Recommendations for tender outboard

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Sailing newbie selsey

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Looking to purchase a new or used outboard, my boat came with an outboard for the tender, a 2 stroke Yamaha Malta, however after I unseizied it the cylinder housing is cracked hence a replacement needed. Looking for some thing I can easily service myself, around 3 - 5 h. not sure if I should stick with another used 2 stroke or go for a four stroke, my boat is on a swing mooring so needed for tender which will then be lifted on to boat. Recommendations please.
thank you
 
Maybe consider electric but if not, go for a 3.3/3.5 Tohatsu based Tohastu/Mariner/Mercury. I have just dug mine out from the locker where it has sat since 2019. Still with the same fuel in the tank. Started on second pull. Lighter than almost anything else at 12.5kg. About 4kg lighter than the Malta. Similar weight to Honda 2.3 but I couldn't get on with centrifugal clutch. Prefer having a proper gear shift. Also similar weight to 4 stroke Suzuki 2.5 but you get another horse power. Simple to own (can lay it down any side), simple to use, simple to service and mine has proved to be utterly reliable despite some serious neglect. Only available second hand now due to silly environmental rules, but worth hunting out a good one.
 
CAPTAIN FANTASTIC said:
Four stroke Suzuki 2.5 hp or Four stroke Honda 2.3. Both very light, reliable and because they are four stroke you can rely that they will start with ease
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I had two each of those; the first (the Honda) was replaced under warranty or there wouldn't have been a second. When I finally got fed up of it not restarting when warm (and the centrifugal clutch) I bought the Suzuki. First Suzuki was stolen and the insurance company replaced like for like or there wouldn't have been a second of those either! Now very happy with my reliable, light, easy starting, second-hand two strokes.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC is obviously happy with his four strokes, but I'm not alone in seeking out good two strokes!
 
It does depend on how far you have to go, and how fast you want to go, but an electric outboard has my interest as they are so easy to lift on & off the boat and there is no petrol or oil to worry about. Either the Epropulsion or Torqueedo though - I wouldn't mess about with a trolling motor and separate battery.
The downsides are still the cost, range and top speed, but if it's mainly for to & from a mooring that isn't 2 miles away, they are a good choice.
 
2 strokes are all getting quite old now.
People who still have good ones tend to hang on to them.

Electric can lack power when the tide is against you, the range between charges is not always enough for everyone.

If you want a truly dependable outboard, it costs.
Even so, never be without a suitable pair of oars.
To have to row your tender can be annoying, not being able to get there by rowing can be embarrassing or worse.
 
TernVI said:
Electric can lack power when the tide is against you, the range between charges is not always enough for everyone.
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That's not an electric issue, it's a bought the wrong model issue. It's the exact same problem as someone with an underpowered petrol motor. Torqueedo go all the way to 80HP equivalent so it's definitely not a lack of power from electric.
 
I’m usually the first on here to recommend Torqeedo but alas, I no longer can. My Torqeedo broke down leaving me stranded. I don’t know what the problem is or if it can be fixed or if it will cost a fortune or even how long it will be out the water for.
What I do know is the utter frustration of it going wrong. With a petrol outboard there are always something that you can do. You might not be able to fix it but you know that there is a man nearby who can. This is when you find that there are only two service centres in whole country and you are only permitted to drive ten kilometres.
This is also when you realise that Torqeedo the company, aren’t really that helpful.
 
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To be clear, I wasn't recommending Torqueedo it's petrol all the way for me right now, but I am certain electric can deliver the same power as fuel. I like how clean they are, but managing the charging compared to a can of fuel seems a lot of work for occasional use. I think for regular users that wouldn't be such an issue, especially with a big solar installation on the mothership.
 
lustyd said:
To be clear, I wasn't recommending Torqueedo it's petrol all the way for me right now, but I am certain electric can deliver the same power as fuel. I like how clean they are, but managing the charging compared to a can of fuel seems a lot of work for occasional use. I think for regular users that wouldn't be such an issue, especially with a big solar installation on the mothership.
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Before my breakdown last week I would have sworn to the reliability of electric. And I certainly would have recommended electric to anyone looking for a small outboard as long as they had the budget
 
Moodysailor said:
It does depend on how far you have to go, and how fast you want to go, but an electric outboard has my interest as they are so easy to lift on & off the boat and there is no petrol or oil to worry about. Either the Epropulsion or Torqueedo though - I wouldn't mess about with a trolling motor and separate battery.
The downsides are still the cost, range and top speed, but if it's mainly for to & from a mooring that isn't 2 miles away, they are a good choice.
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Also they are very easy to start. ;)
 
Bouba said:
Before my breakdown last week I would have sworn to the reliability of electric. And I certainly would have recommended electric to anyone looking for a small outboard as long as they had the budget
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Sorry to hear of your breakdown, I hope you will soon be well again. At your age you must be careful not to overdo things.

How's your outboard motor by the way?
 
Poignard said:
Sorry to hear of your breakdown, I hope you will soon be well again. At your age you must be careful not to overdo things.

How's your outboard motor by the way?
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You are absolutely right, it has sent me round the bend.....
Tesla anyone ?‍♂️
 
Bouba said:
This is when you find that there are only two service centres in whole country and you are only permitted to drive ten kilometres.
This is also when you realise that Torqeedo the company, aren’t really that helpful.
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There are in fact 5 Torqeedo service centres in France. The fact that you're only allowed to drive 10km isn't Torqeedo's fault either!

In my experience, Torqeedo have been very helpful. They're still building the brand, so they need to be very helpful.
 
pvb said:
There are in fact 5 Torqeedo service centres in France. The fact that you're only allowed to drive 10km isn't Torqeedo's fault either!

In my experience, Torqeedo have been very helpful. They're still building the brand, so they need to be very helpful.
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There’s three in France according to their website (I didn’t see the third one because it came after the two Swiss ones in distance from me). One is reasonably near, in fact a favorite holiday destination for us, and without covid, we would have driven there. But my point that I could get a small petrol outboard repaired by numerous people within 10 km is still valid when comparing options.
I will grant you that German companies are usually very helpful, and indeed Torqeedo have been helpful in the past (despite a long runaround). But my point that, I would have repaired (or at least identified) the petrol outboard problem myself but with sealed electronics there’s nothing I can do. I would have appreciated soothing words from Torqeedo not just send it to a service center in France. This is going to mean a large expense even if it’s only good for scrap.
I think that also I now know that the Torqeedo is not infallible is going to be a concern in the future (just as I was getting over range anxiety). Every time I go out further than I fancy rowing, I shall be trepidatious
 
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