Need opinions on outboards for my dinghy...

Timm R Oday25 · Jan 20, 2026

I picked up a very lightly used Yamaha 2 1/2 horse 4 stroke for $500. last spring . Starts on the first pull ,and pushed our 9 foot dinghy to about 6 knots with two of us . It only has a neutral and forward . We found that aspect to be a non-issue . With a built in fuel tank there is no line to get tangled up . If I find a deal on a Yamaha 4 horse ,that will also find it's way home

Captain Larry-DH · Jan 20, 2026

JavaMan said:
Oops, forgot to actually answer that one in the last reply...
yes, I am still looking for a 6-9hp. I may be willing to go as low as a 5, but either the 6 I had before wasn't performing properly, but it seemed to just barely move the 8' dinghy I had and it never put it on a plane...

Maybe I should do a bit of research and see if I can find some "comparisons" of performance between different power "levels"

And yes, portability is important. The last outboard I had was pretty heavy and once I got it on the dinghy I hated trying to pull it off and put it back on the stern rail - especially since I am solo at the moment.

My problem with the electrics are that most of them that are 5 hp-ish need a 48V battery... I understand why, but that adds about $1000 or so to the cost. Sure those only run about 300-500 but add in the batteries? Then there are the ones that have battery build in, and those basically are the same overall cost - about $1300.

For me, I think the amount of use I'd get out of it, would not justify the cost. That along with the extra power generation I'd need would definitely not be cost effective over the long run.

If I were younger, I would consider it more - especially if I had another 20+ years of projected cruising life left.

Hope that helped

Now that you mentioned you have an 8ft dink and don't plan to use it much, weight should be very much an issue. A modern 4-stroke motor weight will be around #28-44 for a 3HP, around 58# for 6HP, and around #85 for a 9.9 HP. I'd keep it under 6HP. A longer dinghy would actually plane easier than a short one of equal displacement, so maybe you'll get an 8 footer on plane with 6HP with one person and no cargo, but it will depend on hull shape and your own weight along with where you sit (fore-aft).
Your stated occasional use implies to me you're not a full time cruiser, so you might want to reconsider how important planing is. If you're going to the Bahamas where anchorage distances and currents can make for long dinghy rides then yeah it's important. But if you're going 1/2 mile or less to shore to walk the dog once in a while, then a 3-knot dinghy ride is not a big deal, and a 30-ish pound motor is a blessing when you need to move it around. A 2.5-3HP motor would be sweet on that little 8-footer.

Davidasailor26 · Jan 20, 2026

JavaMan said:
Oops, forgot to actually answer that one in the last reply...
yes, I am still looking for a 6-9hp. I may be willing to go as low as a 5, but either the 6 I had before wasn't performing properly, but it seemed to just barely move the 8' dinghy I had and it never put it on a plane...

We used the 3.5 hp Johnson I mentioned above on a 9’ Achilles dinghy with wood floorboards. I think the dinghy displaced 90 or 95 lbs. When I was a kid we could get it on plane pretty easily with my dad, me, and a cocker spaniel. With just one adult it could go fast enough to scare you. As Captain Larry said hull shape and weight position will make a difference, but we did like having just a 35 pound motor and didn’t have any desire for something bigger.

Project_Mayhem · Jan 20, 2026

I put a 4hp on the back of my rather unstable 8' hard dinghy. I couldnt go much past idle. We started hearing cracking noises and the back end was ready to go under with all the weight

marcham · Jan 20, 2026

JavaMan said:
And yes, portability is important. The last outboard I had was pretty heavy and once I got it on the dinghy I hated trying to pull it off and put it back on the stern rail - especially since I am solo at the moment.

Once you get over 6HP, they get pretty heavy.... 6 HP (4 stroke) will be about 50-55 lbs. (4 to 6 HP will weight about the same, often uses the same block).

8 HP will be around 75-90 lbs

9.9 HP will be around 85- 90 lbs. On some brands, the 8 HP and the 9.9 HP use the same block.

If weight is a concern, find a 3-4 HP 2 stroke. You can rebuild them for about $300 (piston, rings, carb kit, spark plug, water pump). I know Merc still has parts for their 2 strokes from the 90s. Yes they burn more fuel.

A 2-stroke 3.5 HP weights around 25-30 lbs. A 4 stroke 4 HP weights around 45-55 lbs. They both push the boat about the same. At 50 lbs, most people will struggle to safely get the outboard on the rail on their own, without risking back injury. A crane would be a good investment.

LLoyd B · Wednesday at 12:08 PM

OK I gotta ask how do you put a crane on an 8 foot rubber dinghy?

Richard19068 · Wednesday at 12:14 PM

LLoyd B said:
OK I gotta ask how do you put a crane on an 8 foot rubber dinghy?

I believe he means a crane on the mother ship?

marcham · Wednesday at 4:28 PM

Richard19068 said:
I believe he means a crane on the mother ship?

Of course....

BarryL · Thursday at 2:07 PM

Hello,

I use a Suzuki 2.5 hp on my Walker Bay 10' plastic dink. The Suzuki is cheap (under $700), light (29 lbs), and has been bulletproof. It has forward and neutral. I have never needed reverse, I just push the boat off and then motor away. I like that is has a built in fuel tank. It pushes my walker bay at 5 kts with 2 people aboard. It might go a little faster but the speed limit in my harbor is 5 kts.

Good luck,
Barry

pgandw · Sunday at 1:14 PM

JavaMan said:
Yes, I know opinions are like ... well, you know... everyone has one. But(t)....

Any comments, experiences and suggestions are welcome!

Long, long ago I had an ODay 25 with an 8ft Achilles inflatable for a dink. Achilles was rated for less than 3hp, not designed to plane. Tired of rowing real quick. Bought a 1.2hp Sears 2 stroke outboard, worked great at getting to beach from anchorages. Used at Dry
Tortugas and in Lake Huron North Channel cruises. Divorce ended the ODay 25 and tow vehicle.

30 years later, bought not a dink, but a 19ft sailboat (ODay/Stuart Mariner). Bought it with no motor, previous owner had a Torqueedo that he had priced too dearly for my blood.

Found a used 5hp Honda for $1000. Weight 58lbs (long shaft). Great motor - when it would start. I found reverse pretty useful, but this was a 19ft boat that was kept on boat lift. Powered Mariner to hull speed (5.6 kts) at less than 3/4 throttle - when it would start. Had the carb cleaned for $200 which cured starting issues - until it didn't. Tore the carb apart and cleaned it myself, which cured starting issue for a while. Then on a 40 min run when wind died, motor died about 50 yds from home. Never got it restarted. Recleaned carb myself, still no start. I was getting really bummed. Lifting that motor on and off the mount and over the rail was a bugger for my aging shoulders and back. Setting up a test tank wasn't any fun, especially when it wouldn't start anyway. Took it to a different dealer who said he get to it in a week or 2 at unknown cost.

Researched new motors, the Tohatsu 6 Sailor was about $1800 at cheapest. An Epropulsion Spirit 1 was $2500. Spirit was advertised as 3hp equivalent, but I was skeptical. Still, Mariner racers used 2-3hp to get out to the course and back. The Honda with a 3 gal external tank had nearly unlimited range for day sailing and 3 day cruises. Finally convinced myself I was going to repeat my issues with another 4 stroke gas outboard, so decided to shell out the extra $$ for the Spirit. Retrieved the Honda and sold it not starting for $600.

Probably my best and most worthwhile improvement on the Mariner. Did some time/speed trials to get rid of my range anxiety. At 400 watts (of 1000), I get 4.0 kts with 3.25 hrs of run time. So I could safely plan on 12 nm range under power. At 300 watts, get 3.5 kts with 4 hrs run time. Top speed of 5.3 kts (hull speed 5.6 kts) at 1000 watts with 1 hr run time. You have to slow down with electric outboards.

Epropulsion Spirit comes in 2 easy-to-carry pieces - battery and motor, each weighing around 20lbs. My shoulders and back thank me. Incredibly quiet - hull makes more noise going through water than motor does. My ears thank me, even though the Honda was quieter than most small outboards (and real quiet except for my cussing when it wouldn't start). When I'm trailering, motor can sit in cabin or tow vehicle without fear of leaking gas and/or oil. Gas tank space in the cockpit is regained for other purposes.

This year, for a 3-5 day group beach cruise (OBX 130), will equip boat with LiFePO battery and 12V charging cable for motor. This will enable 1 full recharge from 100AH battery for the motor, doubling my range. A lot cheaper option than 2nd Epropulsion Spirit battery. And I can rig a solar panel to partially recharge 12V battery.

For really big $$, the new Epropulsion Spirit 2 appears to have solved all the minor annoyances with the Spirit 1, and given it more power and a bigger battery for about 2 additional pounds of weight.

You asked my experiences and opinion, now you have it. The Spirit 1 was the biggest and best improvement I made to the Mariner, worth every penny. I now enjoy motoring. No regrets, except that I can't justify the price difference of a Spirit 2 - not enough improvement for the extra $$.

Fred W
Stuart/ODay Mariner 19 Sweet P
M

StuartSailor · 2026-01-26T04:15:15-0800

Honda 2.3 hp is air cooled with f-n. very reliable. Parts readily available. I use one to push a 2000lbs keel boat at 4.5 mph. The Honda air cooled is slightly louder than small 4 strokes. It is very light and easy to stow.