Oversized outboard on dinghy?

[dimdav]

Hi,

I'm moving to a swing mooring this year and need to fit an outboard to my tender. The tenders is a wee soft tail which is light, compact and good quality hypalon with no patches/leaks, in short just perfect for my wee boat. Its rated for 1.9Kw outboard and I'm struggling to find a 2hp 2 stroke for sale within reasonable travelling distance however...

I have found a 3.3hp mariner which IIRC is 2.4KW but have heard that they're re-badged tohatsu anyway and indeed the 3.3 is the same unit as a 2.5hp just with the addition of a neutral gear and modified/extended twist scope on the grip.

So, would I be mad to get the engine, mark the grip at 60% throttle and just never go above that mark? I mean whats the worst that can happen?

all advice welcome...

 

[MARNEN]

Hi
I use a 3.3 Mariner on my Wetline round tail dinghy. No problem at all , you will know when you have the throttle too far open with just you onboard. Rear end goes down and front end obscures the view ahead.
With a full load and some weight up front the throttle can be opened up a bit more.

 

[doug748]

Hello Dimdav.

With care you should be ok, certainly if you have an Avon Redstart, Redcrest or similar.

I once had a tiny Campari to which I attached a small Seagull. I turned away for a second and when I looked back the engine was totally underwater with the top two thirds of the dinghy sticking up out of the water like a fisherman's float. I think you will be safe from that particular problem.

 

[VicS]

Hi,

I'm moving to a swing mooring this year and need to fit an outboard to my tender. The tenders is a wee soft tail which is light, compact and good quality hypalon with no patches/leaks, in short just perfect for my wee boat. Its rated for 1.9Kw outboard and I'm struggling to find a 2hp 2 stroke for sale within reasonable travelling distance however...

I have found a 3.3hp mariner which IIRC is 2.4KW but have heard that they're re-badged tohatsu anyway and indeed the 3.3 is the same unit as a 2.5hp just with the addition of a neutral gear and modified/extended twist scope on the grip.

So, would I be mad to get the engine, mark the grip at 60% throttle and just never go above that mark? I mean whats the worst that can happen?

all advice welcome...

If its not too heavy.... weight is a bit of a problem with round tails both from the point of view of them being able to support it properly and from the stability point of view ... and you have found a good one at an acceptable price go for it.

Actually marking the throttle is a bit OTT and easily ignored anyway, If you are really concerned about over powering the boat maybe some physical limiter could be devised.


Like Doug above I had a small Campari . Not what you would call good quality though. I tried a Seagull Featherweight on it ( despite the name a tad on the heavy side really). I realised that what Doug described could easily happen .

I kept the Campari on board for rowing short distances only. Used a rigid dinghy to get out to the mooing. I strongly recommend a decent, stable, rigid dinghy to get back and forth to the mooring!

 

[NormanS]

Just be sure to inflate the dinghy till it's really hard, then you'll be fine.

 

[dimdav]

Thanks for the replys guys.

I think will go for it.

A rigid isnt really an option as I singlehand so want to keep the mooring free for all aproaches, the weight shouldnt be an issue if the 2.5 is roughly the same weight as the 3.3.

Thanks again

David

 

[rob2]

As you've already found out, a two-stroke Tohatsu/Mercury/Mariner is reasonably light and should do the job - either the 2.5 hp or 3.3 hp. I'd still consider trying a rigid tender should one become available, especially when you're single handed. It's much easier to grab the painter of a moored dinghy than a pick-up buoy or even the gunwhales if you're further off target!

Rob.

 

[dimdav]

As you've already found out, a two-stroke Tohatsu/Mercury/Mariner is reasonably light and should do the job - either the 2.5 hp or 3.3 hp. I'd still consider trying a rigid tender should one become available, especially when you're single handed. It's much easier to grab the painter of a moored dinghy than a pick-up buoy or even the gunwhales if you're further off target!

Rob.

Thanks Rob, never looked at it that way, always thought it would be something else to clutter up the approach, think about and have to avoid when arriving. Food for thought...

 

[Blueboatman]

I use the 3.3 on my Avon round tail.

 

[Twister_Ken]

With the small outboards, isn't the 3.something the same as the 2.something, but with the carb re-jetted to allow more fuel flow?

 

[VicS]

Thanks for the replys guys.

I think will go for it.

A rigid isnt really an option as I singlehand so want to keep the mooring free for all aproaches, the weight shouldnt be an issue if the 2.5 is roughly the same weight as the 3.3.

Thanks again

David

As you've already found out, a two-stroke Tohatsu/Mercury/Mariner is reasonably light and should do the job - either the 2.5 hp or 3.3 hp. I'd still consider trying a rigid tender should one become available, especially when you're single handed. It's much easier to grab the painter of a moored dinghy than a pick-up buoy or even the gunwhales if you're further off target!

Rob.

Thanks Rob, never looked at it that way, always thought it would be something else to clutter up the approach, think about and have to avoid when arriving. Food for thought...

Dead right. A rigid tender can be used to advantage when picking up a mooring single handed.

Dont leave too long a painter between dinghy and buoy

Approach at a slight angle so as to come alongside and upwind/ uptide of the dinghy. If you can grab the pickup buoy all well and good other wise, as suggested, grab the painter or even the dinghy itself.

 

[NormanS]

Dead right. A rigid tender can be used to advantage when picking up a mooring single handed.

Dont leave too long a painter between dinghy and buoy

Approach at a slight angle so as to come alongside and upwind/ uptide of the dinghy. If you can grab the pickup buoy all well and good other wise, as suggested, grab the painter or even the dinghy itself.

I'm confused. Why should the painter on a rigid dinghy be easier to pick up than the painter on a rubber dinghy?
Personally, if I was picking up a mooring with a dinghy on it, I would rather, from the potential of possible damage, that it was a rubber dinghy.

 

[VicS]

I'm confused. Why should the painter on a rigid dinghy be easier to pick up than the painter on a rubber dinghy?
Personally, if I was picking up a mooring with a dinghy on it, I would rather, from the potential of possible damage, that it was a rubber dinghy.

You do what you want.. I'll stick with what I have been doing for the past 30 odd years. ..... been a few times when I have hooked the dinghy gunwhale as Rob2 suggests.

My dinghy is fairly lightly built so that I can move it, carry it, launch it and even car-top it single handed but I have not damaged it it all these years but then I dont drive a big heavy boat straight at it at high speed.

 

[rob2]

Yes, of course it would be better to collide with an inflatable than a rigid dinghy (though possibly not as easy to grab hold of). The point really is that the OP is using the inflatable so that he can deflate it and carry it away rather than leave a dinghy on the mooring. It may not be a problem where his mooring is, but where I was in Southampton a decent inflatable would disappear very soon after your departure and anyway a good rigid dinghy gives a much drier ride and has greater carrying capacity. Any contact with the dinghy will be a glancing blow as you slide in alongside, so with a rubbing strake on the dinghy there shouldn't be any damage. As soon as the mooring strop is aboard the dinghy is led to the stern or secured alongside for boarding.

Rob.

 

[Twister_Ken]

Leaving a dinghy on the mooring also means you can leave the pick up strop in it. If you're away for some time, coming back to a clean strop rather than a wet, slimy and weedy one is something of an advantage.

 

[chinita]

Leaving a dinghy on the mooring also means you can leave the pick up strop in it. If you're away for some time, coming back to a clean strop rather than a wet, slimy and weedy one is something of an advantage.

Interesting, that. I always tie my painter to the strop with a bowline. When I cast off I just let the whole lot go. Must investigate a method of tying painter to buoy.