motor for the 170

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Bob

My 170 is moored in a very congested area and it requires a motor to go about 200 yards to get into the open water. I am using an electric motor with 28 lbs. of thrust, but it is very difficult to get the 170 to track a course if the wind exceeds 5-6 mph. My neighbor has a 19 ft. sailboat with a 30 lb. thrust motor and he has no problem tracking his boat! What are otheres using for motors?
 
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Jeff

Nissan 2.5 hp 2-stroke

Has a self contained 1.5 liter fuel tank that lasts 2 hours of run time. Has propelled me back to the dock in 20 MPH head wind. Dependable for the last three seasons. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
 
Oct 2, 2006
83
Hunter 170 Kentucky
Honda 2 HP 4 stroke

Same results as above - works great. The marina I launch from requires me to motor for about 1 mile before I can raise the sails. My little Honda does the trick nicely. ...now if I can just figure out how to retreive the boat without running over every other boat in the marina, I'll be doing good.....
 
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Benny

I don't know about the hull shape, windage

and displacement of your friend's 19' boat but it does not sound to me like he is running a true 30 lbs thrust motor. Pounds of thrust cannot be equated to horsepower by a conversion formula as the two units measure two different things. By observation of performance a 1 horsepower is equated to a 75 lbs of thrust.
 
Mar 8, 2005
193
Hunter 170 Ventura, California
Honda 2 hp

Great little air cooled motor,no oil to mix,no flushing the motor after sailing in salt water, starts every time and gives me plenty of power on my H-170 to get me around. even pulled me off some rocks once :-( and got me through some weeds a few times too. really nice to be able to drop the sails in the marina and motor around the other boats to get back to the boat ramp or dock slip. I have a long shaft 20 inch, if I was to do over I would get the 15 inch shaft, I also have the clutch type, (boat does not jump foward when you start it) the 20 inch is not needed for the H-170 since the motor mount is nice and low to the water line. I never had an issue where the prop would come out of the water, even in some 1 to 2 foot chop. It has a 1 liter internal tank, good for about 45min at full throttle. I carry a 1 gal can with me just in case I decide to sail to Hawaii :) Hard to beat the Honda 2hp, well worth the extra cost !
 

Tereza

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Jun 10, 2005
185
Hunter 146 Candlewood Lake, CT
Cruise-n-Carry

One issue with a 146 is that being that much smaller and lighter, I hesitate to put a 2hp motor on it. I've got a 1.5 hp Cruise-n-Carry - not made any more, but available aftermarket. Best thing about it - 12 lbs!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D But it will NOT let me go out in 15kt winds. Which actually makes it kinda self-regulating, because if the wind is that strong, means it's too strong for little ne to be out by myself anyway!! I would not go electric- if I had to give up this motor, I suppose I would go for the lightest 2hp I could find. There s an old thread on this topic you might find in the archives.
 
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Frank K

Motor for H-170

I bought a Minn Kota 40 lb thrust trolling motor at Wal-mart for $156 to move my H-170. Has plenty of thrust and moves the boat close to hull speed. Holds against a pretty brisk wind in reverse as well.
 
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Bob

170 motor

I am encouraged to try a more powerful electric motor. I prefer not to deal with gasoline. I currently have a solar battery recharger, with no gasoline odor, a silent motor and prefer to keep it that way.
 
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Mark Serena

What length shaft on the Honda 2hp?

Looking at the Honda 2hp for my Hunter 170. What length shaft does your motor have? Does the 170 require an extra long shaft on the outboard?
 
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Rick S.

short shaft

I use a 30-year-old 2 hp Johnson Seahorse on my 170, mostly to traverse a 100-yard channel between the launch and open water. It's a short shaft, and in calm water, it's fine. But if the wind kicks up, and I want to drop sail and motor home, I have to be sure to keep enough weight aft, to make sure the prop stays in the water. With just two adults aboard, and my weight fully aft, if my crew goes forward far enough to uncleat the main and to roller-furl the jib, if the boat pitches fore-and-aft, the prop clears the surface, and the motor races momentarily until the prop dips again. Not a confidence-builder, and not a nice way to treat a 30-year-old workhorse. Next time I'd consider a 20-inch shaft, even if it drags a little in a chop or during a heel, as Glenn noted.
 
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