Small outboards..

I assume because single handed you have "room" in the boat to row.

You do. Plus sailing alone there is less going to an fro than with a full crew.

The main difference is that rowing something like an Avon with longish oars is pretty good - one up. With two, it's slow work and three almost impossible. Dobbing an inflatable into the water is a lot less bother without the engine.
 
This single hander is actively looking at using an outboard , I'm getting too old for much of this rowing lark.

However though I believe my old seagull silver century plus would start after cleaning the points and adding new fuel, it's too big for a little rowing boat.
 
Those tiny water cooled two strokes were perfect for a flubber. Unobtainable now of course .
Rowing is-like it or not- very good exercise one up or in the right dinghy.
it’s also thief proof if you padlock the oars 🤞
Then there’s sculling . A work in progress that one, 😳. I can do it but why does every other Old Salty seem to go twice the speed?
 
As mentioned, and advised by my local Honda dealer, always use Premium E5 petrol, not cheaper E10 petrol. I also add the Honda fuel additive which also helps. My Honda 2.3 started 3rd pull after winter layup as did my Honda engined lawn mower.
 
As well as Aspen, if it's two stroke you need, Stihl sell a very expensive product called Motomix.

Used it in my garden tools with great success. Worked out cheaper than having to clean carbs regularly.

MotoMix | STIHL
 
As well as Aspen, if it's two stroke you need, Stihl sell a very expensive product called Motomix.

Used it in my garden tools with great success. Worked out cheaper than having to clean carbs regularly.

MotoMix | STIHL
2 stroke oil for garden tools and outboards is different due to the different running temperatures - aspen/motomix 2 stroke premix are ideal for garden tools but probably better to buy the 4 stroke version and add marine 2 stroke oil if using a 2 stroke outboard.
 
Modern bikes are so much better though.
Doesn't seem to be much of a problem with scooters so perhaps the protection of the bodywork helps, plus they have plastic tanks, plus I have/had relatively crap motorcycles
Ditto cars, where the bigger size may also help.

So you suggest anyone with a 2-stroke outboard should replace it with a modern motorcycle?

How hard could it be?

(As long as the FI doesn't mind salty water)

 
That’s quite ingenious. But no, horses for courses, I do own a selection of small outboards. A 1980 yamaha 2hp, and a mercury 4, and an E-Propulsion. Guess which one always starts.
 
That’s quite ingenious. But no, horses for courses, I do own a selection of small outboards. A 1980 yamaha 2hp, and a mercury 4, and an E-Propulsion. Guess which one always starts.
I’m similar....in the garage is a Mercury 5 and a Honda 2.3....while on the boat is a Torqeedo
 
I was given a Seagull outboard a couple of weeks ago. Cleaned out the fuel tank and carb, put in fresh fuel (25:1) and it fired up 2nd pull. Confirmed as a runner I've now serviced the bottom end and treated it to a new spark plug. Pushed my 8' dinghy along nicely.
Brilliant engines but the oil slick following is a bit embarrassing. Must admit that was on the original I 8:1 mix, blue cloud and oil slick. 😧😧
 
Brilliant engines but the oil slick following is a bit embarrassing. Must admit that was on the original I 8:1 mix, blue cloud and oil slick. 😧😧

On my test run I went up and down the same stretch of water several times for about half an hour. No oil slick, no blue cloud. Yes, I was surprised.
Got to admit, I only took it out of interest to see if I could get it going.
I've tried my 2hp Yamaha outboard on the same dinghy, the Seagull pushed it faster, and with a 4-blade, 9" dia. prop, I suspect it will push it well even when fully laden.
 
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On my test run I went up and down the same stretch of water several times for about half an hour. No oil slick, no blue cloud. Yes, I was surprised.
Got to admit, I only took it out of interest to see if I could get it going.
I've tried my 2hp Yamaha outboard on the same dinghy, the Seagull pushed it faster, and with a 4-blade, 9" dia. prop, I suspect it will push it well even when fully laden.
I can't fault them. Remember, many
years (decades) ago, going in the cockpit at Salcombe to see dinghy upside down, prop in the air.turned over, removed engine, drained fuel and refilled. Started up and went ashore - how many modern engines would equal that?
 
About 8 or 10 years ago I decided that it was pretty useless to carry an outboard for a singlehander. I dumped the 3.5 Tohatsu in the shed complete with fuel and no further attention.

Last Thursday I decided I needed it and hoisted it out from underneath a pile of gardening stuff.

It started and ran second pull. Is this a record?

.
It is if that is your chorus.
 
On my test run I went up and down the same stretch of water several times for about half an hour. No oil slick, no blue cloud. Yes, I was surprised.
Got to admit, I only took it out of interest to see if I could get it going.
I've tried my 2hp Yamaha outboard on the same dinghy, the Seagull pushed it faster, and with a 4-blade, 9" dia. prop, I suspect it will push it well even when fully laden.
Been thinking of trying to get one of these as emergency backup to the inboard 1GM10, (or substitute in case I cant revive the inboard) but dont know much about them. There is apparently a model 102, which could have a 13-inch-diameter propeller, referred to as a "barge pusher" that is probably optimised for this sort of duty, but some sources claim the more recent and available Silver Century Plus can just about manage
 
The OP's account should dispel my doubts...but I'll ask anyway.

I had my Tohatsu 3.5 two-stroke fully serviced by Fairweather at Fareham, exactly two years ago.

The tank was emptied by the Fairweather mechanic and run dry, as I had requested. At the time I expected to be using the engine that season, but it has actually stood indoors in the warm dry flat and I've never started it since...

...what I wonder now, is whether two years without use will have left a dried film of whatever was in the petrol/oil mix, on the carb or other sensitive internals.

My knowledge of how it works is pretty near nil. Can I request either reassurance or advice?
.
 
My Honda 2.3 four stroke has had light use. It's now nearly five years old, and has only burned about one gallon each year. It was working fine in April, but when setting off a fortnight ago, it misbehaved. On pulling the starter, it jammed, and then there was no compression. Fortunately there's a place not far away that sorted it. Apparently, as I suspected, the timing had gone, meaning that there was a valve open all the time. Is this something that is liable to happen with these engines, or was I just unlucky?
 
The OP's account should dispel my doubts...but I'll ask anyway.

I had my Tohatsu 3.5 two-stroke fully serviced by Fairweather at Fareham, exactly two years ago.

The tank was emptied by the Fairweather mechanic and run dry, as I had requested. At the time I expected to be using the engine that season, but it has actually stood indoors in the warm dry flat and I've never started it since...

...what I wonder now, is whether two years without use will have left a dried film of whatever was in the petrol/oil mix, on the carb or other sensitive internals.

My knowledge of how it works is pretty near nil. Can I request either reassurance or advice?
., there wont be
Based mostly on experience of 2-stroke motorcycles (Yamaha RZR) with dodgy oil pumps so running on premix, if the tank was drained and the engine run dry, there wont be much residue, especially as your engine probably runs a relatively high ratio of fuel to oil like 50 to 1.

Some oil film might in fact be a good thing in preventing corrosion, which is a problem parked outside in Taiwans high humidity, but probably less of a problem in your warm dry flat.
 
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