Size of an auxilliary engine

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Scotfree

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I want to put a second engine on to my transom in case my main one breaks down, to enable me to get to safety.

My question is what horsepower engine would be suitable?

My yacht is a 24 foot Etap displacing 1500 kgs. My main engine is an 8HP Yamaha. The second engine will have to be mounted on a tracked mounting on the transom, so that the engine can be slid down into the water when needed.

Does anyone know of a tracked engine mounting that slides up and down on the transom?

Many thanks.
 
2 outboards on a 24' light weight sailing boat is a bit OTT. Spend your money on making sure your current engine is reliable.

However if you have a dinghy engine, say 2.5 or 3.3 hp this will move the boat reasonably well in flat water with little wind, but you need a swingdown bracket to lower it far enough to reach the water which will make it difficult to start and control
 
Scotfree said:
I want to put a second engine on to my transom in case my main one breaks down, to enable me to get to safety.
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Try posting on the MoBo forum. I think they're known wing engines.

Alternatively, try oars. The Glen class in Dublin Bay are 25' and they regularly row them back from racing when not enough wind to sail. I think the average age of the oarsmen is about 75 and they're probably a good deal heavier than 1500Kg.
 
Scotfree said:
I want to put a second engine on to my transom in case my main one breaks down, to enable me to get to safety.

My question is what horsepower engine would be suitable?

My yacht is a 24 foot Etap displacing 1500 kgs. My main engine is an 8HP Yamaha. The second engine will have to be mounted on a tracked mounting on the transom, so that the engine can be slid down into the water when needed.

Does anyone know of a tracked engine mounting that slides up and down on the transom?

Many thanks.
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I had an Etap 22i. The fixed motor was 6hp and I had a 4hp on a drop down bracket. The 4hp was plenty and being on the back could be rotated to make the boat extremely manoeuvrable. I kept the motor when I sold the boat. I then sold it to a friend who used it as an auxiliary on a 30ft motor cruiser. 4hp is also usable on a small/medium inflatable. Any larger and it's difficult to get from the bracket to the tender.
I used to occasionally use my 4hp, just to get used to the difference between that and the fixed 6hp.
Allan
 
Allan said:
I had an Etap 22i. The fixed motor was 6hp and I had a 4hp on a drop down bracket. The 4hp was plenty and being on the back could be rotated to make the boat extremely manoeuvrable. I kept the motor when I sold the boat. I then sold it to a friend who used it as an auxiliary on a 30ft motor cruiser. 4hp is also usable on a small/medium inflatable. Any larger and it's difficult to get from the bracket to the tender.
I used to occasionally use my 4hp, just to get used to the difference between that and the fixed 6hp.
Allan
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Yes, the 4hp Mercury outboard I had on my 22’ E-Boat was always easily enough, Whatever the sea state.

I wouldn’t consider anything any bigger a necessity unless it was the same physical size and weight as a 4hp, but then I’d rather spend the money on making the inboard engine reliable than have a spare outboard hanging on the transom. If you are so risk-averse as to need 2 engines, maybe you should take up gin rummy or watch tv.
 
On my 2000kgs Folkboat, I've a 2.3 Honda, with a longshaft, which I've found ample for my needs, and have used it for 2 different seasons as my 'main', when the inboard has failed. I'd ignore the stupidity about being 'risk averse', the poster may've been sniffing Langstone mud, any well maintained engine can develop a propulsion issue, be it through picking up debris on the prop, to having an injector failure, or dirty fuel when you're in a delicate stage of a transit.
 
jamie N said:
On my 2000kgs Folkboat, I've a 2.3 Honda, with a longshaft, which I've found ample for my needs, and have used it for 2 different seasons as my 'main', when the inboard has failed. I'd ignore the stupidity about being 'risk averse', the poster may've been sniffing Langstone mud, any well maintained engine can develop a propulsion issue, be it through picking up debris on the prop, to having an injector failure, or dirty fuel when you're in a delicate stage of a transit.
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If this is such a critical issue why are yachts not fitted with 2 engines as standard? Yachts are for sailing and engines are a secondary source of propulsion.
 
Yes, i entirely agree, however I was crossing the Pentland Firth, and my main inboard failed, as well as the promised breeze failing to materialize, thus I used my Honda 2.3hp outboard to keep me away from the Skerries. What part of this additional source of propulsion would you say was inadvisable?
Having a 360deg, rotatable motor whilst manoeuvring within the confines of a marina with a long keel is of great assistance, or would you suggest this under sail also?
 
What you need is a long shaft Seagull century . It is about 4Hp but has loads of torque & will push you along Ok.
All you need is to know how to start it. Once you master that you will love it, grow a beard, & be considered a "proper old salt"
 
I've used a 3.5 2 stroke, directly on the transom of a 4.5 tonne 31' in a seaway during a tramontana off Cap d Agde.
You'll frequently see inflatables pushing/pulling full size 37' sailboats.
However rather than burden your boat with another unreliable engine I'd suggest the sails are a much more practical and reliable source of power and that you learn how to us them.
 
jamie N said:
On my 2000kgs Folkboat, I've a 2.3 Honda, with a longshaft, which I've found ample for my needs, and have used it for 2 different seasons as my 'main', when the inboard has failed. I'd ignore the stupidity about being 'risk averse', the poster may've been sniffing Langstone mud, any well maintained engine can develop a propulsion issue, be it through picking up debris on the prop, to having an injector failure, or dirty fuel when you're in a delicate stage of a transit.
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Alas, if you know how much Langstone mud I've sniffed over the years you'd be sending Stephen Spielberg areound with ideas for a new movie...

But risk averse? I'm not. I have a sailing boat with a reliable, recent, well maintained engine. All the fuel (white diesel with Marine 16 I hasten to add, just in case you're posting from Belgium) has been filtered by me prior to fuelling. I have no intention of fitting a second engine 'just in case the first fails'. I assume your boat isn't fitted with an anchor?

If my boat's engine failed once, rather than regularly as yours seems to, I'd get it fixed or fix it myself. I'd recommend you did the same, for the safety of you, your boat and her occupants.

Most of us have times when their use of their engine is 'a bit important'. If I had to rely on a fall back engine because the first had packed up when I was entering Portsmouth Harbour on the ebb I'd be handling a string of insurance claims against me where the boats behind me had run straight up my transom. Get your engine fixed.
 
Ignore the sniping. If you feel it's sensible and seamanlime, or it makes you and your crew more confident to carry an additional motor then do it.
Very many of us carry an outboard for use with our tenders. In the unlikely event that I have an engine failure in a flat calm in a tidal current that's carrying me into danger, my first recourse would be to drop anchor. I have a good anchor and, in total, 120 metres of cable (a mixture of chain and nylon). Then, once safely anchored, I would attempt to get the main engine going. I carry the parts to set up a separate temporary fuel supply if necessary, for example. If the engine was catastrophically failed, and there was no prospect of wind, I would inflate my tender and tie that alongside to tow us into harbour. The 2.5 outboard will move us in a flat calm and downtiide easily.
I also subscribe to SeaStart, so, actually, I'd have called them earlier on! The point of all this is that I don't consider an extra auxiliary to be necessary, but you must decide for yourself.
 
Daydream believer said:
What you need is a long shaft Seagull century . It is about 4Hp but has loads of torque & will push you along Ok.
All you need is to know how to start it. Once you master that you will love it, grow a beard, & be considered a "proper old salt"
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I have two Seagull engines at home and a beard! I'm not sure if I'm considered a "proper old salt"!
The reasons I had two outboards on my Etap were:
1. They were there when I bought it.
2. The 4hp was used on the tender.
3. A transom bracket was the best place to store it.
4. 2 stroke motors (the fixed 6hp) are not as reliable as diesels.
The Etap 22i has an angled pad on the transom for a sculling oar rowlock. I never got around to fitting one to see if I could move it.
Allan
 
We had a 25 ft hunter Delta with the main engine the 8 hp Yamaha. For the tender we carried a 3.3 2t mariner on the Pushpit and on the one occasion we got water in the fuel it was easy to swap over to the smaller engine which worked remarkably well. Having said that if there was any wind the sails worked well and we generally only used the engine for essential manovers in the harbour.
 
WE did this on our second last boat a 25 foot one. Fitted the 3.5Hp dinghy outboard on a rise and fall mount and it worked fine as a back up. The added bonus was it was way much easier to transfer the engine to the dinghy from the bracket than from the pushpit
 
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