Outboard motors; Cruising, dingy, tips, maint, & reviews

s/v Faith · April 25, 2009, 02:09:25 PM

Ok,

I have had my Tohatsu 6hp 4 stroke for a few months now. I hate to say it, but I like the Yamaha 6 hp 2 stroke better.

Take a look at my earlier post for more info on the positives of this motor. This post is really a 'full disclosure' to share my honest impressions. I honestly think I may have made an error buying this motor. :-\

The Tohatsu has to come out of the water for anything more then a day or two. The zinc is really really small and erodes fast. I had left it in for a couple weeks earlier, and had to change the zinc. :P This would be less of an issue on a boat with a transom mount where they can pivot the motor out of the water when not in use.

The Yamaha is a 2 stroke so it has more thrust. I tried the pricey 'thrust prop' for the Tohatsu... it did make it back better, but it at higher RPM's (too high). ::)

I would like to try the Yamaha 6hp 4 stroke.. but I doubt it would fit in an Ariel well. CJ sent me the measurements for his well and it might make it but I would not want to buy one to find out it did not.

The Tohatsu that I bought was ~$1450 with the charging option, and I paid another ~$115 for the thrust prop. I am sorry this is not working out for me, but wanted to post to share for others consideration.

If anyone is looking for a well cared for Tohatsu 6 with the charging option let me know. Also, if anyone has successfully mounted a Yamaha 6/8 4 stroke in an Ariel / Commander well I would like to know of it.

Finally if anyone comes across a Yamaha 6/8 2 stoke in good shape (20" shaft) I would appreciate your letting me know.

Thanks,

Tim · April 25, 2009, 02:22:23 PM

Since CJ was SUPPOSED to send me those measurements ;) could you post them? as I am doing extensive work on the transom for the propane locker and can enlarge my well if necessary.

I am thinking down the road if I ever have to replace the Honda 5 I have, I might consider the Yamaha

s/v Faith · April 25, 2009, 02:25:36 PM

Sure Tim,

I doubt CJ will mind my sharing the PM he sent me;

QuoteOK- measured the well today- it's roughly 12 inches square, but at the after side I had to cut out a circular place to get the rear of the engine to clear. We raised the engine about 2 inches on the mount and I had to remove a piece of the cowl. It's just a cosmetic part that wraps around the leg- held on by two bolts. Wasn't a major job.

OBTW, how is that Honda 5 working out for you? I would like to consider that too.

Thanks,

Tim · April 25, 2009, 02:31:29 PM

I have only used the engine to push her in and out of Richardson Bay a few times with the standard prop. It moved her fine, but I am getting a displacement prop for it (6.50 I think) which should make it a little easier getting going.

Tim · April 25, 2009, 02:33:00 PM

Quote from: s/v Faith on April 25, 2009, 02:25:36 PM
Sure Tim,

I doubt CJ will mind my sharing the PM he sent me;

Actually I PM'd a request to Charlie about two weeks ago for those measurements ;)

Frank · April 25, 2009, 02:45:03 PM

I too have a tomato ;D 6 hp. I bought the extra long shaft/charger combo. The biggest pros from my perspective is the relatively light weight and honestly unbelievable low fuel consumption.Not sure what Craigs is like, but my best tank to date lasted 21hrs.....or a bit over 3hrs to the gallon..With only 2 aboard you have some serious range. I too find the zinc a joke...ya buy them six at a time cause ya know you'l be using them.Not too bad 'out there' but any marina or tight anchorage and away they go.Noise/vibration is far worst than a twin. My initial delight at not believing how little fuel it uses changes while motoring into wind/seas or listening to the singles 'drone' for extended periods. The $1400 +/- for a 25 inch shaft with an alternater is a bargain....but I'll be looking at a 8hp yamaha as well next time.

CharlieJ · April 25, 2009, 03:29:03 PM

>:( >:(

I'm sorry guys. I KNEW I measured and sent the measurements to SOMEBODY. Call it CRS ( Can't remember S***) or "old timers disease" - Which ever.

I sometimes get a bit behind in replying to PMs and emails.

This past Tuesday we sailed out to Matagorda Island and came home on Thursday- running up the bay in front of 22, gusting 30, sailing on JUST a reefed working jib, logging 6.5 to 7.5

Here's what it looked like ;D

s/v Faith · April 25, 2009, 03:34:56 PM

Quote from: Frank on April 25, 2009, 02:45:03 PM
I too have a tomato ;D 6 hp. I bought the extra long shaft/charger combo. The biggest pros from my perspective is the relatively light weight and honestly unbelievable low fuel consumption.Not sure what Craigs is like, but my best tank to date lasted 21hrs.....or a bit over 3hrs to the gallon.......

I don't know yet. I used part of a tank for the 10 hour break in and have yet to use half of the 2nd 3 gallons yet. ;)

Tim · April 25, 2009, 03:45:59 PM

Quote from: CharlieJ on April 25, 2009, 03:29:03 PM
>:( >:(

I'm sorry guys. I KNEW I measured and sent the measurements to SOMEBODY. Call it CRS ( Can't remember S***) or "old timers disease" - Which ever.

I sometimes get a bit behind in replying to PMs and emails.

This past Tuesday we sailed out to Matagorda Island and came home on Thursday- running up the bay in front of 22, gusting 30, sailing on JUST a reefed working jib, logging 6.5 to 7.5

Here's what it looked like ;D

What!!! You trying to use going sailing as an excuse ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Frank · April 25, 2009, 04:57:35 PM

CJ...funny how waves never look as big in a picture. Even rough conditions usually look moderate at worst in a still shot. PS...good shot for ...ah... (CRAFT)..whoever was asking about a reefed jib a while back. Guess I'm suffering too

AdriftAtSea · April 25, 2009, 04:59:17 PM

Yeah, something about the camera, whether it is still or video, flattens the waves out a lot...so it never really gives you the impression of how bad it really was at the time. Maybe a stereo-camera would fix that. :)

nowell · April 25, 2009, 05:28:21 PM

Quote from: Frank on April 25, 2009, 04:57:35 PM
CJ...funny how waves never look as big in a picture. Even rough conditions usually look moderate at worst in a still shot. PS...good shot for ...ah... (CRAFT)..whoever was asking about a reefed jib a while back. Guess I'm suffering too

That was me, and kinda funny, I was lamenting the fact I missed last week to do some sailing down in your area also CJ! Glad you had a good trip!

CharlieJ · April 26, 2009, 08:33:11 AM

Yeah, I know- that's why I included the shots of the tow coming towards us, and particularly the second one with the spray coming over his front barge.

And in there where we were when I took those shots, it had calmed a good bit, since we were coming more under the lee of the land- at least there were shallows between us and the main bay, so conditions were better.

I'm glad we were running with it though ;)

matt195583 · May 16, 2009, 11:41:21 PM

Hey its been a while since i have been on this site. I have been getting lots of over time and been sailing my Catalina 22 as much as i can . One thing that I have read here and experienced last time i was on the water, Is swamping of outboards when they are transom mounted as mine is.

The last time i was on the water there was 3-4 ft swell and the peaks were about 12-15 ft apart.... such is life on a shallow bay . The result of the swell was that when the bow would ride up one wave the following wave would get way too close to the outboards air intake which is right at the top on the back of the outboard (tohatsu 9.8 2 stroke ) . these conditions were not all that bad and the possibility of getting caught out in worse is always there .

I can see 2 options to get around this is to close off the original intake and glass in a 65 mm PVC water pipe fitting thus making a snorkel for the outboard raising the intake level by about 1 foot or fitting a flexible hose to the 65 mm fitting and running that back to the transom and picking up air from the cockpit locker .

Captain Smollett · May 17, 2009, 12:44:52 AM

Hi Matt,

That's interesting. Did it actually get TO the air intake, or you just noticed it looked like it was getting 'too close?'

I've had my 18 foot sailboat, with transom mounted ob, out in conditions as you describe with none of the trouble you mentioned.

Let's see, I've motored into 3-4 footers on Port Royal Sound (SC) and the water never got close to the power head.

On a lake in a squall I had the engine running and the waves got up to about 5 feet or so and I did not notice an issue.

I'm intrigued by this. Is the ob perhaps mounted TOO low? Is the boat perhaps sitting by the stern (a trim issue)?

matt195583 · May 18, 2009, 04:42:18 AM

I'd say that the water was within about 4-6 inches of the intake, which is enough to make me a little concerned . The outboard bracket was on the lowest setting the next one up and the motor wants to cavitate when the bow dips over a wave ( the motor is a long leg ) I think it wasn't so much the wave height that was the issue but the distance between the peaks. that was about 15 foot so when the bow was still on the back of one wave the following wave was rising under the transom.
The bay that i sail in is reasonably shallow i think in that area it was about 3-4 meters or 10-14 foot or so

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Outboard motors; Cruising, dingy, tips, maint, & reviews