How reliable are modern outboards?

DoubleEnder

DoubleEnder

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My wife is planning an academic project that may require a creek crawling motorboat to get her from site to site. We are ideally looking for a little diesel launch, with some sort of shelter/ cabin but it’s far easier to find outboard powered boats with a small cabin, and they come in better, smaller sizes like 15’ or 16’ The question is how reliable is a modern outboard? I have more faith in diesels but maybe I’m out of date. As a secondary consideration what’s the smallest size outboard that has electric start and some sort of power lift or tilt? The boat will be on a drying mooring so we’d need to tilt the motor.
 
"Modern" 4 stroke outboard engines such as Honda, Tohatsu, Suzuki and similar, are very reliable; avoid the old 2 stroke engines for many reasons. Most 20 hp outboards come with electric start and electric tilt. I would prefer a small motorboat with an outboard rather than diesel inboard. An outboard is more accessible and the boat has more room inside. Also, the outboard tilt option allows the boat to dry out without having to worry about driveshaft seals, couplings etc.
 
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Modern outboards are very reliable and like diesels need or even want clean fuel. The smaller ones do need a rinse in freshwater to keep the cooling channels clear. Can't comment on the smallest electric start ones.
 
You can always add a small backup/auxiliary engine. This is a common sight in many places:

nozzle.jpg
 
We have Yamaha outboard for our club RIBs. They get used twice a week in the season and get serviced in the winter. The oldest is probably 6 years old, maybe 8. I don't recall a single problem other than control cables getting stiff and once a battery went flat.
The fuel injection models avoid some of the grief which seems to be inevitable with carbs. Carb engines seem to be prone to water collecting however many filters you add? But that really just meant draining the carb a couple of times a season.

The difference is, you can buy a 25hp Yamaha for under 4 grand brand new and get significant money back after 5 years or more.
 
4 stroke Yamahas seem to go on forever.

The smallest electric start engine I have seen advertised was a Selva 6hp.
 
Minn said:
I would keep looking for a little diesel launch. I had one, and I wish I still had her. You will sell her very easily at the end of the project. The heavier displacement will make the motion much more comfortable and you will have space to stow gear, anchor, etc.
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Yes I do think it would be better. I’ve no concern about having an inboard powered boat on a drying mooring, whereas with an outboard we’d have to be careful to lift and tilt- and it would also be vulnerable to theft. I’ve seen a couple of decent 16’-17’ open boats with little diesels but none with a wheelhouse or cuddy which would really be desirable. If anyone knows of one.....but if we have to go the outboard route it’s encouraging to hear people’s positive experience
 
Quite like this. It looks smart.....It’s the top end of the price range though and doesn’t seem very much boat for the money. Also unsure about the Volvo. And would prefer some sort of shelter.
 
Not sure exactly what your wife's project is but one advantage of outboard power is that you can lift the o/b and pull the boat onto shore stern first fro easy disembarking into shallow water or even dry sand. Any inboard engine is going to have some draft near the stern. My experience of modern fuel injected o/b obviously much larger is extremely reliable. Our club Yamaha 150 has done 1000hrs no problem. (until the boat sunk and ruined the engine, an embarrassing story)
ol'will
 
Something like a Shetland 535 used to be available with a small outboard for river use. If your budget is larger some of the French fishing type of boats have diesels on shafts.
 
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