good motors for tin boats

forget 2 strokes...only get a 4 stroke
most lakes are now "banning" 2 strokes

we have a 9.9 hp on our metal 15 footer
the boat is old but the motor new

get a NEW 25hp
don't "cheap out"

remember...your boat will never be large enough
and NEVER has a big enough engine

What lakes? Can't think of too many lakes in Baja where this is an issue...

by gnukid

"2 strokes are noisy and smoky and worse mileage which reduces your fishing enjoyment. If you want to enjoy yourself get a small 4 stroke that you can lift, that would be a 6,9.9 or 15hp and try that first, or of course you can get two motors, one 9.9hp and one 25hp, a 9.9/4 stroke will weigh about 100lbs and a 25hp/4 stroke 155lbs.

If you can't lift the motor you won't go fishing so why not use a 6hp @ 60lbs for a while if you are car topping... speaking from the perspective of a daily cartopper. I always head into the the direction of the known wind direction at sunrise then as it builds turn around and ride it back home. Never put yourself downwind of your return destination with predictable increasing wind.

Try creating a spreadsheet with estimated weights of the boat and motor plus supplies to give your self an idea of what your getting into versus what you are capable of. Small boating is all geometry. The boat will plane easily if it sits flat, if not it will take more power to plane.

...if you take gnukids advice you'd never be able to go out in the Gulf off Baja as the wind is in your face on the return trip home most of the time.

Let's not forget virtually all of the Mexican pangas are single 2 stroke outboards. I don't hear of too many Gringos complaining about going out with them. Their outboards seem to run most of the time.

I have a 15 hp 2-stroke Evinrude...weighs 72 lbs. The same motor in a 4-stroke...120 lbs. Try carrying that over cobble beaches or 300-500 yards of sand beach to your boat.

El Faro,

The wind is predictable generally, on the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific it either blows Northwest or North most often or South and rarely East or West. So, if you know it will probably blow from the North after 10am, my simple suggestion is don't head south between 9-10, if you want to go South from your point of entry, do so early and then return north prior to the wind. Simple but hard for some to understand. The same applies at sunset.

This is something you can tell many boaters til your are blue in the face and about half won't listen and get rescued often or come in somewhere else and come for their car.

The issue with motors is quite simple, everyone (like me) thinks they want a 25hp on a small boat, but if you do the motor is about 155lbs, plus gas tank and bucket of tools and gear, thats going to be 200-225lbs of crap in the back along with you @ 180lbs driving the hand held motor, now you've got 400lbs in the back of the boat. Which means it takes more gas, more power and bigger wake to get going.

On the other hand, if you get a 9.9hp motor at 100lbs and use less gas you reduce your weight, more effort to balance the weight will allow a 6hp or 9.9 to easily plane. I know. Plus you will be able to get in and out with out hurting yourself.

Your goal in fishing is generally 7knots or so max. You have no need in going faster except to get someone sooner, but with planning that isn't required besides going fast is more dangerous.

The other issue is economics, larger motors cost more money and require more gas. I believe there are perfect choices for everyone, but until you try you won't know, so your first foray should be conservative with less weight, every boater can always use a little 8 or 9.9hp 4 stroke, they are the most popular motors in the world, so there is no reason to feel it is a waste to get one to start off, and you will go boating.

Anyway, if any of you seniors try to life a 100-150lb motor in and out, plus tank full of gas, push a boat in and out and lift it on the roof you will have a hernia and never go boating again.

FYI I boat to islands, and often go 30miles a day in the sea of cortez and off the pacific coast, often with multiple people in the boat.

FYI there are traditional pangueros in La Paz that go out with 3 or 4 hp motors and many who use no motor an rely on the wind, a basic sail and oars.

My final recommendation is the 9.9hp 4 stroke in this case with a Nomad seal of approval. When some young boy complains that your tin boat won't plane with all his buddies inside you will thank me again.

I believe there is an excellent book on this very subject of geometry, building small boats er something.

2 strokes are better to find your way back to where you get bit.

Just follow the oil slick.

A little oil is no big deal, just ask BP.

motor

Well YakYak by now you are suffering from info overload,you should by now have a good idea what you want to do if not just wait there should be more headed your way
Rob

Jeez! Most any outboard will do the job. There's probably not much difference between all the various brands on a performance level. Price? Glad I'm not in the market, but Evenrude has always been my favorite.

GrOuper-Gar, You're right about Mercury outboards and salt water.