I recently purchased a 1973 O'day Mariner 2+2. It came with a 1974 Evinrude 4 HP 2 stroke outboard, but a friend has available a 5 HP 4 stroke Nissan. The Evinrude weighs about 38 lb, the Nissan about 58 lb. Would one of these outboards be better for this boat? I am new to outboards and sailing anything over 15 feet. Does the extra weight on the stern matter? Both are long shaft. Is there any advantage to getting one of those lift-up motor brackets vs clamping onto the transom? Thanks for your advice. Hal
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less weight, less drag
if the 2 stroke starts and runs well, i would probably stick with it since you don't use it all that much on a sailboat anyway and it weighs less. (i burned about 1 gallon of gas all season last year.) besides, it will save you some money and put less strain on the transom when trailering. i am not familiar with your boat, but you want the lower unit to be out of the water when sailing to prevent drag. if you can mount the outboard on the transom (providing the transom was designed for mounting an outboard) and the lower unit is out of the water when tilted, i would go for it. if not, i would look into an adjustable bracket which will get the lower unit out of the water when tilted. mounting a bracket usually isn't too difficult, if you have access to the transom. just make sure you back the inside with something like plywood as the transom on a sailboat is often pretty thin, not like a power boat transom. use stainless hardware and something like 3M adhesive sealant where the bolts go through the transom.
if the 2 stroke starts and runs well, i would probably stick with it since you don't use it all that much on a sailboat anyway and it weighs less. (i burned about 1 gallon of gas all season last year.) besides, it will save you some money and put less strain on the transom when trailering. i am not familiar with your boat, but you want the lower unit to be out of the water when sailing to prevent drag. if you can mount the outboard on the transom (providing the transom was designed for mounting an outboard) and the lower unit is out of the water when tilted, i would go for it. if not, i would look into an adjustable bracket which will get the lower unit out of the water when tilted. mounting a bracket usually isn't too difficult, if you have access to the transom. just make sure you back the inside with something like plywood as the transom on a sailboat is often pretty thin, not like a power boat transom. use stainless hardware and something like 3M adhesive sealant where the bolts go through the transom.
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