Outboard for 192
I read an article by a boat surveyor who said he looks for 2 horsepower for each 1000 lbs of displacement as adequate power. My experience using a 2 hp Honda on my 192 confirms this - it's a bit small for the 192's 1400 lbs. It's fine for maneuvering and motoring home when there's no wind. It will push the boat well enough into a 15 kt headwind, but it's very slow going if there is more wind than that. On the other hand, the Honda 2 weighs only 28 lbs, is air-cooled (so it never has to be flushed) and it recently made the 30 mile trip from Long Beach to Catalina Island using just over 1 gallon of gas. That's running seven hours straight at 3/4 throttle which gave a speed between 4.5 and 5 kts. If I were buying a new motor for my 192, I think I'd look most seriously at the Tohatsu/Mercury/Nissan 3.5 hp. 4 stroke. Even with a long shaft, it's still just under 40 lbs, and the fact that the same motor is sold under so many brand names means that finding service or parts shouldn't be a problem. Most of the 4hp 4 strokes weigh between 50 and 60 lbs, and I don't think that the extra half horsepower is going to be worth the extra weight.
