bay 310 Genesis) and I can stuff it into the back of our Suburban. Don't do that anymore; decided a trailer is more useful, so I can leave the 15-hp four-stroke/electric start Suzuki (106-lbs) attached all the time.

-Chris
__________________
Chesapeake Bay, USA.
ranger58sb is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-03-2015, 07:35   #26
S/V rubber ducky
 
sailorboy1's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: heading "south"
Boat: Hunter 410
Posts: 20,362
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

Replaced my old 2HP last year (that was always having gas related problems) with a 6 HP. The 2 HP always scared me that with my wife and I in the dinghy if the wind and waves in the mooring field picked up whether I would make it back to the boat. The 6 HP weight is OK to manually lift and the difference in using the dinghy was impressive.
__________________
Don't ask a bunch of unknown forum people if it is OK to do something on YOUR boat. It is your boat, do what you want!
sailorboy1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-03-2015, 07:56   #27
Registered User
 
Captain Bill's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Punta Gorda, Fl
Boat: Endeavourcat Sailcat 44
Posts: 3,168
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

Quote:
Originally Posted by jamestholtzinge View Post
Weight is a issue I bought a 8 hp. Mercury and it weighed 85 lbs. I believe a 15 hp weight is a shade over that like 90 to 95 lbs.. Loaded rib would not plane I was very upset over that fact. Tide current was an extreme problem I personally don't think any thing less than a 15 hp. 2 or 4 stroke although 4 is quieter and does not need oil in the gas and a 2 stroke is lighter and faster. From Lake Michigan to Key West the overwhelming choice in model is a Yamaha 10 or more to 1 Honda. Nothing wrong with Honda they are really quiet. Major problem with Honda is getting parts and getting it fixed because they don't have dealerships as handy as Yamaha. I checked in the Bahamas the same is true there. I also believe the best small gas generator is a Honda 2000i. The best motor is Yamaha.
One thing to consider about Yamaha in the Bahamas is that there are no parts stocked for 4 stroke motors under 60HP. You have to get them shipped in from the states which can take 5 weeks or more(based on actual personal experience). Conversely while you can get great deals on yamaha 2 strokes here in the Bahamas, you will have a very hard time getting parts in the US.
Since small 4 stroke Yamahas are not common outside of the US (making parts harder to find) it is an issue to consider for a cruising boat. Of course if you are primarily a US boat having the 2 stroke can create it's own problems. Something else that might be considered an issue for US boats and 2 strokes is that the rest of the world does not contaminate its gasoline with ethanol. One guy I know had a problem with his Bahamas purchased 2 sstroke after being unable to purchase anything but Ethanol gas in new england. I'm not sure that the Yamaha 2 strokes are ethanol compatible since they are not sold in the US.
Captain Bill is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-03-2015, 17:27   #28
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Newcastle and Lake Macquarie, NSW, Australia
Boat: Adams 35ft, round bilge steel, SV Saaremaa
Posts: 83
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

I had a 5HP Honda 4 stroke which was a good motor but weighed 27 kg and therefore it was difficult to move from the yacht to the tender, (I'm a real weakling). Plus I was also worried about it going splash if I dropped it.
Upshot of it all was I bought a 2 HP Yamaha 2 stroke that only weighs 10 kg and pushes our RIB along well so I sold the Honda.
'Mr Puniverse' is able to easily get the motor on/off the yacht thus have no regrets in saying goodbye to Mr Honda.
Michael
__________________
Saaremaasailson
micknor51 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 28-03-2015, 17:40   #29
Registered User

Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 16
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

We really like the Lehr. The 2.5 works fine for short trips from anchor or mooring, get the 5hp if you need to get up on plane. Runs on propane, 45 minutes at full speed on one of those green Coleman stove bottles, no ethanol problems, never have to store gasoline on the boat, don't worry about water in the gas, doesn't need a choke to start.
Chardonnay is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 29-03-2015, 10:04   #30
Registered User
 
Cheechako's Avatar

Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Skagit City, WA
Posts: 25,453
Re: What to buy Outboard Engines

the old 90's MIA mercury 4.5 hp 2 stroke I have runs very well on ethanol gas and never quits. Integral fuel tank and gear shift. Starts up every spring with 2-3 pulls. I run the carb dry before winter storage.
For a $400 typical investment , hard to beat.
The key is to find one that was seldom used for lake fishing etc. An old geezer's "Garage classic". They are all over.
__________________
"I spent most of my money on Booze, Broads and Boats. The rest I wasted" - Elmore Leonard











Cheechako is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
engine, outboard

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes Rate This Thread
Rate This Thread:

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Buy outboard or buy better-rowing dinghy? brownoarsman Liveaboard's Forum 62 01-04-2015 04:25
Pros and Cons of Outboard Engines on South Pacific Cruise canadian cat Multihull Sailboats 28 24-08-2014 14:27
Thermal Imaging on Two Suzuki 115 HP Outboard Engines I Took During A Marine Survey SuenosAzules Engines and Propulsion Systems 3 29-01-2014 10:35
Sail Outboard Engines ? Campbellcruiser Engines and Propulsion Systems 12 04-02-2011 16:32
Who Knows About Diesel Outboard Engines ? Exiles Engines and Propulsion Systems 8 24-01-2011 08:50

Advertise Here


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 22:11.


Google+
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Social Knowledge Networks
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.

ShowCase vBulletin Plugins by Drive Thru Online, Inc.