New Boat Owner

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Venger

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26 Dec 2005
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Hi Everyone, I had posted this on a different section but was advised it should of been in here

My wife found this site a few weeks back and was given some very useful advise, thanks. She was the one who didnt know about SHOUTING lol

She bought me an amazing Fletcher boat for Christmas (pic below)

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b5/MattCooke/BOAT1.jpg

It seems the engine might need replacing, its a 20 hp Seahorse but is apparently very old and we cant seem to do anything with it (my father in law has been working on it all day with no success)

Can anyone suggest what sort of engine I should be looking at? What HP is ideal?

Im not a speed demon and have no experiance, I just want something easy to help me cruise around Loch Erne (I live in Fermanagh)

Any other useful hints or suggestions would be most appreciated, thanks in advance and Merry christmas

Regards Matt
 
Hi Matt, Engines. 2 strokes are generaly lighter than 4 per HP and are simpler to maintain. 4 strokes will give more mpg...but some of the very new direct injection 2 strokes are as good as 4 strokes. I like 2 strokes and have a automatic oiling engine. If you are likely to do long distances and need the fuel economy you need a diesel anyway, but for your boat a 4 stroke. 2 strokes are fine and for a small boat are excellent. If you did get a new engine 2 strokes are certainly worth looking at. the money you save on the capital outlay will buy a lot of petrol. There is a lot of information about this subject if you poke around on the web. At the end of the day its personnal choice and the confines of your wallet.
It could be worth an engineer looking over your current engine and it ought to be serviced any way before you did anything serious. An alternative means of propulsion is a good idea if it breaks down!
Have fun.
 
From the photo I think that's a 13' Fletcher, nice smooth ride in a chop. If you want to ski with it then bung a 50hp on it. If it's just going to be used chugging up and down somewhere like non-tidal Thames then a 6hp is adequate.
 
Its the engine..........................

Hi and welcome to forum.Many here started their boaty lives with similar craft and prob.all have had the "old outboard" experience.Outboards were invented just in case you already did not have enough trouble or expence in your life already.
99 times out of one hundred it will not be worth trying to sort a really shagged out motor cos sooner or later it is going to get you.Unlike a car there is no leaving at the side of the road and hoping that no body will trace the thing back to you.Get somebody knowledgeable to give the thing a once over(pref a outboard fixing outfit) not just a mate that fancies himself a bit ace with lawnmowers either.If this motor lets you down somewhere out on the water then you have to hope the only result is mere humiliation in front of friends and family. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif.
When buying any boat and outboard,you will of course be very carefully examining the very expensive to repair and complicated piece of aluminium with loads of delicate electrical stuff attached to it just waiting to go wrong in the middle of nowhere that just happens to have a very simple and hard to damage,break or otherwise ruggeb up bit of dish shaped glassfibre with a couple of seats bolted to it.If you get into the frame of mind that appreciates that the the hull is merely there to stop the engine from falling into the water then next time you go to look at a boat,which bit demands the most attention is obvious.
It may be cheaper to buy to look around and buy a good second hand engine than sort your exsisting one.Good engines ARE out there among the acres of worn out rubbish that will be on the market.The external appearance can give a bit of a clue as to how the engine has been treated but its internals are more important especially as to if the internal cooling channels are clear.Always ask to see the thing running but remember that many outboards only die after they have been running for some time ie long enough to get you well away from the the shore. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
See also chapters 2-119.Why new outboards are nearly as bad. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Yeah. I answered on the other section.
I said [ QUOTE ]
Ex RNLI 40 HP Mariners are available form Bill Higham Marine, Manchester if you find yourself over here.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bill Higham did tell me he had tried sourcing 2nd hand outboards from e-bay and they were without exception rubbish. Even ones that started and ran OK died after half an hour or so. So he just uses them for spares. Ask youself why someone is selling it.
If a dealer has a used motor in stock he probably took it as a PX and has serviced it and guarantees it. OK it may cost a tad more than a private sale, but when you're drifting in the dark with a dead motor it all makes sense.
 
My dad and i bought an ex-RLNI 50 hp evinrude over 11 years ago for his boat and the thing is bloody bullet proof! I have had a few boats with outboards and never encoutered the reliabilty of his one. eg his boat sat for 9 months this year, i went down there to move the boat to another marina and took all sorts of tools expecting the worse, guess what...the thing fired up straight away and carried on for the 5 hour journey without missing a beat!
 
Sorry its taken a while to reply, my exhaust fell off my car just after Christmas and thats had to be priority.

Once the car is sorted ill be taking my outboard to a local place that deals in this particular make then ill know where I stand.

Thanks again for all the replies, im sure ill eventually become a regular on here.

(The only reason for duplicate threads in different sections is I first posted in the wrong section just after christmas, then didnt want to fail to acknowledge anyones helps - ill just post in the one section from now on - thanks again)
 
The PBO (practical boat Owner) forum was not the wrong place you did nothing wrong posting there. It was just suggested that you post over here for engine information as this particular forum is full of stinky petrol heads who appear to drink the stuff on occasion.

PBO will be there for you with reference to repairing the floors, fix the drain plugs, learn to work with fibreglass etc.

There is also plenty of engine advice, but big outboards are generally better known here.

p.s. take sooper dooper care of your trailer wheel bearings, this weeks job should be pulling them apart, clean and new grease. I am guessing from your wifes descriptions the trailer has been standing for some time. This can be a death nail for the bearings.

Hope this helps.
 
Just to take up on Woofys comments re trailer bearings, as you will no doubt be putting your fletch (luvly boat, had one in 78 for water sking with a massive 115Hp chrysler) in after a trail from home to water, the bearings will be hot and once immersed will cool down rapid and suck in loads of water, get yourself some Buddy bearings ( Thats what they used to be called, no doubt someone on here will give you the correct details) which have an external grease nipple and are sprung, so keeping a positive grease pressure on the main running bearing.

It is very costly to breakdown on a road with a bust bearing, I know, like many others on here, In my early days I did not think the trailer was part of the maintanence

Anyway welcome, & most of all enjoy the water safely.

poter
 
Or cheaper. Park up and have a cuppa before launching so the bearings are cool before immersion. Even pour some cold water over them. All they'll suck in will be air.
 
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