Spare Outboards

[m1taylor]

If you are nervous of trusting one outboard on a yacht and you wanted the lightest smaller spare to put in a locker for exergencies (engine failure in main outboard), what would you go for? Honda Bf2.3, or Suzuki 2.2? Or am I being over-cautious?

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[Stemar]

Personally I'd go for the Tohatsu 3.5, which is relatively cheap, light (from memory 13 kg), won't spill oil and has a bit more grunt than those you mentioned. I have one for my tender and am well please with it

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[steve_cronin]

Two outboards? Well some say that two means two to neglect or that your maintenance, spread between two halves it and therefore doubles the chances of failure. Also of course if one is just lying there in a hostile salt environment and not being used, what guarantee do you have that it will work when called upon? Two strokes in particular are very unreliable if not used regularly due to the minute ridge of carbon that serves as a final piston seal being disturbed.

Since your boat is a sailboat then you have two means of propulsion already. I suppose that because it is outboard powered then it is not the biggest of craft and therefore that stowage space is another factor?

Personally, I would, in waters where the wind is rarely absent for more than a half a day at the most have one good, reasonably modern, well maintained outboard if outboard power were the only option.

The only time I've owned a sailboat with an outboard auxiliary it was a Honda 7.5hp 4stroke. Although that engine had a tendancy to clog it's idle jet tube, it was virtually 100% reliable in normal running and did once (in one of those rare extended calms) motor us from Poole to St Malo, through the Brittany Canals, out into the Atlantic and right into the Gulf of Morbihan (& back home again) without missing a single beat.

Now if you are going to carry another outboard to power a dinghy and have the idea that this might be chosen so as to also provide a second propulsion means for the main boat, then you might end up with something too big and heavy for the tender and too weak for the yacht! a 2.5 is the ideal size for a light 2T dinghy engine but might struggle to push the main boat although of course it just might just save you one day from being swept onto rocks in the Chenal du Four!

My overall choice would be, for the main engine a high torque 4 stroke like a Honda or a Yamaha of at least 10hp for a 25 footer and a lightweight for the dinghy.

If you're going to use a second engine you also have to consider mounting it effectively to propel the much heavier main boat. transom brackets are best but might cause the prop to lift out in a swell so now you've got 2.5hp only in the water and pushing, 65% of the time. Of course we hope that if there IS some swell then there is some wind around too.

Steve cronin



<hr width=100% size=1>The above is, like any other post here, only a personal opinion

 

[danera]

If your boat is only 17 feet (from your bio) I would say you are probably better off with a pair of oars! Modern outboards are pretty reliable once they get going, ie if its got you out of the harbour recently it should get you back.

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[Talbot]

I have the tohatsu 3.5 for my tender, and upgraded to that engine becayse it would be better as an emergency pusher for my yacht. I have actually pushed my boat with a yamaha 2 hp (no wind and favourable tide), but the 3.5 is not much more weight than the smallest outboards available, and has a LOT more grunt.

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[AndCur]

If you look after your outboard there is no reason why it should not be as reliable
as an inboard. In some ways it could be even more reliable. If you look after it,it will look after you. Just out of interest what sort of engine do you have?

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[jkim1]

I agree with you. A very clever chap I once knew always said an outboard will always let you down when you really need it . Its happened to me twice and I was very glad I had a spare. The last time my Malta (Yamaha) failed due to the centre stem of a leaf blocked the carb jet. I have since fitted a filter ( the Malta is not fitted with one ) How it got there I dont know. You are doing the sensible thing.

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[extravert]

Outboard reliability

In my very small and non-representative sample of 3 boats I have owned, 2 have had 4-stroke outboards, 1 an inboard diesel. All were properly maintained. The diesel wasn't the oldest of these engines, but it was the only one that failed while at sea, and catastrophically as well (repair uneconomic, it was replaced with a new one).

<hr width=100% size=1>One day, I want to be a real sailor. In the mean time I'll just keep tri-ing.