Tiller Pilot with single battery.

[thinwater]

OP says electric start (only) so presumably needs a battery to get a start. Worth exploring to confirm there is no option for pull start. Often remove the cover and wind a rope around the flywheel. If indeed there is no pull start option then yes you need to ensure you do not flatten the battery at night or from use of auto pilot. I think safest option is still a second battery given that the one battery will die of old age at some time even if he is diligent to not discharge it too much. A jump start pack might be another answer but I would go for a second battery. ol'will

You are correct, he did say "only," but as you say, they always have an emergency pull cord provision. A have twin Yamaha 9.9s and have used that feature once. But yes, it complicates things. I've always thought elelctric-only was a dumb option on small motors. Yamaha added the cord back on some electric start options.

The benefit of solar is that it will be adding power while the helm is drawing, even on cloudy days. I'm not guessing. This is the set up on my F-24. But adding a second battery is smart too. If you are going to cruise, this is not either or, it is both.

Setting up the boat for a balanced helm also reduces the draw.

 

[thinwater]

No I can't. I have to remove engine cover, flywheel cover and use a rope. No recoil start line fitted.

You are correct, he did say "only," but as you say, they always have an emergency pull cord provision. A have twin Yamaha 9.9s and have used that feature once. But yes, it complicates things. I've always thought elelctric-only was a dumb option on small motors. Yamaha added the cord back on some electric start options.

The benefit of solar is that it will be adding power while the helm is drawing, even on cloudy days. I'm not guessing. This is the set up on my F-24. But adding a second battery is smart too. If you are going to cruise, this is not either or, it is both.

The jump pack idea is good.

Setting up the boat for a balanced helm also reduces the draw.

 

[davidpbo]

Hang on, doesn’t that mean you CAN start it by hand??? Just because no recoil line fitted, that doesn’t mean you can’t just wrap a line around flywheel and pull. It’s what Neolithic man did on most seagull outboards I believe?

There are many things that I can do, but that may not be a good idea especially say on a lee shore. It is something I need to try with the right cord. It didn't work last month when I tried it but I think I was using too short a cord. The facility is there as a back up.

 

[TernVI]

Cord starting an outboard in some outboard wells, or on some transom brackets is difficult and really not something I'd want to rely on. Others are fine. Personally, I would find relying on solar to keep up with the autopilot a bit limiting. A day like today, you might only get a few AH from a 50W panel. Today hasn't been that bad weather, but 4kW system, reasonably well aimed gave 4kWh. Horiztonal panel, some shading as per a typic boat out on passage, you'd be lucky to get half a watt hour for each nominal watt.
Sometimes we even sail in the dark.
I think I'd either be taking the view that the engine is never essential, or sorting a dedicated engine start battery.

 

[davidpbo]

My outboard is in a well with lid. The flywheel is at shin height. I very much wanted the pull start option for me to use as well as electric start for my wife to use. Unfortunately I doubted that a Tohatsu would fit as it appeared to have a deeper head than a Yamaha. It was not without a considerable amount of thought, measuring and research that I went for the engine I did.

 

[thinwater]

My outboard is in a well with lid. The flywheel is at shin height. I very much wanted the pull start option for me to use as well as electric start for my wife to use. Unfortunately I doubted that a Tohatsu would fit as it appeared to have a deeper head than a Yamaha. It was not without a considerable amount of thought, measuring and research that I went for the engine I did.

Yeah, my Yamahas are in wells also. They function much better there than on the transom, but there are drawbacks.

 

[MonniotC]

If you're concerned by it, then fit another battery or get a Lithium jump start pack.
Personally, I think relying on a single battery is asking for trouble. OTOH, a boat with sails is not always 'relying' on the engine.

The autopilot will use more on a bad day, so problems will happen when you're least well placed to laugh them off.

Some solar is always a good idea, but doesn't address the issue.
You might well find a discarded car battery that's perfectly capable of starting the outboard, or a motorbike battery, but a new, plain ordinary car battery is probably good value for peace of mind.

When you cost up all the split charging and wiring, carrying a Lithium pack you charge at home might look economic?

At my local vehicle scrapyard, car/van batteries (tested, so OK, but take your own multimeter) are £5 for small, or £10 for large. Perfect for an engine start battery.

 

[William_H]

Well lots of opinions and options listed here for OP. I think the fact that he can start the engine by hand albeit with some dificulty means he is not totally reliant on the electric start so could risk loss of electrics through auto pilot use or nav lights etc. So carry on as he is. But if he is worried then go solar charging and or another battery. ol'will

 

[davidpbo]

I do have a 10 watt solar panel but at 18 years old it contributes little to the charging. There is very limited space to put more.

Obviously I can replace it.