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Marissa 'Salty' #9


Dale Niemann

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This is my first post on my Marissa construction. I will try to fill in later with details and progress photos. My stage of construction at this point is the hull is complete and the bottom, bootstripe and topsides are painted. I am now looking for a trailer so I can turn her over and finish the cockpit, center console, paint her and do all the motor, steering, electrical, etc. which I know nothing about being a sailor since 1970.

Well, I will start this topic with a question.

I am beginning to investigate the which motor question. About the only decision, I have made is that I am going with 40HP. I am getting a lot of conflicting advice on motors. 2 cylinder 3cylinder? 2 cycle 4cycle? I think I have just about narrowed it down to Yamaha 4 cycle or Evinrude 2 cycle E-Tec. I do not know much about engines in general so the Evinrude promise of 3 years or 300 hours with no dealer scheduled maintenance and then 3yrs after that sound very appealing. I guess when it comes down to it though, I want realibility most.

On paper everything seems to favor the E-Tec but most of my friends say I should get the Yamaha.

My question is, what opinions do all you very supportive boaters out there have about this choice?

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Well I know that you are in Florida and Florida is nothing but Yamahas. But since you have some time poke around at entertain a Suzuki. One of the things I don't like about the E-tec is that last report the oil costs 50 bucks or so a gallon. For sure they do have some beef out of the whole. But in most cases we are not racing our boats. So while all those salemen like to give you cds of the comparisons, personally that means nothing to me to counter dealing with oil. Of course I have been spoiled with four strokes for about 12 years. This includes a 40 hp Suzuki that never missed beat on my fishing skiff and now is running on the 24 footer. Changing the impeller was a 23 dollar job and about 15 to 20 change out too. Service is simple too. But the Suzuki has a chain drive instead of a belt driven like the Yamaha unless they have changed them this year. If you look over the wintertime, Suzuki has been running a six year warranty and even a rebate too around dec to march.

Depending on the hp of the yamaha, the weights have been changing over the past two years as they upgrade their packages. I think their 70 is less than their 60 hp now . Thats all for now from this opinionated goat. :)

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I've had a 90 and a 50 ETEC and both performed well. They are lighter than an eqiuvalent 4 stroke and pick up really quickly. Fuel economy is nearly as good as a 4 stroke. The only thing that I didn't like about them compared to 4 strokes is that they are definitely noisier and not quite as smooth. They use very little oil so I'm not sure if that cost would sway me. If performance is the issue then ETECs are great. 4 strokes are quieter, smoother and some say may have greater longevity. I'd choose the yamaha 4 stroke if it were my boat as the slight gain in performance wouldn't be my priority on a Marissa.

HTH

Cheers

Peter HK

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Hi Dale!

When I was shopping for a motor I learned that Mercury and Yamaha 4-strokes are identical.

I also found out that the manufacturers make a few different motors and use different carbs to make more choices of power. In 2003, when I got my motor, the Merc 40, 50, and 60 weighed the same. The 75, 90, and 115 were about 100 pounds heavier. If I remember right, the Honda 40 and 50 weighed the same.

I've been very happy with my Merc 60. I rarely go above half-throttle but it's there if I need it.

The 'Salt Water' Merc has a different flush out hose fitting and a decal. It's cheaper to use the 'saltwater' components in all motors than keep track of which ones have it. Don't pay extra for a decal.

Once you have pretty much picked a motor, you might want to see if a step up in HP weighs more. If not, consider getting the larger one.

Pictures! Dale,

Where are the pictures?

Gordy

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What Gordy said is true - least it was last time I checked. For smaller engines say up to 60hp or so, the Yamaha factory runs parallel assembly lines: Yamaha blue, Mercury black, and at one time Mariner gray. And Gordy's noting of weight is also true. Check the displacement - manufacturers will offer 2 or 3 hp choices using the same block and different carbs to control air/fuel flow and thus horsepower. Live on a lake with 10 hp restriction? Buy a 9.9 and swap out carb/intake from a 15 SHAZAM!

Oh yeah - original question: I would go Yamaha 4-stroke. Got a Yamaha 2-stroke 1986 still going strong after returning from ethanol fuel disaster rehab, and a Yamaha 4-stoke that is sweet.

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From this website we learn that Tohatsu makes both Nissan and Mercury in the outboards smaller than 40hp:

http://www.onlineoutboards.com/Help.html?Question=Nissan-vs-Tohatsu

I was not aware that Yamaha made the larger Mercury motors. Has Mercury stopped making anything themselves and are simply using their dealer network to market the Japanese made motors?

BTW, I put a 3 cylinder 50hp Yamaha on a 16 foot fishing boat about 25 years ago, and ran it a good 15 years with almost no mechanical issues at all. When ethanol first showed up, it ate the fuel pump diaphragms out if it, but once those were replaced no other issues. Smooth, quiet and 100% reliable.

If (when!) the Princess 26 becomes reality, I'm looking at the Tohatsu 9.9 4 stroke. I'm told it is the exact same motor as the 8, but with a different carb. For those of you on the coast, does anyone run Tohatsu or Nissan motors? If Yamaha IS the market, I'd worry about parts when cruising away from home.

My local dealer told me to avoid any used 2 strokes. Said that EPA would soon be seing to it that replacements parts to keep them running would be soon be difficult, if not impossible to find. Don't know if that is sales pitch or reality, but was unsettling to someone still nursing a perfectly good Johnson 4hp Sailmaster. Light enough to carry in one hand, plenty of power for my boat and I don't burn a tank of gas in a full season of use. It's not a big polluter.

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