I purchased an old Honda 10hp for my 10ft inflatable but it is too old (no safety features) too heavy (for me to lift on an off by myself) and too heavy (the transom bends. I also don't think I am actually getting 10hp out of the motor. I want to buy a new, smaller outboard. WestMarine sells Mercs, Boaters' World has the Toshibas or whatever they are. Any recs? My plan is to buy the most powerful one available in the weight class below the 7-10 hps. Thanks, Ryan
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Dinghy and HP
I just went through what you are going through as I just recently bought an 8 foot RID Walker Bay boat. I'm 57 years old and this was my thinking. I will be towing my dinghy behind me most of the time, the motor will be stored on the hand rails in the stern. Weight was a real issue for me as well as the 2 stroke versus 4 stroke debate came in. First, the 4 stroke is heavier, but on the positive side it meant I would be bringing only one fuel on board (my other motor is a 4 stroke Mer 9.9) instead of two. The 4, 5, and 6 HP all weight the same at 55 lbs dry. I wanted a motor with a self contained fuel tank. I wanted a motor that I felt I wasn't going to have to muscle around. I asked myself how the dinghy would be used in the Pacific Northwest and BC coastal region and I decided that having it only go 6 or 7 miles an hour wasn't an issue as at most the dinghy would be travelling less than a mile. I lifted a 4HP four stroke but the weight kept nagging at me. How well would I handle it as I got older? How well would I handle it putting it on the dinghy at anchor? In what water and wind conditions? Eventually I wimped out and bought a Merc 2 stroke 3.3 HP motor. I decided I could live with having two separate fuels on board (mixed oil/gas and straight gas). I really liked the weight of it dry at 29 pounds. I didn't feel I was struggling with it and could hold it one handed if need be. Of course I would have preferred to having a planing boat going much faster, but weight plus how the dinghy was actually going to be used; as a ferry from the boat to the marina or shore or dock was my deciding factors. If you have a large boat - mine's 27 feet - and can winch the dinghy in and out of the water, etc. then go for the big motor. If you might be muscling a motor under less than ideal circumstances, go for a smaller motor.
I just went through what you are going through as I just recently bought an 8 foot RID Walker Bay boat. I'm 57 years old and this was my thinking. I will be towing my dinghy behind me most of the time, the motor will be stored on the hand rails in the stern. Weight was a real issue for me as well as the 2 stroke versus 4 stroke debate came in. First, the 4 stroke is heavier, but on the positive side it meant I would be bringing only one fuel on board (my other motor is a 4 stroke Mer 9.9) instead of two. The 4, 5, and 6 HP all weight the same at 55 lbs dry. I wanted a motor with a self contained fuel tank. I wanted a motor that I felt I wasn't going to have to muscle around. I asked myself how the dinghy would be used in the Pacific Northwest and BC coastal region and I decided that having it only go 6 or 7 miles an hour wasn't an issue as at most the dinghy would be travelling less than a mile. I lifted a 4HP four stroke but the weight kept nagging at me. How well would I handle it as I got older? How well would I handle it putting it on the dinghy at anchor? In what water and wind conditions? Eventually I wimped out and bought a Merc 2 stroke 3.3 HP motor. I decided I could live with having two separate fuels on board (mixed oil/gas and straight gas). I really liked the weight of it dry at 29 pounds. I didn't feel I was struggling with it and could hold it one handed if need be. Of course I would have preferred to having a planing boat going much faster, but weight plus how the dinghy was actually going to be used; as a ferry from the boat to the marina or shore or dock was my deciding factors. If you have a large boat - mine's 27 feet - and can winch the dinghy in and out of the water, etc. then go for the big motor. If you might be muscling a motor under less than ideal circumstances, go for a smaller motor.
Tohatsu 9.8
I don't have one, but I've admired the Tohatsu (also Nissan) 9.8hp 4-stroke. It's like 85 lbs (lighter and smaller than any other comparable 4-strk). In Ventura, you're going to be limited to a 4-strk unless you want to buy a used motor or go to Mexico or Nevada to buy a 2-strk. Most 6-8HP motors of any manufacturer are the same basic motor (therefore same weight) but just more highly tuned to get higher HP. So go with the higher HP for the same weight. Personally, I have a $400 eBay Johnson 1986 6HP 2 strk on my Zodiac 2.85 HPIF. It's great! Weighs about 50 lbs. (It's still a load w/o some type of tackle to get it on/off my Cat27's stern rail). It planes the dink at 2/3 throttle, max speed about 15-18NMPH. Burns 1/2 GPH. Take a look at this site for small OBs, new and used
I don't have one, but I've admired the Tohatsu (also Nissan) 9.8hp 4-stroke. It's like 85 lbs (lighter and smaller than any other comparable 4-strk). In Ventura, you're going to be limited to a 4-strk unless you want to buy a used motor or go to Mexico or Nevada to buy a 2-strk. Most 6-8HP motors of any manufacturer are the same basic motor (therefore same weight) but just more highly tuned to get higher HP. So go with the higher HP for the same weight. Personally, I have a $400 eBay Johnson 1986 6HP 2 strk on my Zodiac 2.85 HPIF. It's great! Weighs about 50 lbs. (It's still a load w/o some type of tackle to get it on/off my Cat27's stern rail). It planes the dink at 2/3 throttle, max speed about 15-18NMPH. Burns 1/2 GPH. Take a look at this site for small OBs, new and used
Motor Hoist
Whatever you buy, get a Garhauer hoist. Least expensive, best piece of gear for hoisting outboards. If you need to go anywhere, faster is better if you can afford it. We spent years with a 1.2 hp on a donut. Now love our 10 foot inflatable floor with a 9.9 outboard - 2 stroke bought used. Just used the hoist today to bring the OB in for servicing. Good luck - remember, you'll regret not going bigger and faster. You can always go slower but it's great to have the option.
Whatever you buy, get a Garhauer hoist. Least expensive, best piece of gear for hoisting outboards. If you need to go anywhere, faster is better if you can afford it. We spent years with a 1.2 hp on a donut. Now love our 10 foot inflatable floor with a 9.9 outboard - 2 stroke bought used. Just used the hoist today to bring the OB in for servicing. Good luck - remember, you'll regret not going bigger and faster. You can always go slower but it's great to have the option.
Good Analysis rsn48
You pretty much hit all the key points. Weight is a really key issue. Our 8hp at 56-lbs is a real load to move around on the aft end of our boat and you have to be really careful about not marring the gel coat. And if the boat is moving a bit it's easy to get a tad off balance and if the deck is slippery... At this weight and higher one really needs to go with some kind of lift and have an easy way to stow it. Also, when beaching the dingy a heavy outboard weighs down the stern so it's more difficult to keep the dingy off the sharp rocks and more difficult to re-launch the dingy if the water is a bit shallow. You can't just push the dingy out and jump in because the outboard is so heavy it weighs the stern down and the prop end likes to dig in. A real pain. you can try turning the dingy end-for-end but if the heavy outboard is weighing the stern down you have to be really careful that the dingy bottom doesn't get scratched. Horsepower is another factor. What I've found is 8-hp just isn't quite enough to get a good plane with two people and stuff. One person and you fly but more than that, well, the dingy tends to dig in just a little lower. 8-hp uses more fuel so it takes a separate tank and I often like to go with one additional tank depending on the distance. My preference, if you must plane, is the 9.9 with a crane or lift. But the small 2 or 3hp outboards are really the most practical and if I had to do it over again I'd probably go with the 2-hp as that'll get you up to hull speed without planning, is more fuel-efficient, easier to handle, cheaper initial cost, etc. If fuel availability is limited such as it is between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert then the small outboard is really desirable so you don't have to carry so much gas. The mid-size outboards like my 8hp is more or less the worst of both worlds, that is unless your dingy can plane easily and you and your mate are fairly light-weight, say less than 300lbs.
You pretty much hit all the key points. Weight is a really key issue. Our 8hp at 56-lbs is a real load to move around on the aft end of our boat and you have to be really careful about not marring the gel coat. And if the boat is moving a bit it's easy to get a tad off balance and if the deck is slippery... At this weight and higher one really needs to go with some kind of lift and have an easy way to stow it. Also, when beaching the dingy a heavy outboard weighs down the stern so it's more difficult to keep the dingy off the sharp rocks and more difficult to re-launch the dingy if the water is a bit shallow. You can't just push the dingy out and jump in because the outboard is so heavy it weighs the stern down and the prop end likes to dig in. A real pain. you can try turning the dingy end-for-end but if the heavy outboard is weighing the stern down you have to be really careful that the dingy bottom doesn't get scratched. Horsepower is another factor. What I've found is 8-hp just isn't quite enough to get a good plane with two people and stuff. One person and you fly but more than that, well, the dingy tends to dig in just a little lower. 8-hp uses more fuel so it takes a separate tank and I often like to go with one additional tank depending on the distance. My preference, if you must plane, is the 9.9 with a crane or lift. But the small 2 or 3hp outboards are really the most practical and if I had to do it over again I'd probably go with the 2-hp as that'll get you up to hull speed without planning, is more fuel-efficient, easier to handle, cheaper initial cost, etc. If fuel availability is limited such as it is between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert then the small outboard is really desirable so you don't have to carry so much gas. The mid-size outboards like my 8hp is more or less the worst of both worlds, that is unless your dingy can plane easily and you and your mate are fairly light-weight, say less than 300lbs.
Good suggestions men.
I'm looking to lighten up a little. After reading the comments here, I'm changing some of our ways. When we first bought our H34 and powered back from Desolation Sound, the dingy was in tow and it rode the stern wave. It put nearly NO load on the tow line. Our Hunter took 4 gallons of diesel to top it off when we stopped in Nanimo. (10hr trip) This year (19 years later) the same trip towing the dingy used about 2/3 of a TANK. (about 15 gallons and took about 12 hours) I just figured out the difference! The first trip was with a 8hp Yamaha, on a 10 foot inflatable. The second trip was towing a 25hp Yamaha on a 'nicely loaded down' 11.5ft Avon RIB. In the years between, we used davits but they ruined the stern rail and were a hassle. But we were traveling up to seven days none stop. Stu's suggestion about the Garhauer hoist is first on my list. The fuel tanks can be carried on the deck. (13 gallons) The engine on the stern rail. The equipment box is an igloo ice chest that holds a ton of stuff and can ride on the cabin top behind the dorads. Then the Avon will be down to fighting weight(147pounds) and will let our Hunter generate a surf-able stern wave to tow it on. What a wonderful web site. Thanks for the ideas.
I'm looking to lighten up a little. After reading the comments here, I'm changing some of our ways. When we first bought our H34 and powered back from Desolation Sound, the dingy was in tow and it rode the stern wave. It put nearly NO load on the tow line. Our Hunter took 4 gallons of diesel to top it off when we stopped in Nanimo. (10hr trip) This year (19 years later) the same trip towing the dingy used about 2/3 of a TANK. (about 15 gallons and took about 12 hours) I just figured out the difference! The first trip was with a 8hp Yamaha, on a 10 foot inflatable. The second trip was towing a 25hp Yamaha on a 'nicely loaded down' 11.5ft Avon RIB. In the years between, we used davits but they ruined the stern rail and were a hassle. But we were traveling up to seven days none stop. Stu's suggestion about the Garhauer hoist is first on my list. The fuel tanks can be carried on the deck. (13 gallons) The engine on the stern rail. The equipment box is an igloo ice chest that holds a ton of stuff and can ride on the cabin top behind the dorads. Then the Avon will be down to fighting weight(147pounds) and will let our Hunter generate a surf-able stern wave to tow it on. What a wonderful web site. Thanks for the ideas.
Minimum safe power?
Thank you everyone for your advice! What a great site. It sounds like the 4-8hp motors may be the worst of both worlds. How expensive would it be to have a motor hoist (such as the on recomended) installed? If I had one installed am I correct in assuming a may still hit my gel coat on the way up and down? Also, would a 3hp motor even be safe on a 10ft inflatable with a rigid inflatable floor and four fairly fit folks on board? The mothership runs on diesel, so I am at two types of fuel either way. Thanks again!
Thank you everyone for your advice! What a great site. It sounds like the 4-8hp motors may be the worst of both worlds. How expensive would it be to have a motor hoist (such as the on recomended) installed? If I had one installed am I correct in assuming a may still hit my gel coat on the way up and down? Also, would a 3hp motor even be safe on a 10ft inflatable with a rigid inflatable floor and four fairly fit folks on board? The mothership runs on diesel, so I am at two types of fuel either way. Thanks again!
We have a Merc 2 stroke, 4hp, but ...
all the discussion did not menion how touchy an evolution it is to load and unload the motor from the boat/dingy. Even if it is light, it is still a bit (read: heart stopping) hassle to move it from sternrail to dingy and vice versa. The center of gravity is high, and the dang dingy wants to keep moving as you maneuver around to load/unload the motor -no matter how tight it is tied to the boat, even in calm water. The blade on the motor housing below the prop is somewhat dangerous too preventing you from setting it down on a soft deck of the inflatable (you rib guys disregard). Our process is that I lift it off and set it on the aft locker lid, then my wife(!) hands it down when I'm somewhat stable in the dingy, and in one smooth, controlled motion (a joke guys) I easily (hah!) slide it on the transom. A wet bottom of the dingy makes things interesting (read: I almost drop the thing EACH time the motor is loaded or unloaded). In sum: moving the motor from the dingy to the boat is best captured on video for replay later like a Keystone Kop movie. No matter how light the motor, I can definitely see the benefit of having a hoist, to prevent dropping the motor altogether, and stabilizing the lowering and raising.
all the discussion did not menion how touchy an evolution it is to load and unload the motor from the boat/dingy. Even if it is light, it is still a bit (read: heart stopping) hassle to move it from sternrail to dingy and vice versa. The center of gravity is high, and the dang dingy wants to keep moving as you maneuver around to load/unload the motor -no matter how tight it is tied to the boat, even in calm water. The blade on the motor housing below the prop is somewhat dangerous too preventing you from setting it down on a soft deck of the inflatable (you rib guys disregard). Our process is that I lift it off and set it on the aft locker lid, then my wife(!) hands it down when I'm somewhat stable in the dingy, and in one smooth, controlled motion (a joke guys) I easily (hah!) slide it on the transom. A wet bottom of the dingy makes things interesting (read: I almost drop the thing EACH time the motor is loaded or unloaded). In sum: moving the motor from the dingy to the boat is best captured on video for replay later like a Keystone Kop movie. No matter how light the motor, I can definitely see the benefit of having a hoist, to prevent dropping the motor altogether, and stabilizing the lowering and raising.
No more 2-strokes
Hey Ryan, Forget two-strokes in California. They are illegal to sell new ones here. You can still buy an older one if you want to buy used. I have a Merc 4 horsepower, and it is ok. But there are a couple of 2 hp moptors out there that are air cooled and are less then 50 pounds. They also have built-in gas tanks. Not fast, but everyone I know that bought one likes them.
Hey Ryan, Forget two-strokes in California. They are illegal to sell new ones here. You can still buy an older one if you want to buy used. I have a Merc 4 horsepower, and it is ok. But there are a couple of 2 hp moptors out there that are air cooled and are less then 50 pounds. They also have built-in gas tanks. Not fast, but everyone I know that bought one likes them.
Hoist
If you're using more than about a 3HP OB on the dink, then getting it on and off the mother ship is definitely going to be the job of a hoist of some type. Most of us can move a 2HP around with one hand, while the other is used to steady our bodies, hold the dink steady, move the dink's painter out of the way, etc. With a 50lb 6-8HP, it takes both hands to carry the motor, so there is none left to control or steady anything else. It's here the hoist comes into play. My radar support pole/tower is mounted on the mothership's transom (my Cat 27) right above the OB bracket on the sternrail. Mounted on the height of the tower is a 4-part tackle with an integral cleat (like a vang from a small sailing dinghy) that I use to lift the OB off the bracket. Using the cleat, it's easy to control in lowering the OB down to the level of the dink's transom. I tie off the dink to the stern of the mothership so that the dink's hard transom is immobilized against the mother's transom, and drop the OB so the mounting bolts are just below the level of the dink's transom mounting bracket. Then climb in the dink, and use both hands to lift the OB the inch or two so I can drop it onto the bracket, tighten the bolts and voila! I've done it a few times w/o the radar tower, and it's a major event, and definitely can be heart stopping. Oh, and be sure you have a second safety line attached to the OB, whether you use a hoist or not, just in case you drop it!
If you're using more than about a 3HP OB on the dink, then getting it on and off the mother ship is definitely going to be the job of a hoist of some type. Most of us can move a 2HP around with one hand, while the other is used to steady our bodies, hold the dink steady, move the dink's painter out of the way, etc. With a 50lb 6-8HP, it takes both hands to carry the motor, so there is none left to control or steady anything else. It's here the hoist comes into play. My radar support pole/tower is mounted on the mothership's transom (my Cat 27) right above the OB bracket on the sternrail. Mounted on the height of the tower is a 4-part tackle with an integral cleat (like a vang from a small sailing dinghy) that I use to lift the OB off the bracket. Using the cleat, it's easy to control in lowering the OB down to the level of the dink's transom. I tie off the dink to the stern of the mothership so that the dink's hard transom is immobilized against the mother's transom, and drop the OB so the mounting bolts are just below the level of the dink's transom mounting bracket. Then climb in the dink, and use both hands to lift the OB the inch or two so I can drop it onto the bracket, tighten the bolts and voila! I've done it a few times w/o the radar tower, and it's a major event, and definitely can be heart stopping. Oh, and be sure you have a second safety line attached to the OB, whether you use a hoist or not, just in case you drop it!
I think I'm going with the Honda 2HP, for my
8.5 ft. roll-up. Several people have them around me & are very happy, not gonna plane but I don't race the dinghy anyway. They only weigh 29 lbs. as mentioned 2 strokes are gettin hard to get out here. I heard a rumor that OMC (Johnson, Evenrude) is supposed to be marketing a 4 stroke 3 Hp soon, I'm getting too old to manhandle a heavier engine & boat is too small for davits. Forgot to mention, Thursday night I spoke with one of the guys who races a J boat, he just put a 2hp Honda on the boat to get him out to the start line. Looked like it moved his boat pretty good thru the marina & he was pretty happy with it also.
8.5 ft. roll-up. Several people have them around me & are very happy, not gonna plane but I don't race the dinghy anyway. They only weigh 29 lbs. as mentioned 2 strokes are gettin hard to get out here. I heard a rumor that OMC (Johnson, Evenrude) is supposed to be marketing a 4 stroke 3 Hp soon, I'm getting too old to manhandle a heavier engine & boat is too small for davits. Forgot to mention, Thursday night I spoke with one of the guys who races a J boat, he just put a 2hp Honda on the boat to get him out to the start line. Looked like it moved his boat pretty good thru the marina & he was pretty happy with it also.
My two cents:
As I read the posts for this topic it seems to me that weight vs. HP is the determining factor in dinghy motor selection. All of the folks who have looked at the problem are right in that it is mighty difficult to mount a heavy (90 lbs+)motor on to the transom of a dinghy. Anything from dropping the motor in the drink to injuring yourself are very real dangers. For my money I'd go with the motor which has the minimum weight but still enough power to get you around. My small dinghy is powered by a 3.5 HP Tohatsu 2-stroke. My dinghy is about an 8 footer and will carry four people. The engine has plenty of ooomph to move a load but will not get the dinghy on plane even when I'm alone in it. That said all I use it for is to go small distances to shore when I'm on the hook or to tour a harbor and see the sights on a lazy afternoon; so speed isn't a high priority for me. So: Decide how fast you need to go, then figure out how much motor you are willing to lift and go from there. Good Luck, Mike
As I read the posts for this topic it seems to me that weight vs. HP is the determining factor in dinghy motor selection. All of the folks who have looked at the problem are right in that it is mighty difficult to mount a heavy (90 lbs+)motor on to the transom of a dinghy. Anything from dropping the motor in the drink to injuring yourself are very real dangers. For my money I'd go with the motor which has the minimum weight but still enough power to get you around. My small dinghy is powered by a 3.5 HP Tohatsu 2-stroke. My dinghy is about an 8 footer and will carry four people. The engine has plenty of ooomph to move a load but will not get the dinghy on plane even when I'm alone in it. That said all I use it for is to go small distances to shore when I'm on the hook or to tour a harbor and see the sights on a lazy afternoon; so speed isn't a high priority for me. So: Decide how fast you need to go, then figure out how much motor you are willing to lift and go from there. Good Luck, Mike
1.2 hp Sears 13#s
It all depends upon what you are planning to do with your dinghy. We have a Walker Bay 8' and are planning use a 1.2 hp outboard. We are going to the boat this weekend and use it for the first time. we have used it a lot on a 17' canoe and it moves the canoe about as fast as we want to go in a canoe. Historically we have used the dinghy for short trips while at anchor. This is usually to the beach and back. I guess in the future we might need a better dinghy and a larger motor but I am getting old. It is hard enough to get the WB on and off the deck and adding a 45# motor doesn't sound worth the effort. Only once have I wanted to use the dinghy for a trip over about 1/2 mile. My wife talked me out of going for ice at a dock about 1 mile away. She convinced me that it would be easier to raise the anchor and just motor our sailboat over to the dock. Money is keeping us from an upgrade as we figure about $2000 for a boat and motor and probably another $1000 for davits. We have the money but figure we can spend it in other ways. But once we live aboard the advantages of a larger faster dinghy might make it worth the money. I don't think that they still make the Sears 1.2 I've had mine since about 1985. But they do make a little Cruise and Carry which is about the same thing.
It all depends upon what you are planning to do with your dinghy. We have a Walker Bay 8' and are planning use a 1.2 hp outboard. We are going to the boat this weekend and use it for the first time. we have used it a lot on a 17' canoe and it moves the canoe about as fast as we want to go in a canoe. Historically we have used the dinghy for short trips while at anchor. This is usually to the beach and back. I guess in the future we might need a better dinghy and a larger motor but I am getting old. It is hard enough to get the WB on and off the deck and adding a 45# motor doesn't sound worth the effort. Only once have I wanted to use the dinghy for a trip over about 1/2 mile. My wife talked me out of going for ice at a dock about 1 mile away. She convinced me that it would be easier to raise the anchor and just motor our sailboat over to the dock. Money is keeping us from an upgrade as we figure about $2000 for a boat and motor and probably another $1000 for davits. We have the money but figure we can spend it in other ways. But once we live aboard the advantages of a larger faster dinghy might make it worth the money. I don't think that they still make the Sears 1.2 I've had mine since about 1985. But they do make a little Cruise and Carry which is about the same thing.
8 HP plus hoist
Our 8 HP Nissan 2-stroke outboard planes our 10 ft. air floor WM (Zodiac) with two average sized people plus gear just fine. The Garhauer hoist (lifting davit) makes mounting the motor fairly easy. I can do it myself by tying the dinghy alongside, and sitting in it while guiding the motor with one hand, and letting out the line with the other. It's a bit quicker with my wife doing the lowering. I just reverse the process to stow the motor. It's easy enough that I never need to tow the dinghy with the motor mounted. The Garhauer hoist sets up or stows away in about two minutes. Sometimes I leave it up when underway, still attatched to the motor stored on the stern rail. Works great for us.
Our 8 HP Nissan 2-stroke outboard planes our 10 ft. air floor WM (Zodiac) with two average sized people plus gear just fine. The Garhauer hoist (lifting davit) makes mounting the motor fairly easy. I can do it myself by tying the dinghy alongside, and sitting in it while guiding the motor with one hand, and letting out the line with the other. It's a bit quicker with my wife doing the lowering. I just reverse the process to stow the motor. It's easy enough that I never need to tow the dinghy with the motor mounted. The Garhauer hoist sets up or stows away in about two minutes. Sometimes I leave it up when underway, still attatched to the motor stored on the stern rail. Works great for us.
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