Which outboard?

[gull1066]

I'm in the Market for a new outboard for my sunstar. I've always been a mariner man myself but was wondering what other forum members perfer or like.

It will need to be a long shaft saildrive with charging facility so your views would be great.

My other thought is, do I need a 4hp? Would a 3.5 be ok. Will be used around Southampton waters and the Solent.

Cheers
john

 

[piston-head]

I'm in the Market for a new outboard for my sunstar. I've always been a mariner man myself but was wondering what other forum members perfer or like.

It will need to be a long shaft saildrive with charging facility so your views would be great.

My other thought is, do I need a 4hp? Would a 3.5 be ok. Will be used around Southampton waters and the Solent.

Cheers
john

something like a honda 3.5 4 stroke should be adequate if your just wanting it to potter around in. mariner engines are still good engines. might be worth doing a bit of research to have a look to see whats the best one for you

 

[VicS]

I'm in the Market for a new outboard for my sunstar. I've always been a mariner man myself but was wondering what other forum members perfer or like.

It will need to be a long shaft saildrive with charging facility so your views would be great.

My other thought is, do I need a 4hp? Would a 3.5 be ok. Will be used around Southampton waters and the Solent.

Cheers
john

The make is your choice I would say. A good few of them are made by Tohatsu now anyway so be sure you dont pay Mercury/Mariner price for something you could buy cheaper with its original manufacturers badges.

IMO 3.5 hp is not enough... 4 hp barely enough either. You want a enough power to drive the boat along at hull speed against wind and waves not just in calm conditions.

I'd doubt if you will get a 3.5 with charging. 4 hp maybe.

I have a 6hp Evinrude Yachtwin on my 19ft Sea Wych.

 

[gull1066]

Cheers Vics for your comments. I thought a 3.5 hp might be a little gutless, however I have a 4hp now and it pushes her along fine, even in a force 5 head on, so i think another 4hp would be fine.

Dont want to go to a 6hp as I take the outboard off everytime and they are a bit heavy.

I will consider a tohatsu but the mariner seems to be the best value at £759.00.

 

[aquaplane]

About 6 years ago I bought a Tohatsu 4Hp long shaft sail drive for about that.

It was 2 stroke, you don't say if you want a 2 or 4 stroke?

At the time the 4Hp and 5Hp engines were the same but the 4Hp had a restrictor in the carb. I had the restrictor taken out and after a little tweaking of the mixture I had a 5Hp for the price of a 4Hp.

I used it on a First 18, it was OK on flat water but motoring into a F5 a series of waves slowed the boat down untill the 4th one left me without steerage way and the 5th one knocked me sideways.

HTH.

 

[gull1066]

Cheers mate.

Id have put the sails up and sailed

I do here what being said but trying to remove a 6hp from the back of an rolling cruiser when your in an inflatable is not much fun.

Perhaps if the little barstewards that keep nicking outboards were strung up and stoned then I wouldn't have the problem.

 

[VicS]

Cheers mate.

Id have put the sails up and sailed

I do here what being said but trying to remove a 6hp from the back of an rolling cruiser when your in an inflatable is not much fun.

Perhaps if the little barstewards that keep nicking outboards were strung up and stoned then I wouldn't have the problem.

I must be lucky. My outboard stays on the back all the time. I used to take it off and stow it in the cabin but they get a bit heavier each year and mine is now so heavy that i cannot lift it except on dry land.

Be sure to get the "sail" version if one is available. It should have a prop more suited to a slow displacement hull than the standard one.

 

[aquaplane]

Id have put the sails up and sailed

Not really an option, I was coming down the Clyde from Dumbarton with the tide and the wind was blowing up the river. The channel where I was wasn't wide enough to get in long enough tacks to make it worthwhile, I was OK when it got a bit wider but then the flow was much less and the waves not as short or sharp.

 

[onesea]

"Id have put the sails up and sailed"

If you have that attitude a 3.5hp 2 stroke will probably do....

I sailed a Trident 24 for 12 months with 3.5hp Tomhatsu in the Solent, main up sheet in and off you go. Surprising how much extra drive the sail gives you.

I had a fanatie 19 powered by Yamahar Malta & Old air cooled 2 stoke for a couple of years and never struggled.

If you want to try one (not buy one mine is with me till it no longer runs) PM me see if we can arrange an hours sail some time...

"I do here what being said but trying to remove a 6hp from the back of an rolling cruiser when your in an inflatable is not much fun."

What I did was put snap shackle on to main sheet so if I am solo and need to lift long shaft into dinghy. Made it so much easier, also great potential in case of MOB.
Keep an eye out for old 2 stroke much more manageable, if you can find one.

"Perhaps if the little barstewards that keep nicking outboards were strung up and stoned then I wouldn't have the problem."

I drop mine below after every sail but I am not as exposed as Southampton water.

 

[JulianBall]

3.5 Hp

+1 for a 3.5 Hp

I had a Mariner 3.5 long shaft on the back of my Sunray 21, big sister to the Sunstar, and it pushed it along fine and as already said, you have got a stick and a bit of rag to help you along.

Nice and easy to lift off and put on the dinghy, at the end of the day.

Plus they are a simple engine to maintain.

 

[Seajet]

I found a Yamaha 4 2-stroke pushed my 22' boat ( which admittedly has a slippery hull & coachroof shape ) across the Channel quite happily; usually if there's any opposing waves there's at least some wind, so motor-sailing gives plenty of power.

I now have a 5hp Mariner 2 stroke, which I reckon is optimum; a 4 stroke would be too heavy to easily lift out of the well, which is done any time proper sailing is on the cards, a 4 stroke is also a lot fussier re stowage position.

 

[gull1066]

Bring back the good old 2 Stroke's. Might even stick with the one ive got.

 

[neale]

Dont want to go to a 6hp as I take the outboard off everytime and they are a bit heavy.

If you are talking about a 'New' outboard then you are looking at a four stroke. Many 5 and 6hp engines are the same as the 4 from the same manufacture so therefore no weight disadvantage. Obviously they will be more expensive but an extra 2hp might be worth having if here is no extra weight to lug.

 

[Seajet]

I know someone in the Republic Of Ireland who bought a 2-stroke 5hp outboard quite recently; it seems an engine dealer realised there would be a demand for these engines so bought a batch.

No idea about the legalities of importing one, a very attractive idea but I suspect there's a law against it...

This is a particularly daft law, modern engines like this run on 100:1 mixture so frankly near zero pollution compared to things like fishing boats let alone ships, and I believe fishermen are still allowed to use 2-strokes .

 

[VicS]

I know someone in the Republic Of Ireland who bought a 2-stroke 5hp outboard quite recently; it seems an engine dealer realised there would be a demand for these engines so bought a batch.

No idea about the legalities of importing one, a very attractive idea but I suspect there's a law against it...

This is a particularly daft law, modern engines like this run on 100:1 mixture so frankly near zero pollution compared to things like fishing boats let alone ships, and I believe fishermen are still allowed to use 2-strokes .

roughly:

All our familiar old small two strokes are outlawed by emissions regulations that became part of the Recreational craft directive several years ago.

It therefore only, in theory, applies to marine engines used for recreational purposes and only applies to those countries where the RCD applies although other counties may have their own regulations.
It actually applies to all marine engines not just two stroke outboards. There are of course different parameters for diesel engines.
Some manufacturers have developed (large) two stroke outboards which comply with these regs but among small engines only 4strokes comply.

If engines were manufactured or imported before the regulations became effective they can still be sold. I image engines legally imported can be sold throughout the area.

 

[Lakesailor]

The 4/5/6hp motor by Tohatsu is the same motor with different carbs.

It is also marketed as a Mariner and as a Mercury in gradually increasing price order.

I had a 4hp Mariner and now have a 5hp Tohatsu.

There can be a difference in spec regarding the alternator and the built-in or remote tanks (built-in ones also have a remote connector).
I bought the remote fitting kit for gears and throttle and whilst it is the same kit it cost £130 from a Tohatsu dealer who also had a Mercury kit for £190. He confirmed it is the same bag of parts.

The 2 stroke is 21 Kgs the 4 stroke is 25 Kgs. If it has a built-in tank the fuel will weigh extra of course.

 

[gull1066]

Its seems to be true. The 5hp long shaft is the same weight as the 4hp and the 5 has an external fuel tank supplied so sounds like a much better option. Tohatsu make mariner so looks like its going to be the tohatsu.

All I need to do now is pursuade the wife and thats the hard part

 

[bammylovechops]

At the time the 4Hp and 5Hp engines were the same but the 4Hp had a restrictor in the carb. I had the restrictor taken out and after a little tweaking of the mixture I had a 5Hp for the price of a 4Hp.

HTH.

Hi,

I have a Tohatsu long tail 3.5hp 2 stroke around a 2008, is there a restrictor in my carb that can be removed, I will then be able to leave my local competitors behind