Our current 6hp Mariner outboard propels the dinghy fantastically but at 25kg it is very heavy for lugging around on the boat and we found that when at sea with the boat pitching one way and the dinghy the other it was a tricky job getting the engine safely on and off the boat and dinghy.
We also needed to save weight for the two up to Scotland. The boat needs to be as light as possible so at 12.7kg the Honda is pretty much half the weight of the Mariner.
We have also found that the long shaft on the Mariner is a bit of a pain to store on Naughty-Cal. It was always in the way. We have bought the short shaft version of the Honda which will stow away easily but is also suitable for the transom of the dinghy.
Hopefully the new engine should arrive next week so that we have plenty of time to refill it with oil and check that all is running ok and then next week we can start the running in process on the dinghy. The first couple of hours look to be the most arduous for the running in process so we will aim to get those in next weekend. After that the next eight hours can only be run to 80% throttle which shouldn't be so bad.
Congrats, you will love the low weight. We bought ours in 2014. No racer but it fulfils its purpose as a dinghy outboard. Cheers, Frank
ReplyDeleteIt will only get light use. Doesn't need to be a racer. It will be back in the garage once we get back from Scotland!
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