Dinghy Outboard Motor Recommendation ?

[Wmiii]

Well, I have pulled the trigger and bought the 15hp 4 cycle Yamaha.
I guess (hope) I'll be happy with it and it's weight.
I'll see how it goes.

Wm

[tartansail]

Originally Posted by Don Lucas

I need to consider a new outboard and found this thread on a search. After 3 pages learned nothing.

Is there any agreement of a good size to combine reasonable performance and reasonable weight?

Don, what is your dink? What are your likely uses? Do you have a lifting davit for the motor? Davits for the dink? These will all impact the answers since, as with everything else, there isn't going to be agreement without context. Even then, we'll disagree.

I have an RU-275 wooden floor, inflatable keel, 9' inflatable from West. We have a Tohatsu 8hp 2-stroke which I bought in 2002. It has worked well as long as I periodically clean the fuel line. It got dumped in salt water a few years ago and didn't miss a beat after dunking in fresh for a day. When we bought our new boat, it came with a 5hp Honda 4-stroke which is the same weight and won't get the boat planing as well. It sits in my basement as I contemplate whether to sell or hold in reserve.

We have a lifting davit for the outboard which is almost a necessity at 60 lbs given our freeboard (less than yours). Given my dinghy size, coastal, non-liveaboard short-handed cruising and lifting davit, I'm very happy with our setup. If I had a RIB, I'd go higher hp for higher speeds. If I didn't have a davit, I'd keep the 2hp. YMMV.

[S/V Antares]

WMiii, Please let us know how it works out. There are more than a few of us in a similar position. Thanks!

[Wmiii]

Will do.

Wm

[Painted Skies]

Sailors seem to be as passionate about their dinghy/outboards as they are about their motherships.

Before we left the US to sail to Australia in 2009, sailing friends advised us to purchase a 2-stroke Yamaha in Panama for our 10' Caribe RIB. The logic here was that you can get a 2-stroke engine repaired almost anywhere in the world - even in the remotest Pacific island where the local fishermen are surely using that same motor. Wish we'd listened.

The 4-stroke 15hp Honda we'd had for 5 years was always a non-starter; in fact, my husband had to get it started because I just didn't have enough strength nor patience. I don't know why we bought it - I'd owned one in the 90's and it wasn't much better. Both Hondas were in the repair shop more than on the dinghy. Every year they required a $250 tune-up just to get us through the Chesapeake Bay sailing season.

Well, by the time we reached American Samoa, the latest Honda was toast. But we were unable to purchase a 2-stroke Yamaha there because, after all, it is 'America' and they have the same rules regarding 2-strokes as the US mainland. We even tried to get one through Apia (former Western Samoa). We spent about $600 and three weeks getting the Honda working again in Pago Pago. In the end it only lasted another couple of months - and upon reaching Australia, the outboard mechanic gave it its last rites (the engine block was warped - apparently due to excessive heat build-up).

So two years ago we purchased a 2-stroke 3-hp Yamaha and a 2-stroke 15-hp Yamaha. It is nice to have the little, lightweight and easily handled motor than either of us can pick up and install on the dinghy transom - it is perfect in protected waters where all we need is to get to shore and where it is light enough that we can easily drag the dinghy up on the beach. Then the larger motor works when the seas are rough, or the distance to be covered is long and we want to plane. The 15-hp requires use of a transom davit, however, it weighs significantly less than our 4-stroke Honda. We typically don't use it as often as the smaller engine. But we like the security of knowing we have the ability to tow our sailboat, if needed - in fact, we've had to do that in the past by lashing the Caribe abaft the beam.

I know that if you are in the US and looking for a 2-stroke, you don't have any options for purchasing one. However, those who are headed through the Panama Canal (or just cruising Panama) can get them reasonably cheap in the Free Zone at Colon. Also, I am wondering if they are perhaps still available in the Bahamas.... certainly there are places in the Caribbean where you can get them.

Cheers, Katherine

[Vasco]

Originally Posted by Painted Skies

. Also, I am wondering if they are perhaps still available in the Bahamas.... certainly there are places in the Caribbean where you can get them.

Cheers, Katherine

Still available in the Bahamas. Hopefully some will listen to your tale and wise up.

[Jacko]

Really interesting after reading all of this post I think only one reply mentioned pulling the dingy up on the beach do you all live in marinas ???? this is one of the big factors in 1) dingy size 2) wieght of motor --- so all of the cruising people I know look at this first.
Then the power and planing speed etc comes in to play!!!
I cruise most of my time out in remote areas if you cant fix it yourself you are in trouble " ever tried to out row an angry CROC Ha Ha " but there is the factor of long trips to outer reefs and islands that require good speed.

At present I have a great 2.7mtr light wieght dingy (inflatable RIB ) with 5hp Murc this will plane easily with me onboard but put a drum of water in and it is back to displacment. I am up grading to 8hp next season and it will be 2/stroke. The 4 > 2 stroke politically routed debate has not hit us yet so we can purchase 2/stroke at the corner store Ha!!!

Cheers Jacko

Have you ever looked under the cover of one of the latest 4/strokes it is like a car motor, covered in a mass of tubes etc where would you start.

[S/V Antares]

I am fortunate to have inherited a mechanical apttitude and have worked on nearly everything with moving parts that is statiionary, floats,or rolls. Outboards under 20 hp, 2 or 4 stroke are remarkably simple things. The idea of cruising and depending on something one cannot fix bothers me no end.
I have often thought that money buys your way out of incompetence but after cruising for the last 5 years I have changed my perception.

It has become clear to me that most folks suffering issues with their pesky outboards would take the time to know how to truly fix and maintain them if these lessons were readily available. There is no great mystery on replacing a waterpump impellor on a small outboard. Just a bit of knowledge and some technique. Carbs, while demonic, are simple to fix with a little tuttleage. Overheating is not limited to 4 strokes, Crappy fuel has no affinity to one or the other. Got fuel? Got spark? It is not rocket sience.

Perhaps hiring a mechanic to teach these lessons would appear expensive until you need him /her in Pago Pago. There is frustration and opertunity here.
If you see Antares and want some help on understanding your outboard bring a note pad, camera and a bottle of rum. Just thinking....

[Vasco]

Two strokes are more simple than four strokes. That's all there is to it. I would not know where to start with a four stroke outboard. Worked on two stroke bikes a lot when younger. Outboards aren't a lot different. Valves?? What are those?

[S/V Antares]

2 Strokes have reed valves . The early 9.9 merc reed valves/plate had problems and was redesigned. Vasco, the point is that it is always the simple stuff that keeps OB.s from starting. Not valves, Pistons, etc. If it is the big stuff you dump it and get a new one. If you don't know how to change a spark plug one might might want to learn how. Simple maintainence will keep 2 or 4 strokes working for a long time. When someone says the unit overheated I always wonder if they ever changed the impellor or even looked to see if it was pumping water.

[harlie]

Originally Posted by Dustymc

Bash - Pushing a given boat at a given weight and at a given speed requires a pretty consistent amount of effort, and you'll burn about the same amount of fuel in a 30HP 2-stroke at half throttle or a 15HP 4-stroke at full throttle or anything else that burns gasoline in an enclosed combustion chamber. 2-strokes and 4-strokes do not burn significantly different amounts of fuel, except at slow idle, unless there is something very wrong with one of them. ...snip....

Mmm, your point would only be possible by running a 30hp 2 stroke in its sweat spot and a 15hp 4 stroke at WOT (where all 4 strokes drink fuel).

Case: My previous boat was a 7meter plate alloy planning boat that we used for off-shore fishing. When purchased it had a 150hp Yamaha carb 2 stroke, cruising fuel consumption (measured by a navman fuel flow transducer) was 32L/hr @ 21kns. That engine was replace with one of the first Honda 150hp to arrive in Aus. Fuel consumption after the run in period with the 4 stoke was just over 20L/hr @ 21kns – exactly the same boat, loading, conditions everything, including trials to get the right prop! I call that significant. If the Honda is run at WOT it’s fuel burn is not much below the old 2 stroke, but in the sweet spot there’s a huge difference.

Our dingy now has a 6hp Suzuki 4 stroke, integrated tank, it replace a 5hp 2 stroke Yamaha that was stolen. On our 4-6 week trips there is a noticeable difference in fuel usage. If I had the desire to go fast I would have a 9.8 Tohatsu 2 stroke(supped up 8), it’s the same weight which is on the limit of our davits and small dingies really don’t use that much fuel.