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Outboard for the Spindrift 11?


SteveKos

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Hi all. Well, after finding my sea legs in my recently built Spindrift 11 'Aqua-Bat', I'm now ready to add another accessory. I have had a couple of experiences already where the fickle wind has taken me out, but I've had to row a long way back. On one occasion recently I sailed up the coast about 8 km (5 miles?) only to have the wind die on me completely. I gave the oars a real run-in but my back and backside didn't forgive me for a week!

 

As I also want to use my boat for fishing, I have decided to mount a little outboard both as insurance on light-wind days, and to give me a decent range and traveling speed for those all-day fishing trips.

 

I have pretty much settled on a Tohatsu 3.5 hp 2 stroke. These motors have legendary performance, are very light (13kg or +- 30 lb). According to the specs it should be about ideal for my boat with enough power to move me and a mate, fishing gear and a haul of nice fish ( ;) ) at an acceptable clip without being either over or under powered.

 

Any thoughts?

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I ran a 2HP Honda on mine over the summer. Here is a video of it at about the .25 second mark with my two boys. It's a long shaft and worked really well. Honda's are noisy.

 

I did try a 4HP regular shaft Mercury 2 stroke and it cavitated (Charlie says that's the wrong word) or sucked air.   It seemed like too much motor both weight and power wise. I didn't use it long as when I turned it would suck air. I think I would need to cut the stock transome down a bit and cut the keel so it tappered to the bottom of the transome, and since the Honda seems like a better fit, I am not going to do that.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Take Care,

Steve

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I use the 2.5 hp Suzuki 4 stroke which weighs 13kg and goes really well. If you are looking at mounting the motor on the back while sailing, I would like to see that. Like you I have been caught out a few times when the wind has died or the current too strong and wished I had the motor on the back. I think the transom may be too narrow.

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The Tohatsu is a sweet motor too. Almost a copy of the Mercury. The 3.5 weighs just over 1 lb more than the 2.5. I am looking at a short shaft but it might be better to go with a long shaft. I could always cut down the transom if necessary to accommodate the shorty, it's only a matter of an inch or so to get it just right.

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I really like my 2.4hp "Zuki" 4-stroke short shaft. I had it on my CS-20 Mk-2 and it had plenty of power. I did notch the transom and mount it off center so that I could sail with it in place. The mizzen sheet would occasionally get caught on it. I plan on using it on the Amanda or Spindrift 12 that i plan on building in the spring---if I can decide on which one...

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Sadly, the Tohatsu weighs 41 pounds and the Suzuki weighs 29. 12 pounds hanging off the back of a small boat matters a lot, and the reason you see so many Honda's out there. Unfortunately Hondas are air cooled and therefore noisy.

I think you are referring to the 4 stroke. The 2s is 30lb. which is acceptable.

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I have the Tohatsu 3.5 2 stroke. It's pretty old but I do everything I can to keep it in service, since they don't sell them in the USA anymore. I'd buy a new one if I could. It's light and has plenty of power. We use it to push our J/24 which is at least a couple of kilos more than a Spindrift.  

 

The internal tank is pretty small, but because the motor is so efficient you can go for about 45 mins on about a liter. I figured out a way to add an external tank for the 3.5 as well, which makes it much nicer when you have to motor for a few hours when the wind dies.

 

I plan on using the Tohatsu on my Spindrift 10n when going from ship to shore- pop it off the stern bracket of the J/24 and onto the transom of the Spindrift. 

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I have the Tohatsu 3.5 2 stroke. It's pretty old but I do everything I can to keep it in service, since they don't sell them in the USA anymore. I'd buy a new one if I could. It's light and has plenty of power. We use it to push our J/24 which is at least a couple of kilos more than a Spindrift.  

 

The internal tank is pretty small, but because the motor is so efficient you can go for about 45 mins on about a liter. I figured out a way to add an external tank for the 3.5 as well, which makes it much nicer when you have to motor for a few hours when the wind dies.

 

I plan on using the Tohatsu on my Spindrift 10n when going from ship to shore- pop it off the stern bracket of the J/24 and onto the transom of the Spindrift. 

Thanks for that Starboard. I ordered the motor today, and may have it for the weekend if it arrives in time. I ended up getting the long shaft model which should put the prop a few inches deeper in the water, after considering Steve W's comments. Starboard I would like some info on how you rigged up the external tank. I intend to do some extended trips in the boat and having a longer range tank would be a real benefit.

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Here is an interesting thread on how to rig an external tank.  

 http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/outboards/suzuki-2hp-2stroke-fuel-system-conversion-45184.html

 

I like the garden sprayer idea. I read somewhere about getting an extra gas cap for your motor and drilling out the vent and installing a hose barb to attach your external tank to.

 

Here's another idea (Part-1, and part-2):

 

     

 

I think I'll combine the garden sprayer with the quick connect from the u-tube video, but not have a vent hole. Start off with the integral tank full. Attach the external tank and add pressure. As the gas is used, the pressure will automatically re-fill the integral tank. Compatibility of the garden sprayer with gasoline may be a problem. I wonder if just using a regular outboard tank like the video, but without a vent would work. As the gas is used, just give the bulb a squeeze now and then to add gas to the integral tank I don't want an open vent as it would allow gas to overflow the tank. My motor is transom mounted and the gas cap is at the front of the integral tank.

 

It will be fun to experiment.

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I buy aluminum Coleman camp fuel bottles. They are expensive, but quite durable. If you buy them in the quart size, they will fill your boat motor easily. They are airtight, and I have three of them, so with a full motor to start, I have a gallon, which is a lot of motoring with a Honda 2hp. The only downside is getting them filled, as you need some intermittent container to fill them as a regular gas nozzle doesn't fit, and since you can't see in them aren't a good idea. I hate having gas in any can aboard, but these are the least worst solution, taking spillage inboard and fumes pretty much out of the equation.

 

Take Care,

Steve

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Chick, you are correct. I guess I knew that. I was just offering up another easy option. The small bottles are so light and small that filling up even in a choppy sea is doable without spilling a drop, unlike trying to hoist the lawn mower gas can! I like the external can idea posted and may pilfer it for use with a bigger longer range boat.

 

Take Care,

Steve

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I think I'll go with a jiggler siphon and a 5 litre fuel bottle. With a running time of over 2 hours at 1/2 to 3/4 throttle it isn't a hassle to refuel a couple of times in a full day's boating if you don't need to pour the fuel straight into the tank. Pressure bottles to me spell danger and bulb pumps are slow. A jiggler siphon can refuel a small fuel tank in seconds, and the fuel bottle can be held away from the motor a bit to avoid the possibility of falling out in lumpy conditions.

 

Thinking about when I am likely to use the outboard, it will be for:

 

1. Low-wind days as a backup.

2. When on long trips as a backup.

3. When the wind becomes a bit strong for sailing, and a motor is a safer option.

4. On fishing trips where getting from spot to spot quickly is desired.

 

I intend to do some multi-day trips on local rivers, lakes and estuaries, so with 2 x 5l fuel containers that will be plenty, particularly considering that most of the time I would be under sail. I want a good reliable motor that will give me enough power to get about well, light enough not to affect the trim of the boat too much when under sail, and is able to withstand a capsize every now and then.

 

I think that the Tohatsu 3.5 2 stroke will do all this very well. We'll see. I'll post a report once I have had a chance to put it through it's paces a bit.

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Adding the capability of the external tank on old Tohatsu wasn't as easy as bolting on a few parts. You need a pulse pump which requires drilling a hole into the crankcase to get vacuum pressure. I can't really say that it's terribly reliable. At idle I think the pump sends too much fuel pressure to the carb and overflows the needle, thus flooding the carb.

 

I just did a quick look around to see if there were any websites that showed the best way to do it but no luck. I'll take a photo next time I'm down at the boat and pull the cover off the motor.

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