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

[Lynx]

I think that it is a sales game. An electric 2 hp 12v motor at 760 watts per horsepower would draw 116 amps roughly per hour.

The dream of going pure electric is not here yet.

[Fortis]

I like you folks, but I have given up trying to argue or discuss electric outboards with you all. I seem to be the only one that uses them, have done for th elast 6 years and have loved it. It only ever got overpowered once, but a 5hp IC outboard would have been feeling the crunch too. Just a bad situation all round.
all the other dozens of times I have loved it. That was my old 28# thrust Mariner...

Today I took delivery of a brand new 68# thrust unit!!!!!!!!!!!!
Looking forwards to trying her out, perhaps tomorrow.

Oh heck...I can't stop arguing...

48 volts will get you up to a 6hp equivalent. Upping 5the voltage is actually really good as it allows you to stay with smaller cables and not be dragging 8pounds of copper cable around. getting 48volts out of a space that would fit one decent battery is not difficult. 12volt battereis come in all sizes. if you want lead acid then use four motorcycle batteries starpped iside a plastic battery box (the box even gives you the option for carrying straps etc...) If you want to use AGM batteries (And I know I love them and recommend them highly) then there are small units available that allow you tot do the same thing.

Zero problem. A little creative wiring will see you able to plug nto a 12volt recharger and have everything behave as per normal.

The 68# thrust unit is about the largest 12volt motor you can get.

As always it is also an issue of finding the prop that gives you what you want...
Fortunately nearly all companies now offer a selection fo props to choose from. I was surprised that I did not have to choose, my unit arrived with a total of four props all optimised for pushing different weights of boat and hull types.

Oh well, to each their own...Personally I love moving almost silently and cleanly.

Alex.

[CharlieJ]

Oh, I'd love going electric. But for where we sail and how we currently use the boat it simply isn't a practical option. Leaving our marina we normally must power 4 to 5 miles straight up wind in a very narrow channel, which we share with ocean going ships , tow boats and shrimpers, before we get to a wide enough section so we CAN sail. If the wind happens to be such that we CAN sail ( rarely) that channel, then we frequently must power the same 4 to 5 miles to get back.

If our marina was on a different part of the bay where they are able to just duck outside the marina break water and hoist sail, I'd do it for sure. But that would mean a 50 mile drive instead of a 12 mile drive to get to the boat. And the same drive getting home.

So for now we'll stay with the gas engine.

[Fortis]

I honestly wouldn't recommend an electric trolling motor for moving the yacht around, except to get in and out of a pen and maybe out fo a quiet marina....
I have my 20hp diesel for my 26 footer, and I like it!

My love of electric outboards is for pushing around the tender. No smells, no spills, no service and no noise when it is running...It means you get to run over ducks who never hear you approaching. It means you get to chat with people on other boats and at the docks.

Also, there are no emition restrictions (so we get to take it on lakes and reservoirs that normal motor boats are forbidden) or licensing requirments...My 2 year old son loves driving the boat, and the water police just grin  and compliment him on his skill.

It's a niche thing. It works for us really well, it may not work for everyone.

The week after next I am taking my wife and son exploring up the yarra River...I plan to go about 7 miles each way and the river flows at around 4 knots... Add in the time to explore around a few of the little islands and the battery is just not going to hack it, so for that trip, for the first time in something like four years, the 2stroke outboard is coming out of mothballs. I'll have the electric strapped to the transom as well. use the 2stroke to motor upriver, then turn it off and putter around the islands with the electric...Should be perfect for coming back with the current as well!

Alex.

[CharlieJ]

The no license requirement depends on where you live. If you put that electric motor on a dinghy in Texas you MUST register the boat, and put numbers on it, along with the yearly sticker. ANY boat that isn't rowed, paddled, poled or oared is the way it reads. Also sailboats 14 feet and over. Sailboats 13 feet, 11 inches and under don't require registration

But yeah- we have a small aluminum fishing boat- 10 footer- that works really well with an electric- and oars ;D

[Pappy Jack]

If you want to be a purest ::), you could use an oar(sweep). I think that we all know that the Pardee's have always used one and James Baldwin used one on his Triton. Both have double circumnavigations to their credit ;D. Just my .02 cents worth ::). If anybody is interested, here is a website that might be interesting to you,  www.oarclub.org

Fair winds,

Pappy Jack

[Tim]

I am trying to get a sculling oar finished for use on the Potter, if I get good enough at it, I may try it on the Ariel

Tim

[Lynx]

I do envy you being able to move the boat like that. I just want to go to far and fast I guess. Good luck All of us are different as well as the cruising areas and needs.

Fair winds and safe seas.

[s/v Faith]

I am going to have to get a new motor for the Ariel, and since a shift in the cockpit would be wonderful, I am looking at the Yamahas. I excpect to be dealing with some fairly serious currents up north so I am leaning towards the 9.9 as opposed to the 8. The weight difference is about 10 lbs. (91 for the 9.9) Am I being foolish? (wouldn't be the first time) ;D

Tim,

  FWIW I have some experience with this.  I currently have a Yamaha 6hp (2 cyl, 2stroke) in the well of my Ariel.  It has been a great motor and has pushed the boat just fine through all kinds of conditions.  Yahama makes both the 6 and 8hp models on this same platform. 

  I had an 8hp Suzuki (2 stroke) and saw the same speeds with it that I do with the 6hp.  I gained nothing with the extra 2hp, and in choosing which motor to get rid of I let the Suzuki go.

  Rose and I delivered Ariel #3 (Ariel Spirit) from near Annapolis to NC.  It has a 9.9hp Merc with an external shifter/throttle.

  IMHO, the 9.9 was much too hp for the Ariel.  Anything more then enough Hp to approach hull speed just makes the stern squat and increases the bow wave.  Hull speed has nothing to do with your speed over ground and it is only relitive to your speed through the water so I add my voice to the others who say the extra hp is not going to do anything to help with 'extra current'.  In a boat with bunches of freeboard the effect of wind might be a consideration, but I have not found that to be the case with the Ariel.  I will say that if there is wind, I normally have at least some bit of sail up.

  In the couple weeks aboard that boat I found the external shifter / throttle on the Ariel to be more of a PITA to use then the lever on the side of the outboard powerhead and would not want that on my boat.  THe owner later had problems with the set up, not to mention having the powerboatish appendage in the cockpit to trip over and deal with while underway.

  I keep the tiller arm folded up and operate the throttle and shifter with the lazy-rat hatch open.  Even a few degrees of being able to turn the motor makes a world of difference especially when backing up.

  My Yahaha weighs 66# and is about the most I would want to try to lift up out of the well.  I did install and lift the 9.9 and it was no fun (may well have assisted in my needing surgery for hernia).

  If I were to replace my motor, I think I would go for the mercury/nissan/tomatsu 5 or 6hp 4 stroke.  They are all the same motor made by tomatsu with different stickers.  I have a 20" (medium) shaft on the Yahaha and have never had it come out of the water even in pretty rough stuff.  I would not opt for the 25" shaft as the extra 5" will just add more drag when sailing.

  If I read correctly you have a 5hp right now, maybe you could give that a try for a bit and then decide. 

Good luck

I would really like to hear about how the sculling oar works on the Ariel.  I also think the trolling motor idea is a good one for just moving the boat short distances.

[Lynx]

He makes a good point about windage, My Mac is about 1.5 feet taller that his and it does not track well to windward.

[Frank]

Figured this would be a good topic. Want to praise my new Tohatsu 6HP extra long shaft (25in) 5 amp alt., 4 stroke. It is under 60 lbs, starts 1st or 2nd pull and ...drum roll please....gets 21 1/2 hrs on a 6 gallon (thats 5 Canadian eh) tank.I replaced the prop for more 'push' and it shoved us into the wind, fully loaded with gear and 3- 200lb + guys at 2.8 to 3.6 knots . Very happy with it...cheap too ;-)

[AdriftAtSea]

Very nice... I like the new Tohatsu four-stroke outboards. I have the 3.5 HP for my dinghy... and I've been very happy with it.  I have a 20 HP Honda four-stroke for the big boat...and been very happy with that too. :) I'll have to see what I get for run time on it though... Gives me about 6 knots at 2/3-3/4 throttle, 7.5 WOT. 

[Fortis]

Tohatsu used to be an unreliable joke...then they came up witht he extremely nice diesel outboards...and pretty much went broke doing it. Being bought by Nissan was the best thing that ever happened to them. Quality went up amazingly,but they kept the ruggedness and oomph of the original beasts. If I did not have an inboard, I would have a tohatsu.

[s/v Faith]

When I researched a new 4 stroke outboard before we left I was surprised to learn that the smaller HP Nissan's and Mercury's were the exact same motor as the Tomatsu.

  The cost for the 6hp Nissan and the Tomatsu were both ~ $1,250 (Alex post below makes this make sense) but the same motor with Mercury stickers was as much as $1900! 

  I stopped by a local mercury dealer and asked about the difference.  He said 'You get what you pay for'.  When I asked what other then the sticker he was talking about he said 'if you can get the same motor for $1250 then buy it'.

  I still can not figure out why some one would pay ~$700 for brand loyalty...  ::)

[skylark]

Very nice... I like the new Tohatsu four-stroke outboards. I have the 3.5 HP for my dinghy... and I've been very happy with it.  I have a 20 HP Honda four-stroke for the big boat...and been very happy with that too. :) I'll have to see what I get for run time on it though... Gives me about 6 knots at 2/3-3/4 throttle, 7.5 WOT. 

With the limited drag of your multihull, you could probably use the 3.5hp to power your main vessel.  20hp is way more than you need.

[Fortis]

A little research reveals the merc is not the same engine. It just uses the same cowlings.

The key si to look at replacement part lists form aftermarket companies that don't care about brand. So for example the Nissan and Tohatsu brands woudl both have carb kit number 755a88 regardless of brand....But the Merc would have kit number 433t7...This means that the cowling is stuffed with merc's home brand gear like their carbs and pumps and such...with just the basic engine block and cowling being generic between the brands. You will also likely notice differences in prop between all three brands (even though two are actually the same brand). Merc gets very insistent about always supplying their own props (and not for bad reason, they are a good unit)..as opposed to Honda, who's "quality" fit out for outboards include your choice of Yamaha or Merc props. Only the very most basic and cheap options come with honda's own props...Oh well, at least they are honest and aware of their stuff's limitations.

I would suggest that in a side-by-side test, even though the three motors you mentioned are identical in specs and looks, they would perform somewhat differently based on final fitout and such.

Alex.

[AdriftAtSea]

Actually, 3.5 HP would be a bit anemic, given how much my multihull displaces.  It's probably about 4300 lbs. or a bit more the way I have it rigged, including food, gear, and crew.

With the limited drag of your multihull, you could probably use the 3.5hp to power your main vessel.  20hp is way more than you need.

[s/v Faith]

Looking for a 6hp outboard.

  Thinking about pulling the trigger on the Outboards.com Tomatsu 6.

  Anyone have any experince with the company?  How about a tip on a good used one?  :D

Thanks,

[Tim]

Craig, do a search on TSBB, there have been a few people that have bought through them.

[s/v Faith]

Went ahead and bought a new Tohatsu 6hp 4 stroke from

Couple of interesting things I learned;

  The motor comes with a 7.8" pitch prop.  They also sell an 7" and 6" prop.  The 6" is recommended for my boat.  There is also a 5.99" pitch prop, actually mfg by Merc, that has wide flat blades like a Yamaha 'high thrust' prop.  My experience with the Yamaha prop is that it causes more drag, but has more thrust in reverse. 

  I also learned there is no difference at all between the Merc, Tohatsu, and Nissan other then the stickers.  Merc has no special parts at all, nor did they have any input in the design (other then the EFI on the 25hp model).

  I also came across a write up on the Tohatsu site about "SMALLEST MOTOR TO EVER CROSS THE ATLANTIC- A 2.5HP TOHATSU BRINGS SEIKO NAKAJIMA SAFELY TO NEW YORK"

On April 30, 1995, Seiko Nakajima, his 21ft boat and a 2.5hp Tohatsu outboard motor arrived at the historic South Street Seaport in New York City, concluding an eight-month voyage..... powered solely by his 2.5hpTohatsu

  Kind of a 'motor far' boat.  ;D