New engine for our avon Redcrest

[pcatterall]

Our Seagull will have to be retired!! It still works but now in my 80s I find the cord starting when in the dinghy difficult and the lack of gears a bit of an issue! I have to hold the engine body with one hand while pulling with the other, my hand seems very close to the flywheel, I worry about taking a passengers eye out with the cord...... I need something 'modern'!!
Suggestions please!! I have considered electric but Torqueudos seem expensive and trolling motors lack power. Force 4 advertise a 2.5 Mariner at £720 which sounds ok? I recognise that a 4 stroke is going to be much heavier than 2 but that I cant buy a new 2stroke here or in Spain.
We will possible drive out to Spain on our next visit so shipping may not be an issue.
Over to you guys!!

 

[Fr J Hackett]

You will still have to start by hand and a pull cord. So the obvious choice seems to be bite the bullet and go electric.

 

[Daydream believer]

Our Seagull will have to be retired!! It still works but now in my 80s I find the cord starting when in the dinghy difficult and the lack of gears a bit of an issue! I have to hold the engine body with one hand while pulling with the other, my hand seems very close to the flywheel, I worry about taking a passengers eye out with the cord...... I need something 'modern'!!

Some PBO forumites will know Dave Selby of the PBO magazine fame.
He used to sail from Stone sailing club & one day I watched him with his somewhat evil Jack Russel ( forget the name but always yapping & very unruly)
They were in the dinghy. He rowed out a little way, Dog in the bows. Dave pulled the cord with an almighty pull. The end flew round & flicked the dog round the head. It took an immediate dislike to this & attacked him. I could see dave fighting off the dog as it bit his elbow & ripped his jacket pulling him back off the thwart . Dave & dog in bottom of dinghy fighting. Dave's feet up in the air.
If only I had a camera. It was a classic, as the dinghy gradually drifted down tide.

 

[pcatterall]

You will still have to start by hand and a pull cord. So the obvious choice seems to be bite the bullet and go electric.

There is a bit of difference between the old' flying hand cord' and these( modern to me!) shortpull/recoil jobbies !!

 

[Refueler]

I would look in classifieds for a 2.5 - 4hp 2str engine ..... I have a couple and there is no way I would part with them ....

The lighter the better on the back of a Redstart .....

 

[ChromeDome]

 

[Refueler]

I have noticed a flurry of 2str small engines on eBay and local advert sites ... such as :

3.6HP 2 Stroke Outboard Motor Short Shaft Fishing Boat Dinghy Engine Water-Cool | eBay

They are also available in 4str ....

Many look like converted Strimmer machines .....

 

[steveeasy]

I’ve a 2.5hp four stroke. Easy to start. Bit heavy though. I had it on a redstart and it was too heavy on it.

Steveeasy

 

[catalina1]

I use Yamaha 2 hp 2 stroke very light ,recoil start
excellent engine

 

[ylop]

now in my 80s- lightest will be electric! the mariner you are looking at is 17 kg. The Honda equivalent is 4 kg lighter. I hate the hondas for being air cooled and noisy but it you've used a seagull you may not care (or may now be so deaf its doesn't matter!).
I find the cord starting when in the dinghy difficult- moving to modern recoil will be better but electric revolutionary
lack of gears a bit of an issue! many small 4 str just have F/N (including the mariner you are looking at). To get reverse you spin the whole engine. I've never done that on a redcrest but it feels life with the engine set back a bit it might be slightly awkward. You might be used to that already with a seagull...
I need something 'modern'!! well modern goes Seagull < "more recent" 2stroke < 4 stroke < electric.
at £720 which sounds ok? An electric outboard is probably about double that, if you are going to splash out on new I would take some convincing with your criteria and no other special factors (like going cruising the western isles for weeks on end with regular remote anchorages to explore and no good charging facilities) that electric didn't tick more of your boxes for actually not that much more (in boating terms. I couldn't justify the cost of an electric right now so just bought a perfectly good 2nd hand o/b from someone that was upgrading to electric for slightly less than 1/2 the price of a new one. I'd avoid the converted strimmers refueller linked to as they have no brand presence in the UK and most outboard mechanics refuse to touch them, so when some badly waterproofed connection corodes or underspecced part wears out you'll either need the patience of a saint or will end out throwing it away.

 

[pcatterall]

lack of gears a bit of an issue! many small 4 str just have F/N (including the mariner you are looking at). To get reverse you spin the whole engine. I've never done that on a redcrest but it feels life with the engine set back a bit it might be slightly awkward. You might be used to that already with a seagull...

Thanks, lack of gears in the Seagull sense means no neutral! Start with too many revs on and the dinghy tries to leap away ( as far as a Seagull can leap!) and throw you out ! Neutral? a luxury!!

 

[Tranona]

Thanks, lack of gears in the Seagull sense means no neutral! Start with too many revs on and the dinghy tries to leap away ( as far as a Seagull can leap!) and throw you out ! Neutral? a luxury!!

You need my "development" 1979 40+ which was used to test a lot of the "new" features such as F/N gears, weedless props, recoil starter and alternator, 25:1 fuel mix plus a stainless exhaust tube and re-engineered brass tank. Came with me as part of my redundancy package and served me well on my Redcrest for many years. Now, however growing cobwebs in one of my garden sheds.

 

[pcatterall]

You need my "development" 1979 40+ which was used to test a lot of the "new" features such as F/N gears, weedless props, recoil starter and alternator, 25:1 fuel mix plus a stainless exhaust tube and re-engineered brass tank. Came with me as part of my redundancy package and served me well on my Redcrest for many years. Now, however growing cobwebs in one of my garden sheds.

Sounds like an option!! I feel a pm coming on!!

 

[NormanS]

My life has changed for the better since I changed to a Honda 2.3 hp four stroke air cooled outboard for my Redcrest. Yes, it's a bit noisy, but it starts reliably, normally first pull. No guddling about with mixing oil with the petrol, and the main advantage to me, of not having water galleries choking up with salt. Even with no oil in the mix, I still like to empty the carburettor before stopping, and it seems to run for ages after turning off the petrol. Equally when starting, it seems to take a long time to fill the float chamber, but these are minor grumps.