Dinghy (tender) outboard questions

I searched the topic but couldn’t find anything useful, so I decided to post my questions in a new topic. I just bought a used Avon 310 rollup inflatable and am looking for an outboard. I know nothing about this kind of boat but figured someone on the list could help. My questions are: 1. What size outboard should I look for? The manual says 5hp but that appears to be a maximum. Would a smaller, lighter engine be worth considering? It’s a rollup, so it isn’t going to plane no matter what I hang on the back. And a smaller engine would be easier to lift. Also, we have what I think are outboard mounting pads on our pushpit and lighter weight would be better there. 2. New or used? I got a good enough deal on the inflatable to spend a little more on the outboard but the boat is in a slip, not on a mooring, so the tender isn’t going to see everyday use. More likely we’ll use it to get to the dinghy dock on the occasional trip to Catalina or day trips to Redondo. Or Killer Shrimp ;) 3. Gas or propane? Most advice against propane cites a lack of availability but we’re in Marina de Rey, not New Guinea. Also, we have a propane stove and grill already. OTOH, our Atomic 4 uses gasoline, so we already have that on board too. Thanks for any help! Greg Beron Cal 29 Happy Hour Marina del Rey

Smaller the motor the slower you go is all. When I was a teen my friend had a 12' wooden skiff he pushed with a 3 HP 2 stroke outboard. It moved, just slowly. You don't need a really big outboard if you are just planning to putter from your sailboat to a dock or shore. Just my .02. I'm currently building a 9'-6" wooden pram dinghy that I plan to use an old 2hp Evinrude with. Leslie Puffin Cal 33-2 On Mon, Oct 23, 2017 at 4:10 PM, gb… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] < Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > I searched the topic but couldn’t find anything useful, so I decided to > post my questions in a new topic. > > > I just bought a used Avon 310 rollup inflatable and am looking for an > outboard. I know nothing about this kind of boat but figured someone on the > list could help. My questions are: > > > 1. What size outboard should I look for? The manual says 5hp but that > appears to be a maximum. Would a smaller, lighter engine be worth > considering? It’s a rollup, so it isn’t going to plane no matter what I > hang on the back. And a smaller engine would be easier to lift. Also, we > have what I think are outboard mounting pads on our pushpit and lighter > weight would be better there. > > 2. New or used? I got a good enough deal on the inflatable to spend a > little more on the outboard but the boat is in a slip, not on a mooring, so > the tender isn’t going to see everyday use. More likely we’ll use it to get > to the dinghy dock on the occasional trip to Catalina or day trips to > Redondo. Or Killer Shrimp ;) > > 3. Gas or propane? Most advice against propane cites a lack of > availability but we’re in Marina de Rey, not New Guinea. Also, we have a > propane stove and grill already. OTOH, our Atomic 4 uses gasoline, so we > already have that on board too. > > > Thanks for any help! > > Greg Beron > > Cal 29 Happy Hour > > Marina del Rey > > >

We purchased a mercury 3.3 for our dingy when we decided against just rowing.. It always seemed we were rowing against the wind, coming and going. The 3.3 has provided great service, lightweight and trouble free. I always run the engine dry to clear the carburetor when in storage, either just 1 week or a month. I think that is the trick to easy starting and storage. John Raxter 336-210-8073 (m) On Oct 23, 2017, at 4:10 PM, gb… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: I searched the topic but couldn’t find anything useful, so I decided to post my questions in a new topic. I just bought a used Avon 310 rollup inflatable and am looking for an outboard. I know nothing about this kind of boat but figured someone on the list could help. My questions are: 1. What size outboard should I look for? The manual says 5hp but that appears to be a maximum. Would a smaller, lighter engine be worth considering? It’s a rollup, so it isn’t going to plane no matter what I hang on the back. And a smaller engine would be easier to lift. Also, we have what I think are outboard mounting pads on our pushpit and lighter weight would be better there. 2. New or used? I got a good enough deal on the inflatable to spend a little more on the outboard but the boat is in a slip, not on a mooring, so the tender isn’t going to see everyday use. More likely we’ll use it to get to the dinghy dock on the occasional trip to Catalina or day trips to Redondo. Or Killer Shrimp ;) 3. Gas or propane? Most advice against propane cites a lack of availability but we’re in Marina de Rey, not New Guinea. Also, we have a propane stove and grill already. OTOH, our Atomic 4 uses gasoline, so we already have that on board too. Thanks for any help! Greg Beron Cal 29 Happy Hour Marina del Rey

In addition to running it dry, please seek out non-ethanol fuel. Your outboard will love you for it! Fred Haas 3-30 Nemesis Tacoma On Oct 23, 2017, at 1:57 PM, John Raxter jr… [at] att.net [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > We purchased a mercury 3.3 for our dingy when we decided against just rowing. It always seemed we were rowing against the wind, coming and going. > > The 3.3 has provided great service, lightweight and trouble free. I always run the engine dry to clear the carburetor when in storage, either just 1 week or a month. > > I think that is the trick to easy starting and storage. > > John Raxter > 336-210-8073 (m) > > On Oct 23, 2017, at 4:10 PM, gb… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > > I searched the topic but couldn’t find anything useful, so I decided to post my questions in a new topic. > > > > I just bought a used Avon 310 rollup inflatable and am looking for an outboard. I know nothing about this kind of boat but figured someone on the list could help. My questions are: > > > > 1. What size outboard should I look for? The manual says 5hp but that appears to be a maximum. Would a smaller, lighter engine be worth considering? It’s a rollup, so it isn’t going to plane no matter what I hang on the back. And a smaller engine would be easier to lift. Also, we have what I think are outboard mounting pads on our pushpit and lighter weight would be better there. > > 2. New or used? I got a good enough deal on the inflatable to spend a little more on the outboard but the boat is in a slip, not on a mooring, so the tender isn’t going to see everyday use. More likely we’ll use it to get to the dinghy dock on the occasional trip to Catalina or day trips to Redondo. Or Killer Shrimp ;) > > 3. Gas or propane? Most advice against propane cites a lack of availability but we’re in Marina de Rey, not New Guinea. Also, we have a propane stove and grill already. OTOH, our Atomic 4 uses gasoline, so we already have that on board too. > > > > Thanks for any help! > > Greg Beron > > Cal 29 Happy Hour > > Marina del Rey > > > >

Thanks for the input, here’s some great stuff here! I’ll be sure to run the engine dry and buy fuel from the fuel dock. Also, 3.5 hp is looking like a good balance of engine weight vs performance. Greg On Monday, October 23, 2017, 2:12 PM, Fred Haas ca… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: In addition to running it dry, please seek out non-ethanol fuel. Your outboard will love you for it! Fred Haas3-30 NemesisTacoma On Oct 23, 2017, at 1:57 PM, John Raxter jr… [at] att.net [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: We purchased a mercury 3.3 for our dingy when we decided against just rowing. It always seemed we were rowing against the wind, coming and going. The 3.3 has provided great service, lightweight and trouble free. I always run the engine dry to clear the carburetor when in storage, either just 1 week or a month. I think that is the trick to easy starting and storage. John Raxter336-210-8073 (m) On Oct 23, 2017, at 4:10 PM, gb… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: I searched the topic but couldn’t find anything useful, so I decided to post my questions in a new topic. I just bought a used Avon 310 rollup inflatable and am looking for an outboard. I know nothing about this kind of boat but figured someone on the list could help. My questions are: 1. What size outboard should I look for? The manual says 5hp but that appears to be a maximum. Would a smaller, lighter engine be worth considering? It’s a rollup, so it isn’t going to plane no matter what I hang on the back. And a smaller engine would be easier to lift. Also, we have what I think are outboard mounting pads on our pushpit and lighter weight would be better there. 2. New or used? I got a good enough deal on the inflatable to spend a little more on the outboard but the boat is in a slip, not on a mooring, so the tender isn’t going to see everyday use. More likely we’ll use it to get to the dinghy dock on the occasional trip to Catalina or day trips to Redondo. Or Killer Shrimp ;) 3. Gas or propane? Most advice against propane cites a lack of availability but we’re in Marina de Rey, not New Guinea. Also, we have a propane stove and grill already. OTOH, our Atomic 4 uses gasoline, so we already have that on board too. Thanks for any help! Greg Beron Cal 29 Happy Hour Marina del Rey

Hi, Greg. Something in the 3 horse range sounds about right. I am always leery of used engines since I don’t know how they were treated (other listees have offered advice on keeping these babies alive and happy). I recommend you go to onlineoutboards.com in Tennessee. I have no $$ interest. Just a satisfied customer. Engine arrives nicely packaged and NO shipping charge and NO tax (unless you are in Tennessee). Less than $1K in your power range. Note that the Tohatsu, Nissan, and Mercury (in this size range) are all the same engine with different head covers and few different tweaks. I bought Tohatsu 6 LS for my Cal 25. I run it dry every time I use it. I really like the shift lever on the font of the engine. Pay attention to the amount of oil, and how you are supposed to put the engine down when laying it flat. Looks like the Tohatsu 2.5 and 3.5 are the same weight (i.e. same engine block). About 40 pounds. This is not uncommon in small engines. For example, the 8, 9.9, and 15 horsepower engines all weigh about the same. Same block, different doodads. These are 2 cylinder engines. The 6 horse unfortunately is a one-banger, but fortunately much lighter. One bangers vibrate more. Best of Luck Charlie Annapolis From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] Sent: Monday, October 23, 2017 4:11 PM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: [Cal_Boats] Dinghy (tender) outboard questions I searched the topic but couldn’t find anything useful, so I decided to post my questions in a new topic. I just bought a used Avon 310 rollup inflatable and am looking for an outboard. I know nothing about this kind of boat but figured someone on the list could help. My questions are: 1. What size outboard should I look for? The manual says 5hp but that appears to be a maximum. Would a smaller, lighter engine be worth considering? It’s a rollup, so it isn’t going to plane no matter what I hang on the back. And a smaller engine would be easier to lift. Also, we have what I think are outboard mounting pads on our pushpit and lighter weight would be better there. 2. New or used? I got a good enough deal on the inflatable to spend a little more on the outboard but the boat is in a slip, not on a mooring, so the tender isn’t going to see everyday use. More likely we’ll use it to get to the dinghy dock on the occasional trip to Catalina or day trips to Redondo. Or Killer Shrimp ;) 3. Gas or propane? Most advice against propane cites a lack of availability but we’re in Marina de Rey, not New Guinea. Also, we have a propane stove and grill already. OTOH, our Atomic 4 uses gasoline, so we already have that on board too. Thanks for any help! Greg Beron Cal 29 Happy Hour Marina del Rey

On 10/23/2017 4:29 PM, NEWMAN d2… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Smaller the motor the slower you go is all. When I was a teen my > friend had a 12' wooden skiff he pushed with a 3 HP 2 stroke outboard. > It moved, just slowly. You don't need a really big outboard if you are > just planning to putter from your sailboat to a dock or shore. Just my > .02. > > I'm currently building a 9'-6" wooden pram dinghy that I plan to use > an old 2hp Evinrude with. I have an old 13' aluminum pram that will plane with a 3 h.p. 2-stroke Johnson if I sit on the middle seat. But it has a nice flat bottom. There is much to be said for having a light outboard that you can lift easily. As sailors, we can all tolerate a slower pace anyway. Chris Campbell >

On 10/23/2017 5:12 PM, Fred Haas ca… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > In addition to running it dry, please seek out non-ethanol fuel. Your > outboard will love you for it! I second that comment. My marina sells "rec fuel" with no alcohol and some valve-protecting additive. It endures long storage. I buy it for my lawn mower too. The outboard and the lawn mower run reliably now, even in the spring on last year's gas. Chris Campbell

On 10/23/2017 6:47 PM, 'Charlie Husar' hu… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Hi, Greg. Something in the 3 horse range sounds about right. > > I am always leery of used engines since I don’t know how they were > treated (other listees have offered advice on keeping these babies > alive and happy). > When I bought the Cal 20 in 1999, I sought out a used outboard. Found a 1967 Evinrude long-shaft, same year as the boat. It is a bit cranky, but we have reached an understanding and it always starts and runs. The great advantage of used outboards is price. A decade or so ago I needed a new outboard for the other boat. I bought a used 8 h.p. Merc from the guy who hauled and stored the Cal 20. It had been somebody's dinghy outboard and appeared to be never used. There were scratches on the top of the cover but none--none at all--on the prop or skeg. My guess was that it was rarely used and probably sat for extended periods with crummy gas festering in the carb. I cleaned it up and now it's reliable. Also, one of the original spark plugs fouls readily. I took it out of service and now there's no fouling problem. I've got a couple sets of replacements just in case but no longer need them. Chris Campbell > >

Where is your marina? I want non-alcohol fuel for my airplane. ChrisC31Santa Cruz, CA ‘--o-O-o--’ On Tuesday, October 24, 2017, 2:22:39 PM PDT, ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: On 10/23/2017 5:12 PM, Fred Haas ca… [at] gmail.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: In addition to running it dry, please seek out non-ethanol fuel. Your outboard will love you for it! I second that comment. My marina sells "rec fuel" with no alcohol and some valve-protecting additive. It endures long storage. I buy it for my lawn mower too. The outboard and the lawn mower run reliably now, even in the spring on last year's gas. Chris Campbell

On 10/24/2017 5:32 PM, Chris ch… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Where is your marina? I want non-alcohol fuel for my airplane. It's in Bay City, MI, a long haul from CA. Around Michigan, at least, most marinas seem to sell "rec fuel" that does not contain the dreaded ethanol. I used to be a cheapskate and buy car gas. Then the pickup tube in my outboard gas tank rusted through from water absorbed by the alcohol. It was convincing. Also, I got tired of balky outboards that didn't like the crummy gas. Now they are happy. Chris Campbell > >