4 Stroke Outboards

[StephenSails]

I am researching 4 stroke outboard engines for a customer of mine, we are looking to put a 4 stroke in to a Cornish Crabber 17, I would like to know your experiences with these types of engines, any make to be avoided? etc etc. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

Regards

Stephen

<hr width=100% size=1>Yachting Universe
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yachtinguniverse.com>http://www.yachtinguniverse.com</A>

 

[andyball]

We had a yamaha 8 hp 4t on a 16' fishing boat....superb!!. Very quiet even at higher power (unlike some) & economical of course.

got quoted a ludicrous price locally for first service....so did it myself- very quick/simple.

Depending on the weight of a crabber 17'- you may not want the "high thrust" version- a standard (way overpropped for small displacement boats) one gives very quiet/economical cruising, tho' it won't pull full rev's of course.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[graham]

It depends on how much motoring you do.

If its purely for use when wind drops or getting on moorings etc then a 4 or 5 hp would do.This will save about half the purchase cost and be lighter and easier to stow on board.

I have a 5 hp on my 22 foot drop keel yacht which is enough.

Have a look at Barnet Marine website which has info on outboards.

The Honda 5 seems very popular these days .Very quiet compared to my old 2 stroke.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[StephenSails]

The boat doesnt have a sailing rig as this is an insurance right off- he just wants it for pottering around Chichester Harbour. Thanks for your advice.

<hr width=100% size=1>Yachting Universe
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yachtinguniverse.com>http://www.yachtinguniverse.com</A>

 

[Metabarca]

I have a Honda 4hp. It took a little while to get used to the 'moped' throttle control, but I soon grew to like it. A few niggles: even at its loosest position, the engine is stiff to turn; the petrol cap is not petrol-proof so it's best to stand the engine vertically or empty the tank. Then there's the usual bugbear of 4hp engines: the presence of an oil sump, so be careful when laying it flat. Having said that, it's never leaked a drop of oil into my boot, although it gets greasy under the engine when moving it around.

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html>http://www.comoy.com/saillinks.html</A>

 

[coco]

I had a Mercury four stroke 6HP single cylinder. It is a very good engine but creates a lot of vibration due to the single cylinder arrangement and it is bloody heavy. Needs very little fuel and pushed our 22ft sailing hull above 6kt at full throttle with a comfortable cruising speed of about 5.5kt at less than 2/3 RPM. I also liked the capability to deliver about 2 amps. for charging the battery. Unfortunately we lost the engine due to the failure of the support plate (actually we were able to fish it out of the water but the internals literally had exploded due to water ingestion at high speed). Please be aware that four stroke engines develop a lot more torque than two stroke engines. As a result, I urge you to have a very strong supporting structure if you opt for a four stroke. After that incident a bought a used two stroke 5HP Mariner, and I have to say that I like this engine. Less noise, less weight. Drives the hull to 5.5kt. The oil mixing is really a minor inconvenience.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[boatmad2]

The universal Honda 10hp should give displacement speed without having to use full throttle so life should be long also better charging output. Honda quality a legend, IMHO.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[chippie]

I had a secondhand yamaha 9.9 fourstroke and found parts very expensive , probably not a problem for a new purchase. The extra weight may be a consideration depending on age/fitness of your customer.

<hr width=100% size=1>