Bigger is better. If you don’t mind towing and have a proper towing rig go as big as you see fit. Our 9.9 Suzuki EFI motor starts first time every time. Electric start would be nice but not a “must have”
As much as I would like to have a 12 footer, my transom is only about 10 feet wide, and the 10 footer that hangs there currently has gotten in my way when docking on a couple of occasions, so I can't really go any longer. As it stands, the rubber duckies will all be about a foot wider than the current boat. I don't have very good visibility astern, so I don't plan to tow unless it's a really short distance.
I'm guessing you have seen this vid, but a family gets a new dinghy - an AB.
Of course I don't know your davit set up, sounds like it is arm/hand driven, not electric. My Seawise davits are also the same low grade technology. When I thought about upgrading using Seawise goodies to have an electric, I reacted to the boat dollars expense.
So here are things I am considering to get your creative juices flowing:
1) A dedicated rechargeable drill that will fit to the crank somehow (a few people have gone this route) to raise the ballooned aluminum boat.
2) A winch that you can purchase first hand or second hand that is used to pull boats up onto trailers. This winch would handle the heavy chore of raising said beast and since it is not human, no union dues, health insurance, hourly pay, etc.
I had not seen that video, thanks. Yeah, mine uses the armstrong system. It gets its energy from tacos rather than the batteries. The new setup will be heavier than the old, so I may want to increase my mechanical advantage.
I have the same AB AL dinghy and really like it. Very stable, and nice an light. I'm about to get a bigger one for the new boat.
For engines, I've had great luck with Yamahas. Hondas are good (I've had two), but I like the Yamahas better.
That said, I would place a high value on EFI. Having a fuel system sealed from the outside air makes a huge difference is fuel and fuel system fouling. In that HP range, it might force you into the Suzuki, but that wouldn't be the end of the world. Here in Gloucester there are a LOT of Suzukis on a LOT or work boats, and they have a great reputation. But also check Yamaha's line because they are always pushing EFI down into smaller and smaller engines.
BTW, I put a Yamaha 4hp on my 9' AB. I only use it to get back and forth from my dock to my boat mooring, and honestly even 4hp was more than I need. But that's what my dealer had in stock. It's a carburetor, and he suggested using the canned True Fuel since I will have very low consumption. He said it's the only stuff that doesn't gum up. It should work for my use, but I don't think practical for a real tender.
Your davit holds the boat level so a battery won't go walkabout, and given that I'd definitely go with electric start. You may be able to pull start a 15hp, but other's won't. And if for any reason you are having trouble starting it, you will REALLY be thankful for electric start.
I think I'll be glad I have electric start for sure. There's always the pull start as a backup if the electrics fail. So far the short list is Suzuki and Tohatsu. It doesn't appear that Yamaha offers EFI in the 9.9 or 15, so I'll probably take that off the short list.
I'm actually a little surprised by the support for EFI. It makes sense to me. They don't make many carbureted cars anymore, with good reason. But I thought I would encounter a lot more folks saying I should 'go find a good ol' two stroke, cuz they don't make 'em like they used to'... etc.
We installed Seawise davits on a previous boat. We loved them. They allow you to use the swim platform with the dinghy tilted up. As to a boarding ladder we moved it all the way to the side of the platform where the bow of the dinghy was and it worked fine. We had it set up so that the battery and fuel tank stayed in the dinghy full time. With the Seawise the motor doesn’t get removed from the dinghy when it is tilted up. It has a bracket that attaches to the transom that has the motor attached to. So when the dinghy is tilted up the motor goes upright over the platform. I could launch literally in 1 minute and recover in about 3 minutes with the hand crank system. If I had one today I would use an 18 volt drill to crank it up and down. No affiliation.
It's all a system of systems... so in my mind, motor selection can't happen without having considered all those other areas at the same time.
I'd think differently if Dave had already been using a given dinghy for a while, new exactly how and why he'd use it... already knows how he'd carry it, lift it, launch it, attach the motor, remove the motor, store the motor, etc... so it might really be more of a decision about what motor to buy as a replacement...
But my thought is that too many just wander down to the local outboard store, buy the first thing the salesman recommends... and then struggle to use the whole set-up when a little educated analysis beforehand could have made things much easier.
-Chris
Agreed. It's always worth confirming that what you think you want is really what will do the job well.
Exactly. That's why I keep coming back here. The extra perspectives from the TF brain trust have taught me a lot over the years. I get to display my ignorance so that y'all can say 'no Dave, that's stupid' in a friendly and approachable way. Then when I walk into a showroom, I can seem like I know what I'm talking about.
He asks only about the motor and I see all these posts about dinghy and davits. On the engine, with your note of lugging you and others around, I'd go max with 15 hp over 9.9. I would only go with electric start as the motion of pulling to crank any engine can be heart dangerous at age.
I would choose the lightest electric 15 hp I could find which among the ones mentioned is likely Suzuki at 108 lbs for electric, but among all would be Tohatsu. Their electric is about 101 lbs. For another reason, I'd recommend looking at Tohatsu. They have built more outboards in this size range than any of the others have. For decades the others rebadged them. They've done that with Nissan, Mercury and Evinrude. They have a very wide dealer network but even beyond that other mechanics very familiar with them. Do not overlook Tohatsu in your search. Also likely to save money.
To be fair, the title of the thread is a bit misleading. The original thread was equal parts boat and motor, but I edited it down after I made a provisional boat selection, and couldn't change the title. No harm, no foul. Actually, I'd never taken the time to check out the Seawise and Weaver Davit setups, and they're really pretty nifty. I could definitely see myself with something like that down the road if the Danforths get to be annoying.
As of right now, I'm leaning toward a 9.9, but I'm still open to a 15. Tohatsu and Suzuki are at the top of my list, but I haven't seen either in person yet. I'm hoping I can hop into a few different boats somewhere to give them a try and see how they feel. As of right now, I have no idea.
Thanks again for the feedback e'rrybody!
let me be clear, I don’t mean to drag up that debate.
