Tohatsu 6 HP SailPro outboard suitable for Pocketship?

[decurtis]

On various posts there have been several options discussed for outboards on Pocketship. The most common choice appears to be a 3.5-4 Hp Tohatsu long shaft or similar mounted on an outboard bracket or transom cutout to get the prop deep enough in the water. The Tohatsu 6HP SailPro has extra long 25" shaft so I was wondering if there were any thoughts on whether it could be mounted directly on the transom without the need of a motor bracket? The 6HP is only 2 lbs heavier than the 4HP plus come standard with alternator output to charge a battery etc. The price of a 4HP plus a motor bracket versus a 6HP would be very similar. My non-expert opinion is also that since the 6HP could be mounted directly to the transom (if the 25 inch shaft is long enough) that you would not have to remove it for trailing as recommended for the outboards installed on a motor bracket.

Any input on this would be greatly appreciated. Hey, with the 6HP high output prop maybe I could take people waterskiing

[John C. Harris]

Why on earth do you need SIX horsepower? I powered my 6000-pound 26-foot Folkboat with a 4hp Yamaha. 2hp will power PocketShip upwind into a gale.

The only possible reason for considering more than 2 or 3 hp is if you just happen to have something else laying around the garage unused. Any weight slung on the stern of a 15-foot boat is a measurable detriment to performance.

[decurtis]

As I said for waterskiing of course

To be serious, I knew 6HP was MORE than adequate for Pocketship and started by looking at the Tohatsu 2.5 HP. However the 3.5 HP is the same weight (41 lbs) and was recommended by my local dealer( only a $100 difference in price). I was considering the 4HP because it comes with a reverse gear. But since the 4HP is 57 lbs and the 6HP is only 2 lbs heavier, the 6HP was on my possible list if the extra long 25 inch shaft eliminated the need for a motor bracket and its associated weight. The 2.5 HP Suzuki only weighs 30lbs (about the same weight as the 55lb thrust Minn Kota electric trolling motor I used last year) but I don't think it comes in a long shaft version. If using a motor bracket , short shaft versus long shaft could be a moot point anyways.

[JonLee]

Every time I think about outboards, I go through exaclty the same thought process that Dave just outlined...minus the mounting it on the transom, which doesn't appeal to me that much. Plus, the 6hp has an external fuel tank...somthing that holds value for me. And then I think something along the lines of John's comment...6hp?!?!? This little boat doesn't even need 2hp. Too big, too heavy...no, no, no. That's it...get a 2hp! But it has 360 deg steering...I hate 360 deg steering...I want reverse...long shaft...I want more fuel...not much weight difference...ooh, pretty alternator... And the cycle starts over again.

Hey John, do you leave your outboard mounted on your nifty (and beefy looking ) motor bracket when you trailer Pocketship #1?

And Dave, if you get the 6hp, sign me up to go waterskiing behind you.

[kilderkin]

I've just ordered the 6HP SailPro, mainly because of the 25" shaft. I did not want a bracket further out from the stern. Also, I like the external tank and the alternator. Would have liked a self-commencer and remote throttle/gear change. I've also requested either the 8" or 9" pitch prop, expecting to get lower revs (and noise) for a given speed - SailPro comes with a 6" pitch.

I would have liked the Torqeedo electric, but at $3,200 it was too much.

I'll let you know if she planes at full throttle, however, building her is first priority - we've only had 2 60deg days since I started!

SteveW
Kilderkin II

[Bruno]

Hello
For Zo
i'm using a 3.5 Tohatsu I think it enough for this type of boat with the gasoline in the motor, no tube and gasoline tank in the boat . I use it just in the port
Best regards
Bruno

[sean]

Hey guys, like many of you I have gone through this same thought cycle many times. For me it all comes down to how much motor do I need to get the boat to something close to hull speed, 4-5 knots, as I will want it for more than just getting out of the harbor, but for long crossings when there is little to no wind.

I realize the 2hp will push the Pockship out of the harbor fine, but at about what speed? I hear a lot of chatter about the 3.5 Tohatsu, anyone actually try it out on the Pocketship yet? I look forward to hearing from those of you already out there or getting ready to launch with feedback on their outboard.

-Sean

[John C. Harris]

I've not gotten a GPS reading on speed with a 2hp, but it feels like hull speed or beyond. No troubles in strong wind.

I guess I hear the calls for having a separate tank and a reverse gear, but in my universe the extra weight in the stern (don't forget the weight of the gas tank!) outweighs the advantages. Frankly, spinning the little 2hp around backwards is a faster way to go into reverse, anyway....I've powered my PocketShip stern-first off a leeshore beach into a smart chop that way.

It's worth noting that the short-shaft 2hp Honda is completely clear of the swing of the rudder, too. I've owned several boats in which it was possible to swing the rudder into the spinning prop, and no matter what precautions you take, Murphy's Law demands that one day you end up carving a hole in your hollow rudder.

I'm waiting morosely for word of the first PocketShip with an inboard (and the bucket-towing drag of its prop). It's only a matter of time before someone takes the "....and for just a few pounds more, I can..." argument to its logical conclusion.

[decurtis]

Great, now I have to also consider the possibility of chewing up the rudder with the prop. I guess it works out that I have already installed a tiller lock. From John's personal experience it sounds like my original choice of the 3.5 HP would be more than enough power and the lack or reverse is not a problem. The Garelick 71057 motor bracket should be more than adequate (rated for up to 20 HP 115lb 2 stroke so a 41lb 4 stroke shouldn't be a strain). If I can be convinced that I really don't have to remove the motor for short trailering distances ( a few kilometers) I think I may have made decision.

I will be out at the cottage in the next few days to check that the portable garage my Pocketship wintered in didn't suffer any snow damage. I will make some careful measurements on the transom before making a final decision. With a motor bracket a short shaft is probably okay. Stay tuned for the conclusion of the which outboard to buy saga.

[decurtis]

I have ended up listening to the voices of experience and real life testing on the outboard issue. Thanks to John C.Harris and others' practical experience I decided a 2 HP would be more than adequate for Pocketship. I found several instances online of people using the 2 HP Honda for boats longer and heavier displacement than Pocketship (for example the 18' Precision at 1100 lbs). I was even more convinced when the prices for the 6HP Tohatsu turned out to be much higher priced than I expected at local Canadian dealers (more to that story later).

Locally, the Honda 2HP runs around $1000 but then I found the 2.5HP Suzuki for about the same price ($1075). The Suzuki is about the same weight at 30 lbs but has what I think are the added advantages of a true F/N gear instead of the centrifugal clutch on the Honda and also is water cooled instead of air cooled which should make it quieter (which is one of the minor complaints about the Honda). I know air cooled supposedly is less maintenance but I am sailing strictly in fresh water so water cooled shouldn't be a problem. For the extra .5 Hp you get significantly more thrust as this article shows http://sailorpower.co.uk/21/choosing-an-outboard-motor-for-your-dinghy/. This article is also a good example of how HP does not convert easily or directly into thrust since thrust is dependent on more than just pure HP.

And now for the cost. As I said, locally the price of the Suzuki is $1075 but online in the States it is available for as low as $690. After some deliberation I ordered from the States at a cost of $720 including free shipping to Pembina, North Dakota. A short one hour drive to the border and I will save over $400. The only downside is that the 3 year warranty will not be valid in Canada but I figure $400 buys a fair amount of repair work in the first 3 years of what should statistically be relatively trouble-free. There is no duty at all on outboards coming into Canada, you only pay the provincial and federal sales tax (which is now on $720 versus $1075). I ordered the Garelick 71057 motor bracket and got it on sale for $170, taxes and free shipping included.

If summer ever arrives here; it snowed again yesterday, I will post my real life experience with the 2.5 HP Suzuki.