Recommended outboard motor power

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Adel31

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Hello everyone, I have just acquired a new inflatable boat of 2m77, with a weight of 33.5 kg, it is approved to support a power of 9.9 hp maximum, I want to buy an outboard and I hesitate between 6 hp and 8 hp, knowing that we will be 2 people on board on the sea. thank you
 
Hi & welcome,

Most people wouldn't go as big as those sizes on a 2.8m inflatable being used as a tender for a larger boat, e.g. It's one thing lifting a 3 or 4hp engine (say 20kg) off the back of a boat and onto your tender, mauling an 8hp engine (say 40kg) about the place is another ball game. But it depends on where and how you intend to use it, which is?
 
V1701 said:
Hi & welcome,

Most people wouldn't go as big as those sizes on a 2.8m inflatable being used as a tender for a larger boat, e.g. It's one thing lifting a 3 or 4hp engine (say 20kg) off the back of a boat and onto your tender, mauling an 8hp engine (say 40kg) about the place is another ball game. But it depends on where and how you intend to use it, which is?
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Hi

3.5hp is more than enough on my 2.6Mtr flubber, and it is light enough (14kg) to lift one handed while I hold the boat steady eith the other,

Good luck
 
V1701 said:
Hi & welcome,

Most people wouldn't go as big as those sizes on a 2.8m inflatable being used as a tender for a larger boat, e.g. It's one thing lifting a 3 or 4hp engine (say 20kg) off the back of a boat and onto your tender, mauling an 8hp engine (say 40kg) about the place is another ball game. But it depends on where and how you intend to use it, which is?
Click to expand...
thank you for your answer, I will use it mainly on the sea for yachting.
 
I have the Tohatsu 9.8 two-stroke, which weighs in at about 26kg, on a Honwave 2.7IE inflatable. The boat goes lovely with this much power - best one-up TBH - but the outboard is a bit of a handful to get from the yacht to the tender alone. I would quite like a smaller engine as a spare and to use when I have to go only a short distance to shore, but with the 9.8 I can comfortably go for miles, and as a full-time cruiser I wouldn't be without it - it's brilliant for exploring.
 
KompetentKrew said:
I have the Tohatsu 9.8 two-stroke, which weighs in at about 26kg, on a Honwave 2.7IE inflatable. The boat goes lovely with this much power - best one-up TBH - but the outboard is a bit of a handful to get from the yacht to the tender alone. I would quite like a smaller engine as a spare and to use when I have to go only a short distance to shore, but with the 9.8 I can comfortably go for miles, and as a full-time cruiser I wouldn't be without it - it's brilliant for exploring.
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Thanks for your reply, So on this type of boat, 2-stroke engines are more recommended than 4-stroke because of the weight?
 
We also have Tohatsu 9.8 2 stroke (same weight as a much smaller 4 stroke) on a 2.9 inflatable. Planes easily and gives much drier ride 2 up + shopping so the bigger the engine the better. Small engines = slow and often wet ride. Bear in mind that many engines use the same block and leg for different outputs so no difference in weight between some 6 and 8HP.
 
One consideration for me would be how I plan on attaching the tender to the boat. Towing is fine in any reasonable weather, but I wouldn't want to have to heave a 9hp onto the boat at the point where I no longer think towing is a good idea, nor regularly in good conditions without some sort of crane arrangement, which could just be the mainsheet and the boom. If I had davits, then the weight becomes a lot less relevant, and there are always times when a few extra horses come in handy, but you still have to think about putting the engine away when you go home. I wouldn't want to carry a 9-10hp very far. If you can find a 2T engine, it's likely to weigh 70-80% of a comparable 4T, which is a big plus, but it'll probably be a fair bit thirstier.
 
Adel31 said:
It will be used on it's own, what do u think about an 8 hp four stroke?
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Note that 2.8m is pretty small for use on the open sea.

Most people on this sub-forum have sailboats, and when we use an inflatable dinghy it's to get to shore from anchor. We're restricted in the size of rubberboot we can fold up and carry on our sailboats.

I can zip around great in my 2.8m if conditions are flat, but waves or a swell can make progress impossible - it bounces up and down, you get splashed in the face, the oars fall out of the retainers and you have to stop every few minutes to rest because it's just so hairy.

It's a great size of boat for exploring the south coast's natural harbours though - put it in the water at Hardway, motor up and have a drink or lunch at the pub near Fareham marina, stop at Portchester Castle before going back. Explore north from Dartmouth or Salcombe, or up the Tamar from Plymouth. Fine as a first boat, but temper your expectations.

You might find the RIBs and SIBs group on Facebook more helpful, or the RIBsnet forum.
 
KompetentKrew said:
Note that 2.8m is pretty small for use on the open sea.

Most people on this sub-forum have sailboats, and when we use an inflatable dinghy it's to get to shore from anchor. We're restricted in the size of rubberboot we can fold up and carry on our sailboats.

I can zip around great in my 2.8m if conditions are flat, but waves or a swell can make progress impossible - it bounces up and down, you get splashed in the face, the oars fall out of the retainers and you have to stop every few minutes to rest because it's just so hairy.

It's a great size of boat for exploring the south coast's natural harbours though - put it in the water at Hardway, motor up and have a drink or lunch at the pub near Fareham marina, stop at Portchester Castle before going back. Explore north from Dartmouth or Salcombe, or up the Tamar from Plymouth. Fine as a first boat, but temper your expectations.

You might find the RIBs and SIBs group on Facebook more helpful, or the RIBsnet forum.
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Thanks a lot
 
Graham376 said:
Had a browse at the spec, just another Chinese generic inflatable of the size we see most frequently, suitable for his purpose as tender for yacht.
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It's not a tender, see #9.

Agree your comment on spec, but doesn't strike me as particular good value, unless I've misread the pricing info.
 
Graham376 said:
#9 - It will be used on it's own contradicts #4 - I will use it mainly on the sea for yachting
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i meant it is going to be used a lot more on the sea or the beach, not on a lake, sorry for the misunderstanding, and yes it is a chinese brand, so what do you recommend me as outboard please?
 
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