Outboard Poll

[johnalison]

If it's just me, I'll row out; it's less hassle that lugging the OB around, but in a 2.3m flubber, when rowing, I take up nearly all the space, so no comfortable room for Milady, so it's OB time. She's disabled, so I can't just hand her a paddle, though that is how we got back when the OB died on us once.

On occasions when we have had to resort to muscle power in adverse conditions we row our Redcrest two-abreast taking one oar each. Once you get into the rhythm and restore marital harmony it is surprising what little effort is required to do better than one person rowing hard.

 

[srm]

Quite a few years ago anchored in the bay on Rhum I rowed ashore passing a boat with two guys trying to start a small outboard in a dinghy/tender. Perhaps a couple of hours later I rowed back to my boat, past the two guys still trying to start their outboard. I stopped carrying an outboard many years ago as with infrequent use it was too much trouble. However, at work our (larger) outboard engines were used five days a week and never gave any trouble.

 

[Farmer Piles]

I have recently gone from launching my boat to a moored larger boat. It's about 200m off the beach. I have a 2.6m Waveline inflatable and i bought a 2.5hp 4T Yamaha and it's all a bi of a faff - especially getting the outboard off and onto the tender when alongside the main boat. The Yamaha is a great little engine but it is a lump at 17kg. As mentioned, rowing an inflatable is a wearisome task. We went out for the day on Sunday and threw our stuff onto our paddleboards, stowed them onboard, found a sheltered anchorage and did some exploring.
I am looking at using a little fibreglass pram type dinghy. It's not heavy, nice to row and you can use snap davits on it.

 

[srm]

I am looking at using a little fibreglass pram type dinghy. It's not heavy, nice to row and you can use snap davits on it.

Have been doing that since the 1980's with a pair of long wood oars.

The old Avon oval dinghy with heavy moulded rubber rowlocks was not too bad to row with proper oars in reasonable conditions but few (if any) modern deflatables are so good.

While paid skipper of a charter yacht part of the paying crew were unable to start the outboard (flooded the carb) to get back to the boat. The flimsy toy paddles and rowlocks that came with the deflatable were not up to controlling it in the fresh conditions, even though it would be diagonally down wind so they waited until I had recovered the anchor then drifted down wind until we intercepted them.

 

[LONG_KEELER]

Interesting looking at the poll . If you combine electric and 4 stroke , in say the last 20, years it's gone from zero to 41% of usage. The power to weight ratio of 2 stroke still very popular. On reflection, it would probably have suited the sailing world if the ban had applied just to larger sized engines. Rowing still very popular but probably only applies to hard tenders.

 

[Stemar]

I reckon those who have a decent 2T OB are hanging on to them, because they're so much more convenient than a 4T. Being so simple, a complete refurb isn't excessively expensive, so well worth doing compared with the cost of a new 4T. I know I'd still have mine at close to 20 years old if some b@*&@#d hadn't nicked it.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Electric outboards are getting more popular, they are very convenient but still a bit expensive although they are getting cheaper. I use a Suzuki 2.5 Four stroke is only 13.5 kg and reliable.
When Storm Evert hit the Scilly Isles on 29th July 2021, I was on the boat on an anchorage with the dinghy and the outboard towed behind the boat. The wind turned the dinghy upside down and the Suzuki outboard stayed in the water for many hours before I managed to recover it next day after the storm. I changed the oil as a precaution and then started the engine without problems and still works well.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I reckon those who have a decent 2T OB are hanging on to them, because they're so much more convenient than a 4T. Being so simple, a complete refurb isn't excessively expensive, so well worth doing compared with the cost of a new 4T. I know I'd still have mine at close to 20 years old if some b@*&@#d hadn't nicked it.

I’m one of the ancient 2 strokers. Indeterminate age, probably late 70s Yamaha. We paid fifty quid for it in about 1995. Could afford to replace it, but it seems a terrible waste as it starts first pull and has sufficient power to get us to our mooring regardless of conditions.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

I wonder whether there is a correlation between the age of people and the poll results.

 

[Moodysailor]

For those who pay for repairs, 4 strokes will be owner's expensive problem when they age, unlike 2 strokes which have less parts and are easy to work on.

If anyone is paying for repairs at shop rates it only takes a few hours before the cost adds up to more than is economically viable. When I worked a dealer we had loads of "dead" outboards that were fixable, but due to the cost of repair the owners had just bought a new one instead. Electric, 2S or 4S won't have any impact.

For home mechanics, small 4S engines are often easier to work on than small 2S. But as anyone who has worked on an old small O/B knows, getting the bolts out in the first place is the biggest challenge - the small engines usually live in damper environments with less careful cleaning regimes...

 

[Chiara’s slave]

I wonder whether there is a correlation between the age of people and the poll results.

I’m only 20% more ancient than my 2 stroke.

 

[capnsensible]

 

[LONG_KEELER]

I notice in marinas that many boats with an outboard well have switched to 4 Stroke outboards. If like myself, less noise and a greater range is important. The extra weight not so much a factor.

 

[Chiara’s slave]

My boat is outboard powered, and just as you say, it’s a 4 stroke. A Honda 15, with a 10 x 5.25 prop. It’s more than adequate for a 2 ton boat, though a great deal of it’s adequacy is the prop. Nothing sillier than a prob designed for 20kn on a 8kn boat.

 

[KAM]

We paddle ours. So much easier than rowing and you can see where you're going. Bit of a challenge to J stroke though.

 

[Kelpie]

Rigid dinghy, liveaboard currently in the Med.
Row most of the time, have a very basic 2T 3.5hp for longer journeys.
I also have a cheap trolling motor, it sits somewhere between rowing and the 2T in terms of speed, and as a result doesn't get very much use.
At some point I will finish the sailing conversion for the dinghy so would be able to tick the 'other' box too.

 

[The Q]

Until I get my outboard sorted I row across to the moorings,,,
rowing back is less fun,




towing 1/2 a ton of mini keelboat..

 

[Kelpie]

I've towed a 6t yacht between moorings using an Avon Redcrest and a pair of oars.
It was all fine until I realised that the yacht had no brakes.

 

[Refueler]

The Poll needs to allow more than one choice ... for myself - I use 2T OB and also row ... depends on distance and where I am.

2T OB's ..... it was well known that when the ban on new sales was coming in ... owners of 2T OB's - a lot decided to hang on to them till absolutely dead ... and being one of those - I understand why !
If you look at 2nd hand prices on 2T OB's ..... that in itself shows people want them.

I have enough trouble carrying a 2T OB - without going 4T and significantly heavier ....

 

[Neeves]

I would be very interested to see reliable figures on what percentage of "green" initiatives have a similar outcome compared with the those that actually accomplish something useful. I'm all in favour of going green, but I want green, not greenwashed

I've mentioned this before.

When the 2 stroke, replaced by 4 stroke outboard initiative commenced we were in need of a new outboard and bought the 2hp 4 stroke Honda. It was fine other than the demand to lay it down correctly (which was easily overcome when an over zealous crew member would be helpful and remove O/B from wherever and lay it down - incorrectly).

I cannot recall the reason now but we had a problem and took it to the Honda dealer from whom we bought it, this is maybe 2-3 years later. Whatever the problem was demanded a disassembly of the O/B. The outboard is a marvel of engineering - aluminium block with stainless studs. The studs would need to be drilled out, guess why, and the cost of remedial work was more than the cost of a new outboard. We scrapped it and bought a new but cheap 2hp 2 stroke - which still runs perfectly - the only servicing has been clean the carb - It has been submerged once (when I reversed over the painter, which wrapped round the prop and pulled the dinghy underwater . ). I quickly, or as quick as you can in the water with a carving knife cut the tender free, anchored, drained the O'B of seawater - and restarted it (much to me surprise - with success) - and its run ever since.

Jonathan