need small outboard advise

sailingdog · Jul 11, 2009

The need for reverse cuts out a lot of the smaller outboards, like the Nissans, Tohatsus and Mercuries. The only one I can think of that would be reasonably priced is the Yamaha 4 HP four-stroke. It weighs about 50 lbs.

Anchor Down · Jul 11, 2009

Maybe you can find a smaller outboard that rotates 360° in its bracket, so does not need a reverse gear…

sailingdog · Jul 11, 2009

Might want to read the OP again.. the outboard is going in a WELL. Most outboard motor wells are tight enough that rotating the engine is not a possibility.

Anchor Down said:
Maybe you can find a smaller outboard that rotates 360° in its bracket, so does not need a reverse gear…

BobM · Jul 11, 2009

Sorry to hear about it

People suck and it is only going to get worse in a bad economy.

I had a Johnson 9.9 stolen from my boat while it was at its mooring. I was an idiot and didn't have a lock on it. I had bought one, but just not installed it yet. Recently I have heard of a rash of thefts in Dorchester MA. Including one where three locks were cut to steal an outboard.

Good luck in finding an outboard with a long shaft at a reasonable price. Whatever you buy, I am sure you will invest in a few good locks as well. I hope they didn't cut any of your control cables, as they did with mine.:cussing:

jackhartjr · Jul 11, 2009

No trying to be argumentative here...however a boat with a well on it I was looking at had room to swivel the engine.
However a boat big enough to have a well would in my opinion need a bigger motor than a 3 or so horsepower one.
I just read it is a Bristol 19, would that not need at least a 6HP or so? I don't know, just asking.
Jack

John Nantz · Jul 12, 2009

3hp = hull speed

As a comparison, with regard to hp required, I've got an old 1965 3hp (rated at head back then and not at the prop) which can push my 16ft daysailer at hull speed so I'd estimate that something like a new 4hp (rated at the prop) on a 19 footer would roughly equate to about the same performance.

If the boat was bought with the outboard, could it be that the boat has a 5hp because of the reverse capability?

A lot of the new outboards are 4-stroke to help prevent contaminating the water with oil, something you might consider if boating on a lake. Unfortunately, the 4-cycles have a larger head unit than the 2-cycles and this would likely defeat your goal.

Plan B: In the meantime, what would it take to modify the tiller setup to give you more clearance? A fancy, custom made, laminated oak handle? That could actually look pretty spiffy if varnished.

It would be interesting to see if anyone can come up with a small outboard with reverse suggestion.

Joe11688 · Jul 12, 2009

rich morpurgo said:
unfortunately, the outboard on our little bristol 19 was stolen. I need to replace it. It was a nissan 5 horse two stroke long shaft.

I am looking for a smaller engine as it has to fit in a well in the boat. I would like a quiet engine that isn't too tall and has reverse. Needs not be more than probably 3 horse. External fuel tank is good and it will keep the height down. The tiller for the boat has to pass over the engine, so engine height is an issue.

should be a long shaft.

I barely got the 5 horse above idle, so I don't think I need too much.

thanks for the help

One of our YC members just launched his Bristol 19 at the club yesterday. I think that he has a small 3 HP outboard for it with no reverse. I'm not sure what brand of engine he has though. He didn't have it in the boat yesterday when it was tied to the dock. In fact, he put the mast up and forgot the boom at home.
Joe

s sauer · Jul 12, 2009

You might check into using an electric trolling motor and a deep cell battery if you only need power to get into a slip.

Joe Blizzard · Jul 14, 2009

How about one of those Torqeedo self-contained units. Take the whole thing home to charge and you won't have to worry about someone stealing it. Pricey, though.

sailingdog · Jul 15, 2009

The only issue I see with using a Torqueedo or an electric trolling motor is re-fueling it in a pinch is not possible. Carrying spare batteries for them are both expensive and far more cumbersome than carrying a two-gallon jerry can of gasoline.

ftp2leta · Jul 16, 2009

Hi, first post here. So hello form the cold country. (bad weather this year).
I just bought a rare mint Hunter 20 from my friend in NC. I should get the boat soon.

The boat as a 2.5 2s engine but i want to get a 4cycle one, i'm gonna be sailing on the mighty St-Laurent river (Montreal) next year and I want a bit more power (to cope with current) and mostly i want a more silent runner. I'm kind of on a budget so a new 6-8hp is out of the question. Locally there is a mint 1995 Nissan 5hp with reverse. Any comments on Nissan engine. Any other suggestion would be appreciated. The boat is equipped with a engine lowering device (sorry, don't know the name) so i can use a short shaft engine.

I'm just afraid tha Nissan is not as popular as other make (parts).

Thanks a bunch. I'm all excited about sailing. THe H20 as a retractable keel so i plan to sail in many different places including Florida.

Cheers, Ben
ps.: sorry for my basic English, i'm French speaking.

TimCup · Jul 16, 2009

ftp2leta- sorry I don't know the french word-

but the english word is "hijacking". You have some questions that many people can help you with, but you need to start a new thread to ask those questions. Many members won't even realize you need help, if it is posted onto another thread.

Try posting in a new thread, and I'm sure you'll get lots of responses. And welcome aboard- the more the merrier (and collectively, the smarter!!)

cup

Joe11688 · Jul 16, 2009

rich morpurgo said:
unfortunately, the outboard on our little bristol 19 was stolen. I need to replace it. It was a nissan 5 horse two stroke long shaft.

I am looking for a smaller engine as it has to fit in a well in the boat. I would like a quiet engine that isn't too tall and has reverse. Needs not be more than probably 3 horse. External fuel tank is good and it will keep the height down. The tiller for the boat has to pass over the engine, so engine height is an issue.

should be a long shaft.

I barely got the 5 horse above idle, so I don't think I need too much.

thanks for the help

I talked with one of our Shawomet Yacht Club members this afternoon about what kind of engine he has on his Bristol 19 and he told me that he has a two year old Mercury 3.5 hp four stroke outboard in the well. He said that he tried a lot of engines before he got the Mercury and it just fits. He claims that the engine will turn 180 degrees in the well in order to get reverse. The 3.5 hp pushes that boat pretty well, according to him. I guess that if you use the rule of thumb, 1 hp for every 1000 lbs of the boat's weight, this engine qualifies for the full weight of that boat with a little more hp to spare.
Joe