The "new" boat stores a 10' Zodiac and O/B on the boat deck, and a typical
trawler mast and boom arrangement lifts it in and out of the water. The O/B is
an old Sears Game Fisher with 7.5 HP in large letters on the cowling. (I don't
believe it, since it's a very light-weight single cylinder, and it doesn't
move the boat as I think it should.) It's also VERY loud, and I'd like to
replace it. Although the Zodiac is rated for up to 15 HP, engine weight is a
much more important consideration than speed, and reliability and ease of
starting are right up there, too. In other circumstances, I'd probably opt for
a 4-stroke Honda 7.5 since I've owned a couple and know them to be wonderful
little machines. But, they are real heavyweights.

What lightweight O/B are you using that you like, or no less as important, do
not like?

TIA, Garrett

Garrett,

    Put the biggest engine on there you can.  That will allow you to carry more people and more gear at better speeds.  I know some may feel the need to go slow and save the Earth and not pollute and sing kum-by-yah, but you will at least have the power to go fast if you need to.

   With that said, if weight is the crucial factor, the only way to go is 2-stroke.  And I think Mercury still has the lightest motors whether 2 or 4 stroke but that may have changed.  One thing you need to remember is that almost all manufacturers make the SAME motor for their 8-15hp lineup.    An 8hp is exactly the SAME motor as the 15hp and it is exactly the SAME weight.  I think this is only true for the 2 strokes.  The only thing different is the fuel systems I think but they are generally the same blueprint and same weight.  So if you are going to buy a 75lb motor, you may as well get the most power out of it.  A 4 stroke will most likely weigh close to 25% more.

Trawler on,
John

PS....I dunno how much longer the small two strokes are going to be available since they aren't very green.

Garrett Lambert garrettlambert@shaw.ca wrote:
The "new" boat stores a 10' Zodiac and O/B on the boat deck, and a typical
trawler mast and boom arrangement lifts it in and out of the water. The O/B is
an old Sears Game Fisher with 7.5 HP in large letters on the cowling. (I don't
believe it, since it's a very light-weight single cylinder, and it doesn't
move the boat as I think it should.) It's also VERY loud, and I'd like to
replace it. Although the Zodiac is rated for up to 15 HP, engine weight is a
much more important consideration than speed, and reliability and ease of
starting are right up there, too. In other circumstances, I'd probably opt for
a 4-stroke Honda 7.5 since I've owned a couple and know them to be wonderful
little machines. But, they are real heavyweights.

What lightweight O/B are you using that you like, or no less as important, do
not like?

TIA, Garrett

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Garrett,
Just some trivia - the older outboard motors like these had the horsepower
rated at the head, new (think late eighties) changed to rate horse power at
the prop. So your Gamefisher 7.5 is more like a newer 3hp! Education about
old motors from the Portabote group.

Jeff

Southern Nights

The O/B is
an old Sears Game Fisher with 7.5 HP in large letters on the cowling. (I
don't
believe it, since it's a very light-weight single cylinder, and it doesn't
move the boat as I think it should.) It's also VERY loud, and I'd like to
replace it.