Brand new outboards are valuable and attractive so a weathered-looking cowling cover will make it less noticeable and protect your investment from the elements. A small project for Eva. Also, engraving the boat's name and registration number into the metal and marking same inside the cowling is common practice. Lastly, having a lanyard that ties the outboard to the boat and to the dinghy will prevent the motor meeting the sea bed if there is a slip while fitting it. Thank you for including us in living your dream. Regards, Peter & Maureen🌏🏝⛵🌞😎
Agree. We had our dinghy tied up and next morning it was gone. Found floating off with no outboard. ….a battery powered angle grinder will defeat any lock or lanyard you use.
Good choice. The 9.9hp thing is a regulatory dodge in some countries that require registrations/fees/licenses for 10hp or more. The two strokers are very reliable even when treated like scrap metal and drowned a few times (rentals!) Treated well it should run longer than you do. However, carry your own oil in small containers. (1 can to one tank) as opened 2 stroke oil is imho a liability. You can also thus afford to give away one small can. Carry a spare prop and spark plugs Possibly a coil.. From the one short clip, you do not need the fins to help you plane. You do need to experiment with the vertical position of the engine as the spray pattern shows it is not right. (5mm makes a difference) OC would be smart to sponsor you a dinghy rather than have you make construction of a knock off look cheap and easy. Fair winds.
Thanks for the many good tips! 🙂 The bow goes up a lot before we get on a plane (even when shifting weight forward). I’m hoping a fin can help with that?
@@SailLife Fuel goes right to the bow. Get a longer hose if need be and an extension handle for the outboard so you can sit forward as well. The redneck solution is to put a couple concrete blocks in the bow. In your case, a decent anchor and rode. You are reminding me of my youth messing about in small boats and clamping 40 hp on a boat rated for 18. It would plane in its own length. Crank the throttle and it would breach like a whale and land at 20kts.
Hey Mads/@@SailLife, if you can... see if you can get the fuel tank up front. It will obviously get lighter over time, but it certainly helps when it's full. We had the same engine (bought in St. Martin) and it is fantastic and was super reliable. I honestly don't remember a single problem with it.
Please consider keeping a spare prop shear pin in the dingy,they can be invaluable if you hit a shallow or sandbar,I keep one in a small tool kit with a sparkplug, corresponding wrench and a pc of emery cloth to clean the electrode if nessesary.
Great video but in our case, we have the same epropulsion motor and a rigid portland pudgy, not exactly a speedy hull but we get 4.5kts with the throttle limited to 50%, going 100% only gives .5kt faster, we get at least an hour at this. Another big difference is we do not use the OEM battery instead we have e-bike batteries and were able to buy 3 for less than one OEM battery. The batteries are rated almost the exact same without the crazy price. Your energy consumption is a lot by comparison, we have 560 watts of solar and no other means to charge and have no issues. We love that in 4 years we have not had to buy gas(big miss on comparison), 2 stroke oil, do maintenance, struggle to start the outboard, or worry as much about the very common theft of the 15hp dinghy for the outboard. Just putting this out there incase others see your video and are swayed against electric, for us we are very happy with our setup. Our dinghy will never get on plane or leak but as with a car we just see it as a speed limit so not planning does not make us "late".
I remember perfectly when we were working in our exhaust system and you needed to "run" t your boat to get something and took sooooo long hehehe 😅 you guys will love the 15hp for sure!! 🥰
I love my Tohatsu outboard. Fuel injected. No carbs to balance, Lightest engine on the market, 4 stroke, 30hp 52kg, cheapest too . Have you checked - take the engine cover off . There can be an engine lift eye there on top, if not this where you can bolt one. . If your engine isn’t bolted on the transom. Make sure you tether it to your transom. Mainly if you go into reverse the engine can lift off the transom and go overboard. Even when your butterfly clamps are done up .
Mads, you forgot one important thing with the small electric outboards. I own a even smaller boat, and i'm not a liveaboard.. Did 1000NM the season of 2023, with a Epropulsion Spirit on my dinghy. But the reason for choosing that instead of a Dino-juice-engine is simple.. Its clean! I can actually have it inside the boat when i'm not using it. No oil, no smell. I do agree with your conclusion for a cruiser, but not for ppl like me that never use the dinghy for longer distances. There's pros and cons for everything. If I where cruising, i would without a doubt choose a 2-stroke.
I know that many, many cruisers find an inflatable tender or even a RIB with rigid hull to be their preferred type of tender. And they have a lot to recommend them, considering the perimeter sponsons are inflatable and soft bumping up against things, and high weight capacity. They do well with more power when they get on plane, as you note. But the biggest issue I see with them for small engine (3-3.5hp or less, including electric such as eProp, Torqeedo, or even electric trolling motor) is that this style of boat is designed to be a planing hull. And typically, planing hulls are very drag-y at displacement speeds. I think that electric motors are better paired with drastically differently designed hulls that are intended to be low drag slippery boats at displacement speeds. One would see higher speeds with lower energy consumption with such a hull. I don't for a minute think that changing the dinghy would be the correct solution for you guys. Just pointing it out. I think you've done what pretty much everyone with an inflatable needs to do, and that is run on plane with an appropriate power plant. As always, I enjoyed the episode! Thanks!
We cruised with an ePropulsion just like yours and loved it! The biggest difference, though, was that we didn't have a RIB but a homemade 10' nesting pram that was designed for rowing and sailing. Or another way to say it, our tender just wasn't designed to plane, so, with it's displacement we could move the boat at hull speed using around a 1/4 throttle in flat water, and between a 1/4 and a 1/2 into wind and chop. Our range was limited by time, since the boat maxed out around 5.5-6 knots anyway, not power, and we could get 6-8 hours of running time off of a fully charged battery. It was a very great solution for us especially since we paired it with the ePropulsion Solar charging kit. We never had to charge off of the house bank, we could throw the panel in the dinghy and charge while at the dock or pull dup on the beach, then we would lash the panel to the lifelines while on the boat and keep things topped up just fine. When running the diesel on and off anchor, or in conditions when we couldn't sail, if the battery needed charging, we would then charge off of the inverter, but, that was not a very frequent need. Of course, for a RIB, I fully agree, an electric outboard just doesn't make sense. To get the boat barely moving, you need all of the power the outboard can muster, and as you mentioned, that only gets you about 30 minutes of run time. That just isn't a workable solution. We have since sold the boat and the dinghy, but when we are able to get back out there for another adventure, I wouldn't hesitate to go electric again, as we would likely got with a rowing/sailing tender set up again. It just worked well for us, and we never felt too constrained by the range and we really liked life at the slower pace. We all have different needs though, so kudos! Fair winds!
If you plan to put foils on the engine you need to bolt the engine thru the transom. I have dropped a yam 15 of the transom with foils that was only attached with the clamps. Running in wavy condition.
It will surely allow them to do a lot more in the Caribbean and help keep them out of marinas. Once in the US, however, the need for a big outboard on the dinghy will be very much less. It is nice to go exploring a long way from the anchored boat but really isn't all that necessary.. Everything is close by to where the anchorages are.
Congratulations on your increased speed and range. Your experience with your ePropulsion is somewhat at odds with what others are reporting. Sailing Fair Isle comes to mind where Steve did an endurance test in Venice during covid and covered 20+ miles with juice to spare. Your numbers were abysmally low and I was wondering if you could elaborate on that in a future episode.
Always good to see the rationale you use fot making your decisions. Just a bit surprised to see the 2-stroke rather than a 4-stroke but you explained the reasons for your decision.
If you have not already bought the “silvery thing”. The is a company called nautilus that makes trim tabs for a dinghy. They are terrific for stabilizing your dinghy and keeping the bow down, plus they will help you get on plane and stay there at a slower speed. The beauty is they are fully automatic and require no maintenance. They are very popular in the USA and Europe. They are great to work with and very inexpensive. Plus a lifetime warranty.
A 2-cycle outboard is great for transporting and storage because you can put it in many positions without having to worry about engine oil in the crankcase. You can't store a 4-cycle on its side or in an inclined position (engine is lowest) without having to worry about the engine oil in the crankcase.
The yammy 2 stroke is a great choice. I have a lot of experience with 2 stroke and 4 stroke outboard, probably 30 or so in the last 35 years of boating. Couple of suggestions. Always always wear your kill switch tether and at least an inflatable pfd. Those motors can kick over to one side and make your hand goose the throttle at the same time. Usually when you're maneuvering slowly and strike something submerged. Use true fuel premixed if you can. It lasts years and years. You can find it in gallon containers. Yes, it's expensive, but 100% worth it. If you can't find it use non-ethonal gas with your stabilizer of choice and synthetic oil. I use seafoam, but opinions vary. If you can't find non ethanol then buy premium octane fuel, dump a glass of water in it, shake the piss out of it, and separate it back out. This will remove the ethanol from your gas and leave you with 87-89 octane good fuel. Ethanol kills fuel lines, fuel pumps, and screws up carbs. Carry a spare prop, prop nut, and cotter pin. The water impeller should be changed whenever you see the pee stream getting weak at idle or every two years. If you run it in a lot of sand then much more often and change the impeller housing every other time. Some people say to pull the fuel line and run the motor till it stops to get all the fuel out. I have never subscribed to this theory as the fuel is also your lubrication. Most of this knowledge was learned the hard way before internet and youtube. One last tip. When you change the impeller make sure the key way doesn't slip out. Your engine will pump water fine at idle due to friction, but at higher rpm will slip.
It sounds like you went through the same process as I did. I bought an electric outboard because I liked the idea of it being slightly more green and a virtually silent. Realized that it simply didn't have the power output or endurance I needed. And well, a 2 stroke gasser is just so darn convenient.
I have an original Torquedo that I use on Ultimate 20 sailboat. It is perfect to get in and out of our small marina. Its is smaller than the one you are using on your dingy. It has no trouble pushing that boat up to 5kts although range goes down quite a bit. The advantage over the 2hp Honda that I also have is no gas to leak inside the cabin if the motor is stored for racing.
I have an epropulsion outboard. The range is greater than you stated. It’s about 50 minutes at full throttle and a lot more if we slow down. The two things I like is the safety- no gas and the light weight ease of handling. I have 590 watts of solar with 400 AH 17:28 lithium and I have no trouble recharging the battery overnight. We cruise in the north east US every summer and live on the anchor. The distances we need to travel never exceed the battery range. Perhaps when we go to the Caribbean it will not be enough
I've owned the same engine for about three years. I got it used and it was already ten years old, tho very lightly used. It runs like a dream for hours un-end. If I can recommend something, I would say you should put together a little tool-set for it. Spare sparkplug and a couple of sheer pins for the propeller along with dedicated tools for replacing them. I've never had to replace the spark plug on a trip, but I have changed the sheer pin a couple of times I misjudged the water depth. As for further spares, you might want to buy a new impeller for the cooling, now that you are near a Yamaha dealer. PS: If you look on the inside of the cowling, there might be a rubber thing that holds a couple of spare sheer pins. They were already gone on mine and you still need tools to replace it.
A small stanchion socket, bolted to dingy transom, is good for a nav light on a two foot stainless pole. Easily removable,only needed at night. Velcro patch for the bow light.
It's not the environmental problem with gas, it's the safety. Carrying gasoline is a huge negative. You didn't even mention that, Mads... I have a ePropulsion but don't travel far, but I think you underestimated the speed and distance.
Glad you relented and got a 2-stroke gas outboard, it's a great decision, and one you won't regret. As much as we hate it, 2-strokes are light, powerful, stupid reliable, and easy for a cruising sailor to fix.
A lot of good comments. That engine is arguably one of the best ever made glad you made that choice and also got "Endro" model. You will really appreciate the power band and acceleration from the 2 stroke over a 4 stroll. When you fill your pick up truck Full of Supplies you won't struggle for power to plane. Remember never lug down a 2 stroke let it run free. If you lug it down it will blow up! Not likely to happen with that boat. Be careful not to tow heavy loads. Then you need high thrust 4s. Always carry starting fluid to clean plugs and start in a pinch. Spare fuel filter also.
Your rationale for the two-stroke is good. Two-stroke engines have become much less polluting in recent years. Since you do have longer distances with heavier loads in rougher seas, the ICE outboard is a better choice. But I would have chosen the 4-stroke for the lower noise level. Electric motors do have their place at current technology level. I'm adding this for those people who have more modest needs or simply want to be as environmentally conscious as possible. Contra to Trump's statement about the minimal effect that a little hairspray from one person will not effect the global climate, every little bit does help. Every little bit does add up when multitudes of people add "just a tiny bit". For me as a local weekend cruiser, my Torqeedo outboards have been more than sufficient. We prefer the quiet and simplicity of electric outboards. On my Capri 22 the Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 pushes my Capri 22 quite well to hull speed in most any sea state that I would go out in. It does have an external battery that charges with a 160 watt solar panel mounted on the stern pulpit (NOT a "push-pit" as in the common parlance) while living on a mooring. I use it primarily to get out of the mooring field or rush across Boston Harbor when running late for the start of a race. Other than that, we sail which is why we have a sailboat. Knowing that I do have limited range, I have honed my sailing skills rather than quickly turn on the motor. I also do have Torqeedo's Travel 1003c which is equivalent to the ePropulsion's model you have been using. I experimented with it on my Capri 22. The smaller motor does push my boat close to hull speed. The Travel with the larger built-in battery sufficed for my needs at the end of one season. The battery charged from my transom mounted solar panel. I did purchase it for my O'Day 19 that we trailer sail. It now shares duty with our RIB-310 used with our recently purchased Catalina 310. We recently purchased a Catalina 310 to extend out cruising and for stability that my wife needs. It does have a diesel. In a season I expect to average one 27 gallon tank of diesel fuel per year. I really would like to have at least a hybrid electric drive to avoid having to use the diesel at all. I will endeavor to make sure the diesel does not change my reliance on non-fossil fuel. We have eliminated propane for cooking (except for a rail mounted grill with 1-lb canisters) going to induction stovetop and convection oven. (We are converting our RV similarly this summer.) We do have choices. Don't jump to the familiar without weighing the options and consequences. I opt for quietness and ease of maintenance and help ing to preserve our environment.
Most places in the US and everywhere on the East Coast you nust license anything with a motor -even a trolling motor. The 9.9hp dodge is a Canadian thing for the most part although there are a lot of smaller inflatables that have a 10hp limit on their capacity plate. I've never had anyone ever look at our plate in 7 years of full-time cruising on the East Coast and Great Lakes. We've never had a problem in Canada either although they did want to see that somone on the boat had a VHF marine radio license and every operator of the boat had a Boater's Certification. There are a lot of resources officers on the East Coast who do cruise marinas and especially dinghy docks checking out Bow Numbers and current registration stickers. That's the thing they like to get you on. Florida Fish & Wildlife wardens can be quite strict and an unregistered boat is considered a stolen boat and treated just like being in possession of a stolen car if you can't immediately provide documents proving ownership. Boat registration is treated as a criminal offense in Florida and not like a civil traffic violation. Boat registration fees are the major part of what pays their salaries and buys their patrol boats so they do take lack of registration pretty seriously. Most of the other East Coast states are similar all the way to Canada and they take it even more serious.
Yeah I would put a 9.9 cover on it as well. Many US inland waters also need licensing for >10hp motors, and so do countries like France (where they are right now!)
Love your videos! You mentioned building an OC Tender-inspired dinghy. Have you considered a nesting dinghy? The nesting feature saves a lot of space when it's stowed for extended periods. I built a "Chameleon" some years ago and seemed to perform well under sail, oar, and power, at least in the limited time we used it. the PT 11 is another option. Keep up the good work! Cheers, Mark
In Sweden you see quite a lot of lifting outboard brackets on smaller sailboats. Quite a few have a swivel davit mounted above them. They use the outboard both for motoring with the sailboat in harbors and to drive their dingy. There should be designs to copy from their forums and parts catalogs. It would also be a possible third mode of propulsion for your home 😊 why not use the belt with suspenders if you are going to lugg it around anyway. P.S. the brackets are most often offset to not interfere with the rudder anyway so it isn't a design flaw but a scandinavian heritage installation 😂
Buy 2 carburetor repair kits rather than a carburetor. It's very easy to fix with your skills. You will also need flushing ears (may not be the right name) so you can run the engine out of the water on a garden hose or flush the cooling system with fresh water when you don't use it for a while.
A spare carburetor is the way to go. Problems are almost always the carburetor and that's a couple hour chore. It's much easier to swap the carb now and fix the troublesome one later. Usually the fix is just cleaning out the jets and no new parts are needed. These jets and other parts don't wear out unless you go poking wires in them being in a hurry and buggering them up. On a cruising boat the dinghy is your sole link to shore when you are anchored out. Spare carbs are under $100 for most modern outboards and swapping them is almost as fast as swapping in a new spark plug. One should always carry a new plug and the tools to change it as well as the sheer pin for the prop in the dinghy at all time.. A tiny bottle of 2-stroke oil is a good idea too. Just enough for refilling tank. You can buy gas anywhere but finding 2-stroke.oil is getting harder these days right off of the water.
Not being able to recycle ALL of the plastics we purchase in just one week is far more detrimental to our planet than is an entire season of 2-cycle outboard use, Modern two cycle engines actually burn quite clean compared to the "old days". It was nice to hear a 2-stroke engine again. If you use a castor-based oil... the slight odor is very zen-like. I love it myself. Thanks for the video!
And also, in a pinch, you can sister your dingy to the boat and get it into a marina and/or maneuver it if you need to do so. I've seen my dad lash his dingy to his boat and move it from one place to another in the marina.
I'm 100% behind you Mads, the electric outboard is just a dead duck at the moment and needs lots more development into design and energy density storage. Yamaha is the best choice.
Thanks Guys! Just an observation. I've thought several times over the last 2 years that you have been installing electrical appliances as though you had a house on shore (washer and dryer, induction stove, etc.). So it's interesting that you have now replaced your first electrical appliance with a fossil fuel outboard. I agree 100% with your choice and logic - just an observation. One thing about boats and cruising - a lot of things find an equilibrium over time and power consumption/generation is a big one.
I've been running that same Yamaha 15hp motor for the last 22 years on my 12ft aluminum boat. Mostly scuba diving and spearfishing (food gathering). It's super eliable, cheap to run and easy to service. Only thing I'd recommend is a good fuel stabilizer to prevent any goo build up in the carby.
The removal of 2 strokes from US and Australian sales has left a huge whole in the market for light weight tender motor's. This is not filled by 4 strokes or electric's. BRP could be making a killing using E-Tec 2 stroke fuel injection but with emissions laws becoming more and more stringent you can understand why they don't. In the end purchased a Tohatsu 9.8hp 2 stroke second hand and at 26kg it is awesome.
If you run the correct oil you won't get smoke. We ran 2 strokes for over 10 years in our Yamaha Banshees (6 of them) on AMSOIL at a 100:1 mixture. Yes that's correct 100:1. The recommended for the vehicle was around 50:1. The superior synthetic oil allowed for 100:1. We had no smoke and no issues with wear.
Clear episode again, but the main pro of the 4 stroke vs 2 stroke is that is less polluting. The 2 stroke spills more oil and smoke. And the greener pro’s of the electric motor (even when you charge it with a fossil engine or generator. I really miss that angle in your review. We all contribute, even if it is very rarely… For the rest always Sundays Sail Life before heading to bed. Bye from a loyal viewer.
You will love your new Yamaha engine. We had one for years, never a spec of trouble. We used a little richer fuel mix-75:1 instead of recommended 100:1. Always ran engine dry of fuel if not running for a week or more.
I hope you enjoy the new motor. One item you may want to have is an extra porp for your new engine as a spare. Enjoy your time there, and have a wonderful week ahead
@@SailLife Get a few spare shear pins while you are at it. These are designed to break if hit something submerged and spare the prop. Enjoy the new freedom to explore.
Wow you just saved us a ton of money. We were feeling guilty about using our 4 stroke Yamahas but maybe we will wait to see if someone learns to squeeze more power out of the same volume. Hanks again for your excellent decision making process.
Mads, you are wrong about the runtime vs the capacity. The battery has a capacity of 1276Wh and the motor has a maximum power consumption of 1000W. This implicates that a fully charged battery should last 1h20min at full power. If your battery runs flat in 20mins it is defect. Contact a local dealer. Disclaimer: we are an ePropulsion dealer based in The Netherlands. We’d give you one for free if you’d still be in The Netherlands.
That makes sense. I saw another comment mentioning that they get longer runtime. Seeing that got me thinking and I do recall us getting more use out of the battery earlier on but I haven't gotten any errors or anything like that.
It is a very lineair calculation. 1276wh equals 1,276 hours of 1000W consumption. If your motor would drain a full battery in 20mins it would consume 3,828kW and your dinghy would be flying. I’d buy your Spirit immediately if it would be capable of that. Unfortunately your situation is the other way around. Your motor didn’t gain superpower, your battery lost usable capacity to just 0,33kWh and that is a definitive sign tor have it checked and, I assume, replaced. Kind regards, Remco
Hi guys, I think personally electric outboards are like electric cars they are okay if you’re only go for a short distance, but gasoline outboards only give you issues if you do not maintain them and and use good fuel they are far superior than electric motors and we’re gonna go for a long distance. I personally will never lie buy a electric car especially living in Australia with the vast distance that we need to travel. Like you said you’re going to buy a two stroke Yamaha engine and I reckon they are fantastic. 4 stroke probably would’ve been even better but that’s only my personal choice. Keep up the good work love the videos cliff from Logan City Queensland, Australia
Excellent choice for an outboard! I too don't believe your fuel consumption will cause an enviromental impact. As always, I enjoy your videos and adventures. 😊
Perfect choice on the motor. As little as you use it, you will find a gallon of gas goes a long way. As for the foil thingy, if you are up on plane that easy you DO not need it. It would be a waste of money as well as unnecessary weight. You will love the motor! Just DONT drop her overboard!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Great choice on the outboard. A good upcoming project would be a custom cover- you can easily integrate some nylon webbing into the cover to make a hoisting point so you can raise it on dock with a halyard from the mast. Not only will the cover help protect the motor it will also make it a little less noticeable. The bold Yamaha 15 graphics are certain to catch the eye of some ne’er-do-wells down by the dinghy docks. Nav lights on the outboard are a great idea. I got the charging coil for my tohatsu 20hp 4 stroke which has enough juice to top off a small 12v battery and run the nav lights. The white light is mounted on the outboard and the red and green are mounted on a removable post up near the bow (it’s a RIB.) Looking forward to the dinghy build. I built a Spindrift 10n from B&B yachts. It’s the same boat Amy and Matt used around the world on sailing Florence. One of the forum members built a version out of carbon fiber and foam panels. Not a planing design, however, but it’s great for sailing, rowing, and motoring.
I call BS on the eProp data. Ours runs 70 minutes on a full charge at full power and propels our AB aluminum RIB easily at 6 knots. And I'm 2 years into ownership and using it every day.
Helpful video as always but a few comments: our Torqueedo electric pushes our 3.1m rib at 3.4kts for over an hour on one battery. The Tohatsu 9.8hp, or the Yamaha 8hp, two-strokes weigh 28kg, 10kg lighter than your 15, and either will push your dinghy onto a plane easily with two adults aboard. The comparison of environmental effects to driving a car is not valid, as the 2-stroke is exceptionally bad environmentally, which is why you can’t buy them anymore in the US, Europe, Australia or most other places with environmental standards-they leave an oily film on the water. But we have just bought a Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke for the reasons you indicate. Good luck with the boat building project, but many OC owners are disappointed with their boats-it’s hard to beat a good lightweight rib for stability.
The foil will make a huge difference in the stability of your dinghy. It helps eliminate the porpoising. We installed one on our Boston Whaler and it gets up on plane immediately.
You only need to lock it up better than the dinghies next to you on the dock. The thieves take the easiest targets. This is the reality in the cruising world.
A very good choice of outboard engine. I have however, already read a few comments in line with what you asked us to consider not doing… :-) You have made a good choice, the losses in a diesel generator is rather substantial as well. So the total “cost” for the environment might well be lessened by your choice. So you have made the best possible choice of the ones existing at the moment. It is rather simple and easy to understand, if one give it a shot. If you need charging the electric outboard continuously with dinosaursquishings of the diesel type, the losses just might add up or even surpass those of the new petrol outboard. Yes, a two stroke is not as efficient as a four stroke, but since weight is a factor for safety the loss of the outboard in deep water is not that good for the environment either. If memory serves me, a normal diesel generator run at about 40-50percent efficiency, and if you weigh in the fact that you might have to run the diesel generator inefficiently just to charge the electric outboard it is even worse for the environment then using the petrol outboard when it is needed. Especially when you think of the maintenance and wear and tear on an engine not running in perfect conditions. Also the effect of a spare part for a gen-set that have to be flown from god knows where is also something to take into consideration. It would be a lot better for the environment if the more radical individuals would be able to see the reality for what it is rather then getting caught up in a swamp of emotions each and every time the reality is discussed. And in my humble opinion, it would be far more beneficial for the environment to find alternative fuels for our older engines then mark them all as scrap and start yet another rush for resources to build an engine of a kind that we at the moment believe to be best… Electric propulsion has its benefits, but so have combustion, and nuclear power as well for that matter… but since there are no small nuclear reactors for recreational use… It is a lot better to use common sense and minimise one’s footprint. Still that is not equal to sending the whole west back to the stone age….
Yet CO2 is the line of demarcation for the greenies. A lifetime of CO2 is produced in battery production before an electric motor ever moves a device a foot.
You are killing the planet switching from the electric outboard to .....wait..... OK, you just explained it...... Joking. Great video as always, glad you two are enjoying life!
Hy I'm a fairly long time subscriber and have enjoyed your content. Anyhow as watching this weeks episode and wanted to maybe help with your dingy operation. I'm not sure if you are aware that small outboards are engineered to be operated from the right side of the boat using your left hand. If you look at the control surfaces (throttle and shifter it is apparent) its also set up this way due to the torque of the engine. Anyway not to be a critic just thought it might help.
Thanks for the heads up :) I never knew that. I've always just sat on the port side because I'm right handed. For us to plane I do have to shift forward quite a bit - feels safer doing that with the right hand on the throttle. I'll play around with it a little bit :)
Try sitting to starboard when helming the dinghy. You might find it more comfortable if there's a little more space for the tiller arm. Might be worth having a go
Storage? As the fuel tanks, have their filler/cap in the wrong location, for leak free, on end storage, and flat tiedown on deck, that might prove problematic! A dry run might be in order. Take care all.
Guys, you’ll never look back with a Yamaha 2 stroke outboard. Run the fuel out of it at the end of the day and few problems will follow. We sailed from FL to Australia so far and have had the stop button corrode and one carb cleaning
My Two cents: Add a hard point for lifting so you can use the listing handle & use a winch to pull the outboard onboard. Great for locking it in place when at sketchy ports & It will also self to prevent accidentally dropping it overboard.
Hi. Great video as usual. My 2¢. I am not very trusting and I would not want to own the newest looking dinghy with the biggest engine on the dock. So a chain of course but if the outboards are exactly the same I would try to get a used cowl with the smaller numbers on it.
I saw a video maybe 2 years ago where someone deliberately “aged “ the cowling. But remember there are a lot of people that think what’s yours ,is theirs.
Hey Mads keep on Yammer Hammering, our terminology from childhood for Yamaha bikes, hey have you seen those quicky winches that use your battery screw driver for power, I suspect they'll lift your dinghy as well as portable enough to lift the outboard as well, Judy and I love you both, full steam ahead 😊
One alternative for the electric motor is to change the prop pitch. You’ll be pushing more water at lower RPM so you’ll go faster… longer. I say that because the prop you have on there doesn’t look like it has any pitch at all.
Well done. I've seen several switch to an electric outboard for their dinghy. I'm all for electric. But I've always considered them a hazard for the 'car' to be used in port. I've seen several SV channels roll into a port with high winds and rough weather. Exploration away from the SV and out of the port is very limited with electric. There can be moments when having an outboard that will power through those rougher-than-normal seas may be important. And electric just doesn't have the range or power needed to get the job done. Thumbs up. Maybe in five years electric will be ready.
We have a crane to lift ours, and made a loop of seabelt material attached to a stainless ring to lift the motor. It works great except that I can never remember how it fits. It eventually does very securely. Get a tatty old cover for the motor. Nobody steals the worst motor at the dinghy dock.
it's not only true for long distance cruisers. i run a solar system at home. nothing as big as yours. but my home is very small. in the autumn and winter months, i have to regularly charge the batteries from the grid supply. but in the spring and summer months, i can run the whole bedsit from the solar system. but this is the balancing act we play for wanting to be as renewable as possible. incidentally, i have an inflatable 420 with a 2.5kWh battery and a 6 knot bison electric outboard. lots of fun, but still very slow in the scheme of things. i will be getting a petrol engine as well just for the extra grunt - until electric outboards get more powerful and cheaper.
back in the annals of time, I sold autoparts and oils. I had a customer who loved his Yamahas. He did charter fishing and his big boat for the Gulf was powered by 4 250hp Yamaha units. A bit more than your dingy would handle.
even with one 250 hp our dinghy would turn into a submarine. They had some of those giant outboards at the dealer. Less expensive than I had assumed :)
There’s no replacement for displacement!. Carry a spare carb ( cheep, cheep and when it gets clogged you just swap em over and pull the old one down and give it a good clean at your leisure) impellers, plugs and a copy of the service manual. Being a two banger give it a good flogging at all times and it will love you forever.
Any day the "oh so glorious" two-stroke fumes over electric. One of the outboards we have is probably 35+ years old Yamaha and it's still a first pull machine. Even the gasoline quality has gone to hell these days. So, use your stuff as much and often as you can and it will work
There are also import tariffs and other regulations that have been set for engines 10hp and over. So literally the engine makers took designs for 12-15hp engines and either added a baffle plate (like the Atomic 4 Stevedore inboard) or just a smaller engine head to bring them down to 9.9hp. You find the same thing in Japanese car engines, i.e. a 1.6 liter engine is built as 1.59 liters, to brung it into lower regulatory costs.
Mads, trust me them foils have real pros & cons as well, mainly Cons, although they do offer horizontal stability at speed, they (let’s be honest, if they were required Yamaha would have fitted em STD) Cons inc, they will take speed away, they will make the engine thirsty, they will cause cavitation in tight at speed turning, they will add corrosion spots if drilling the cavitation plate is required to fit.. basically the only accessory you need js a 9.9hp factory sticker to get around pesky laws in some countries! Oh and make a nice cover for it.. I’ve owned more outboard engines then i dare to admit, One thing i swear by, i constantly sprayed en down with CRC (removing any salt) plus i would run them in a bucket of Toyota long life coolant (the red stuff if not in use for a few weeks)
It's a similar conundrum as electric cars but at a smaller scale. Main difference with cars is EVs are as faster if not faster than ICE cars and you have more restricted charging options out on the water. I can certainly see the electric motor being very practical for marinas and the like ferrying to and fro from moorings (i.e. commuting) where you can swap out a battery, you are expected to go slower and you have shore power to charge up. For long distances and remote areas, the petrol/gas option makes a lot more sense (for now).
Is it diesel ? I beleve it is gasoline ,, which should have been considered in the pro/con chart. That you have to carry around another fuel source.. and it is a fuel source that has much more safety concerns as to fire prevention.
It would be great if we could have a decent 5/10-hp *diesel* outboard for a dinghy/tender from the big manufacturers, looking at you Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki etc. When most sailboats are diesel-fueled, it makes a hell of a lot of sense to be able to transfer diesel from the main tank into the dinghy and back again, avoiding carrying petrol on the boat. Could also vastly improve the range on the dinghy and saves you having to buy seperate fuels for the dinghy and the boat, while being less temperamental. C'mon, if Alibaba etc. can butcher an industrial diesel motor onto an outboard drive, I'm fairly sure that a big manufacturer can do a lot better with off-the-shelf parts.
For sure, there are TH-cam’s out there with run-away dinghy and also people getting very seriously hurt trying to catch hold of a run-away. I always put the little strap on my ankle to the kill switch. Also on the list of good things to do, get that nav light installed on a little post. I remember the police in Marathon Florida were quite vigilant about that and about speed in areas with Manatees about. It is also very easy to forget to run the engine dry before lifting it out but probably more important because long distances and long storage times between anchorages. It never seems to be remembered as you are busy rigging to hoist out and your thoughts are on other concerns. Kudos on your engine choice. I have the 9.9 2-stroke. Just slightly more fuel efficient on smaller dinghy’s.
I was able to get that exact motor and hapolon dinghy brand new in Michigan this summer. It came in a new Australian made yacht. Owner wanted a jet dinghy...a big win for me. It is scary fast, I also have the whale tail on it. Jumps to plane lol
Do yourself a favor and build or buy a dedicated crane to lift your new outboard. It should swivel so you don’t need to wrestle with it. You will not always be in flat water when you want to deploy and 100 pounds of swinging engine can really hurt you. Don’t forget about how you will stow and lower fuel tank. Might want to consider a smaller tank. Don’t forget to run dry after use to keep the carb jets clean Add some carb cleaner and starting spray to your spares. Try to use only ethanol free fuel Extra pull start cord also I would have bought an electric start but you being you I’ve seen guys that have Mcguyered an electric starter using a cordless drill I’d love to see you tackle that project Fair Winds
If you haven’t already done so it is a good idea to tie your outboard to the dinghy. With a motor that can push you at a greater speed if you happen to hit a solid object under the water while at speed the motor could jump up and off the dinghy into the water. It is also good for longevity of the motor to regularly flush it in fresh water. Have you given any thought to this. I would suggest a stand on the deck and placing a large bucket under the leg filled with freshwater. Then you can run the motor to give it a good flush
Make an outboard harness out of dyneema. I made one basically out of long soft shackles. Two horizontal soft shackles and 4 vertical lines with an eye splice in each end. The vertical lines go through the horizontal ones. Use one small shaft shackle to connect the top ends of the vertical lines.. as well as whatever line you use for a hoist. Mine took an evening to make and < 50’ of Amazoneema. 😂
I would like to suggest using a strap or rope, with quick release clamps on each end. Use it as a safety cable to prevent loosing your outboard motor, while putting it on and off the dinghy. You never know when a large wake or wet hands may cause you to loose your grip or loose your balance. I’ve seen too many outboard motors going into the water.
With 4 stroke EFI outboards available down to 9.9hp I think its the way I would go. To each their own. Bettery fuel economy means you'll get better range for a given volume of fuel on-board.
Hey! I'm fairly new to you channel so I wanted to say hello. At the moment I am watching all you DIY vids about Athena. I just want to say hello to you and Ava and tell you , your vids are appriciated by me :) i got my hands on a 23 ft Vigg last summer and I am bringing love to her :) Really great to be able to follow your step by step vids. I am to use mine as a practise sailor boat becaus she is so small. Dream is to find (buy or find ) a 33 - 38 aand refurbish. Price / investment gotta be at low. :) If it all works out I'm heading out from Sweden towards the Mediterranean Sea by April -25. Best of videos your making here Mange Tack :) Tnx Mate
Be cautious, your new cowling screams brand new engine. I've seen some folks cover the cowling with a solar cover and lift harness,just concerned about theft ,best of luck, and great purchase.
Brand new outboards are valuable and attractive so a weathered-looking cowling cover will make it less noticeable and protect your investment from the elements. A small project for Eva. Also, engraving the boat's name and registration number into the metal and marking same inside the cowling is common practice. Lastly, having a lanyard that ties the outboard to the boat and to the dinghy will prevent the motor meeting the sea bed if there is a slip while fitting it. Thank you for including us in living your dream. Regards, Peter & Maureen🌏🏝⛵🌞😎
Agree. We had our dinghy tied up and next morning it was gone. Found floating off with no outboard. ….a battery powered angle grinder will defeat any lock or lanyard you use.
Good choice. The 9.9hp thing is a regulatory dodge in some countries that require registrations/fees/licenses for 10hp or more. The two strokers are very reliable even when treated like scrap metal and drowned a few times (rentals!) Treated well it should run longer than you do. However, carry your own oil in small containers. (1 can to one tank) as opened 2 stroke oil is imho a liability. You can also thus afford to give away one small can. Carry a spare prop and spark plugs Possibly a coil.. From the one short clip, you do not need the fins to help you plane. You do need to experiment with the vertical position of the engine as the spray pattern shows it is not right. (5mm makes a difference) OC would be smart to sponsor you a dinghy rather than have you make construction of a knock off look cheap and easy. Fair winds.
Thanks for the many good tips! 🙂 The bow goes up a lot before we get on a plane (even when shifting weight forward). I’m hoping a fin can help with that?
@@SailLife Fuel goes right to the bow. Get a longer hose if need be and an extension handle for the outboard so you can sit forward as well. The redneck solution is to put a couple concrete blocks in the bow. In your case, a decent anchor and rode. You are reminding me of my youth messing about in small boats and clamping 40 hp on a boat rated for 18. It would plane in its own length. Crank the throttle and it would breach like a whale and land at 20kts.
I made a mistake of buying a Honda for my dingy they weigh a lot more than they said. The planting fan made a huge difference.
Hey Mads/@@SailLife, if you can... see if you can get the fuel tank up front. It will obviously get lighter over time, but it certainly helps when it's full. We had the same engine (bought in St. Martin) and it is fantastic and was super reliable. I honestly don't remember a single problem with it.
Please consider keeping a spare prop shear pin in the dingy,they can be invaluable if you hit a shallow or sandbar,I keep one in a small tool kit with a sparkplug, corresponding wrench and a pc of emery cloth to clean the electrode if nessesary.
Great video but in our case, we have the same epropulsion motor and a rigid portland pudgy, not exactly a speedy hull but we get 4.5kts with the throttle limited to 50%, going 100% only gives .5kt faster, we get at least an hour at this. Another big difference is we do not use the OEM battery instead we have e-bike batteries and were able to buy 3 for less than one OEM battery. The batteries are rated almost the exact same without the crazy price. Your energy consumption is a lot by comparison, we have 560 watts of solar and no other means to charge and have no issues. We love that in 4 years we have not had to buy gas(big miss on comparison), 2 stroke oil, do maintenance, struggle to start the outboard, or worry as much about the very common theft of the 15hp dinghy for the outboard. Just putting this out there incase others see your video and are swayed against electric, for us we are very happy with our setup. Our dinghy will never get on plane or leak but as with a car we just see it as a speed limit so not planning does not make us "late".
I remember perfectly when we were working in our exhaust system and you needed to "run" t your boat to get something and took sooooo long hehehe 😅 you guys will love the 15hp for sure!! 🥰
You failed to mention emission standards. Here in Australia its impossible to buy a new 2 stroke outboard.
I love my Tohatsu outboard. Fuel injected. No carbs to balance, Lightest engine on the market, 4 stroke, 30hp 52kg, cheapest too . Have you checked - take the engine cover off . There can be an engine lift eye there on top, if not this where you can bolt one. . If your engine isn’t bolted on the transom. Make sure you tether it to your transom. Mainly if you go into reverse the engine can lift off the transom and go overboard. Even when your butterfly clamps are done up .
Mads, you forgot one important thing with the small electric outboards.
I own a even smaller boat, and i'm not a liveaboard..
Did 1000NM the season of 2023, with a Epropulsion Spirit on my dinghy. But the reason for choosing that instead of a Dino-juice-engine is simple.. Its clean! I can actually have it inside the boat when i'm not using it. No oil, no smell.
I do agree with your conclusion for a cruiser, but not for ppl like me that never use the dinghy for longer distances.
There's pros and cons for everything. If I where cruising, i would without a doubt choose a 2-stroke.
I know that many, many cruisers find an inflatable tender or even a RIB with rigid hull to be their preferred type of tender. And they have a lot to recommend them, considering the perimeter sponsons are inflatable and soft bumping up against things, and high weight capacity. They do well with more power when they get on plane, as you note. But the biggest issue I see with them for small engine (3-3.5hp or less, including electric such as eProp, Torqeedo, or even electric trolling motor) is that this style of boat is designed to be a planing hull. And typically, planing hulls are very drag-y at displacement speeds. I think that electric motors are better paired with drastically differently designed hulls that are intended to be low drag slippery boats at displacement speeds. One would see higher speeds with lower energy consumption with such a hull. I don't for a minute think that changing the dinghy would be the correct solution for you guys. Just pointing it out. I think you've done what pretty much everyone with an inflatable needs to do, and that is run on plane with an appropriate power plant. As always, I enjoyed the episode! Thanks!
The other benefit to the two stroke is the pretty iridescent sheen it leaves on the water.
We cruised with an ePropulsion just like yours and loved it! The biggest difference, though, was that we didn't have a RIB but a homemade 10' nesting pram that was designed for rowing and sailing. Or another way to say it, our tender just wasn't designed to plane, so, with it's displacement we could move the boat at hull speed using around a 1/4 throttle in flat water, and between a 1/4 and a 1/2 into wind and chop. Our range was limited by time, since the boat maxed out around 5.5-6 knots anyway, not power, and we could get 6-8 hours of running time off of a fully charged battery.
It was a very great solution for us especially since we paired it with the ePropulsion Solar charging kit. We never had to charge off of the house bank, we could throw the panel in the dinghy and charge while at the dock or pull dup on the beach, then we would lash the panel to the lifelines while on the boat and keep things topped up just fine. When running the diesel on and off anchor, or in conditions when we couldn't sail, if the battery needed charging, we would then charge off of the inverter, but, that was not a very frequent need.
Of course, for a RIB, I fully agree, an electric outboard just doesn't make sense. To get the boat barely moving, you need all of the power the outboard can muster, and as you mentioned, that only gets you about 30 minutes of run time. That just isn't a workable solution.
We have since sold the boat and the dinghy, but when we are able to get back out there for another adventure, I wouldn't hesitate to go electric again, as we would likely got with a rowing/sailing tender set up again. It just worked well for us, and we never felt too constrained by the range and we really liked life at the slower pace. We all have different needs though, so kudos! Fair winds!
If you plan to put foils on the engine you need to bolt the engine thru the transom. I have dropped a yam 15 of the transom with foils that was only attached with the clamps. Running in wavy condition.
I came THIS close to doing that with an old 25hp Johnson on a Whaler
All of a sudden your dinghy will be used 10 fold more then before. Awesome purchase!!!!
The range and speed will surly make a difference :)
It will surely allow them to do a lot more in the Caribbean and help keep them out of marinas. Once in the US, however, the need for a big outboard on the dinghy will be very much less. It is nice to go exploring a long way from the anchored boat but really isn't all that necessary.. Everything is close by to where the anchorages are.
Congratulations on your increased speed and range.
Your experience with your ePropulsion is somewhat at odds with what others are reporting. Sailing Fair Isle comes to mind where Steve did an endurance test in Venice during covid and covered 20+ miles with juice to spare. Your numbers were abysmally low and I was wondering if you could elaborate on that in a future episode.
Always good to see the rationale you use fot making your decisions. Just a bit surprised to see the 2-stroke rather than a 4-stroke but you explained the reasons for your decision.
If you have not already bought the “silvery thing”. The is a company called nautilus that makes trim tabs for a dinghy. They are terrific for stabilizing your dinghy and keeping the bow down, plus they will help you get on plane and stay there at a slower speed. The beauty is they are fully automatic and require no maintenance. They are very popular in the USA and Europe. They are great to work with and very inexpensive. Plus a lifetime warranty.
A 2-cycle outboard is great for transporting and storage because you can put it in many positions without having to worry about engine oil in the crankcase. You can't store a 4-cycle on its side or in an inclined position (engine is lowest) without having to worry about the engine oil in the crankcase.
The yammy 2 stroke is a great choice. I have a lot of experience with 2 stroke and 4 stroke outboard, probably 30 or so in the last 35 years of boating. Couple of suggestions. Always always wear your kill switch tether and at least an inflatable pfd. Those motors can kick over to one side and make your hand goose the throttle at the same time. Usually when you're maneuvering slowly and strike something submerged. Use true fuel premixed if you can. It lasts years and years. You can find it in gallon containers. Yes, it's expensive, but 100% worth it. If you can't find it use non-ethonal gas with your stabilizer of choice and synthetic oil. I use seafoam, but opinions vary. If you can't find non ethanol then buy premium octane fuel, dump a glass of water in it, shake the piss out of it, and separate it back out. This will remove the ethanol from your gas and leave you with 87-89 octane good fuel. Ethanol kills fuel lines, fuel pumps, and screws up carbs. Carry a spare prop, prop nut, and cotter pin. The water impeller should be changed whenever you see the pee stream getting weak at idle or every two years. If you run it in a lot of sand then much more often and change the impeller housing every other time. Some people say to pull the fuel line and run the motor till it stops to get all the fuel out. I have never subscribed to this theory as the fuel is also your lubrication. Most of this knowledge was learned the hard way before internet and youtube. One last tip. When you change the impeller make sure the key way doesn't slip out. Your engine will pump water fine at idle due to friction, but at higher rpm will slip.
Defender Marine, here in the US, I think you’re familiar with them, has outboard slings that are perfect for lifting and moving outboards.
It sounds like you went through the same process as I did. I bought an electric outboard because I liked the idea of it being slightly more green and a virtually silent. Realized that it simply didn't have the power output or endurance I needed. And well, a 2 stroke gasser is just so darn convenient.
Hehe, that is indeed the exact same process we’ve been through 🙂
I have an original Torquedo that I use on Ultimate 20 sailboat. It is perfect to get in and out of our small marina. Its is smaller than the one you are using on your dingy. It has no trouble pushing that boat up to 5kts although range goes down quite a bit. The advantage over the 2hp Honda that I also have is no gas to leak inside the cabin if the motor is stored for racing.
Great! 👍
loaded with the logic and problem-solving that I always enjoy in you videos, and that the world needs so much more of! Cheers!
I have an epropulsion outboard. The range is greater than you stated. It’s about 50 minutes at full throttle and a lot more if we slow down. The two things I like is the safety- no gas and the light weight ease of handling. I have 590 watts of solar with 400 AH 17:28 lithium and I have no trouble recharging the battery overnight. We cruise in the north east US every summer and live on the anchor. The distances we need to travel never exceed the battery range. Perhaps when we go to the Caribbean it will not be enough
I've owned the same engine for about three years. I got it used and it was already ten years old, tho very lightly used. It runs like a dream for hours un-end.
If I can recommend something, I would say you should put together a little tool-set for it. Spare sparkplug and a couple of sheer pins for the propeller along with dedicated tools for replacing them. I've never had to replace the spark plug on a trip, but I have changed the sheer pin a couple of times I misjudged the water depth.
As for further spares, you might want to buy a new impeller for the cooling, now that you are near a Yamaha dealer.
PS: If you look on the inside of the cowling, there might be a rubber thing that holds a couple of spare sheer pins. They were already gone on mine and you still need tools to replace it.
A small stanchion socket, bolted to dingy transom, is good for a nav light on a two foot stainless pole. Easily removable,only needed at night. Velcro patch for the bow light.
It's not the environmental problem with gas, it's the safety. Carrying gasoline is a huge negative. You didn't even mention that, Mads... I have a ePropulsion but don't travel far, but I think you underestimated the speed and distance.
I feel pretty safe carrying gasoline up on deck. If we only had to go short distances I think we would just have used the electric too :)
The only sailors on tube,to read and follow break in instructions I’ve seen. Is there any hope,for more Ava?
Ava will be back next week 😀 Hehe, who doesn’t love reading a good manual 😁
Glad you relented and got a 2-stroke gas outboard, it's a great decision, and one you won't regret. As much as we hate it, 2-strokes are light, powerful, stupid reliable, and easy for a cruising sailor to fix.
A lot of good comments. That engine is arguably one of the best ever made glad you made that choice and also got "Endro" model. You will really appreciate the power band and acceleration from the 2 stroke over a 4 stroll. When you fill your pick up truck Full of Supplies you won't struggle for power to plane. Remember never lug down a 2 stroke let it run free. If you lug it down it will blow up! Not likely to happen with that boat. Be careful not to tow heavy loads. Then you need high thrust 4s. Always carry starting fluid to clean plugs and start in a pinch. Spare fuel filter also.
I sense the change to a power cruiser in your future :)
Your rationale for the two-stroke is good. Two-stroke engines have become much less polluting in recent years. Since you do have longer distances with heavier loads in rougher seas, the ICE outboard is a better choice. But I would have chosen the 4-stroke for the lower noise level.
Electric motors do have their place at current technology level.
I'm adding this for those people who have more modest needs or simply want to be as environmentally conscious as possible. Contra to Trump's statement about the minimal effect that a little hairspray from one person will not effect the global climate, every little bit does help. Every little bit does add up when multitudes of people add "just a tiny bit".
For me as a local weekend cruiser, my Torqeedo outboards have been more than sufficient. We prefer the quiet and simplicity of electric outboards.
On my Capri 22 the Torqeedo Cruise 2.0 pushes my Capri 22 quite well to hull speed in most any sea state that I would go out in. It does have an external battery that charges with a 160 watt solar panel mounted on the stern pulpit (NOT a "push-pit" as in the common parlance) while living on a mooring. I use it primarily to get out of the mooring field or rush across Boston Harbor when running late for the start of a race. Other than that, we sail which is why we have a sailboat. Knowing that I do have limited range, I have honed my sailing skills rather than quickly turn on the motor.
I also do have Torqeedo's Travel 1003c which is equivalent to the ePropulsion's model you have been using. I experimented with it on my Capri 22. The smaller motor does push my boat close to hull speed. The Travel with the larger built-in battery sufficed for my needs at the end of one season. The battery charged from my transom mounted solar panel. I did purchase it for my O'Day 19 that we trailer sail. It now shares duty with our RIB-310 used with our recently purchased Catalina 310.
We recently purchased a Catalina 310 to extend out cruising and for stability that my wife needs. It does have a diesel. In a season I expect to average one 27 gallon tank of diesel fuel per year. I really would like to have at least a hybrid electric drive to avoid having to use the diesel at all. I will endeavor to make sure the diesel does not change my reliance on non-fossil fuel. We have eliminated propane for cooking (except for a rail mounted grill with 1-lb canisters) going to induction stovetop and convection oven. (We are converting our RV similarly this summer.)
We do have choices. Don't jump to the familiar without weighing the options and consequences. I opt for quietness and ease of maintenance and help ing to preserve our environment.
Lots of places you need to license any boat over 10 hp . Maybe a 15 hp with a 9.9 cover !
Most places in the US and everywhere on the East Coast you nust license anything with a motor -even a trolling motor. The 9.9hp dodge is a Canadian thing for the most part although there are a lot of smaller inflatables that have a 10hp limit on their capacity plate.
I've never had anyone ever look at our plate in 7 years of full-time cruising on the East Coast and Great Lakes. We've never had a problem in Canada either although they did want to see that somone on the boat had a VHF marine radio license and every operator of the boat had a Boater's Certification.
There are a lot of resources officers on the East Coast who do cruise marinas and especially dinghy docks checking out Bow Numbers and current registration stickers. That's the thing they like to get you on.
Florida Fish & Wildlife wardens can be quite strict and an unregistered boat is considered a stolen boat and treated just like being in possession of a stolen car if you can't immediately provide documents proving ownership.
Boat registration is treated as a criminal offense in Florida and not like a civil traffic violation. Boat registration fees are the major part of what pays their salaries and buys their patrol boats so they do take lack of registration pretty seriously. Most of the other East Coast states are similar all the way to Canada and they take it even more serious.
Yeah I would put a 9.9 cover on it as well. Many US inland waters also need licensing for >10hp motors, and so do countries like France (where they are right now!)
Love your videos! You mentioned building an OC Tender-inspired dinghy. Have you considered a nesting dinghy? The nesting feature saves a lot of space when it's stowed for extended periods. I built a "Chameleon" some years ago and seemed to perform well under sail, oar, and power, at least in the limited time we used it. the PT 11 is another option. Keep up the good work! Cheers, Mark
In Sweden you see quite a lot of lifting outboard brackets on smaller sailboats. Quite a few have a swivel davit mounted above them. They use the outboard both for motoring with the sailboat in harbors and to drive their dingy. There should be designs to copy from their forums and parts catalogs. It would also be a possible third mode of propulsion for your home 😊 why not use the belt with suspenders if you are going to lugg it around anyway. P.S. the brackets are most often offset to not interfere with the rudder anyway so it isn't a design flaw but a scandinavian heritage installation 😂
Buy 2 carburetor repair kits rather than a carburetor. It's very easy to fix with your skills. You will also need flushing ears (may not be the right name) so you can run the engine out of the water on a garden hose or flush the cooling system with fresh water when you don't use it for a while.
A spare carburetor is the way to go. Problems are almost always the carburetor and that's a couple hour chore. It's much easier to swap the carb now and fix the troublesome one later. Usually the fix is just cleaning out the jets and no new parts are needed. These jets and other parts don't wear out unless you go poking wires in them being in a hurry and buggering them up.
On a cruising boat the dinghy is your sole link to shore when you are anchored out. Spare carbs are under $100 for most modern outboards and swapping them is almost as fast as swapping in a new spark plug. One should always carry a new plug and the tools to change it as well as the sheer pin for the prop in the dinghy at all time..
A tiny bottle of 2-stroke oil is a good idea too. Just enough for refilling tank. You can buy gas anywhere but finding 2-stroke.oil is getting harder these days right off of the water.
Not being able to recycle ALL of the plastics we purchase in just one week is far more detrimental to our planet than is an entire season of 2-cycle outboard use, Modern two cycle engines actually burn quite clean compared to the "old days". It was nice to hear a 2-stroke engine again. If you use a castor-based oil... the slight odor is very zen-like. I love it myself. Thanks for the video!
And also, in a pinch, you can sister your dingy to the boat and get it into a marina and/or maneuver it if you need to do so.
I've seen my dad lash his dingy to his boat and move it from one place to another in the marina.
Now I'm excited for a series on building an OC Tender inspired Mads version. I might have to try it myself...once you show me how!
me too!
Yes! I’ve looked at the Tango skiff to possibly use as a tender. I’d love to see what you do!
I'm 100% behind you Mads, the electric outboard is just a dead duck at the moment and needs lots more development into design and energy density storage. Yamaha is the best choice.
It all depends on your needs but I firmly believe that gasoline (as of right now) is the better option for most cruisers 🙂
Thanks Guys! Just an observation. I've thought several times over the last 2 years that you have been installing electrical appliances as though you had a house on shore (washer and dryer, induction stove, etc.). So it's interesting that you have now replaced your first electrical appliance with a fossil fuel outboard. I agree 100% with your choice and logic - just an observation. One thing about boats and cruising - a lot of things find an equilibrium over time and power consumption/generation is a big one.
I would add a throttle extension - makes it much more pleasant to steer without having your arm twisted backwards.
That I can get behind! The next boat parts pusher might have one 🤞
I've been running that same Yamaha 15hp motor for the last 22 years on my 12ft aluminum boat. Mostly scuba diving and spearfishing (food gathering). It's super eliable, cheap to run and easy to service. Only thing I'd recommend is a good fuel stabilizer to prevent any goo build up in the carby.
The removal of 2 strokes from US and Australian sales has left a huge whole in the market for light weight tender motor's. This is not filled by 4 strokes or electric's. BRP could be making a killing using E-Tec 2 stroke fuel injection but with emissions laws becoming more and more stringent you can understand why they don't. In the end purchased a Tohatsu 9.8hp 2 stroke second hand and at 26kg it is awesome.
If you run the correct oil you won't get smoke. We ran 2 strokes for over 10 years in our Yamaha Banshees (6 of them) on AMSOIL at a 100:1 mixture. Yes that's correct 100:1. The recommended for the vehicle was around 50:1. The superior synthetic oil allowed for 100:1. We had no smoke and no issues with wear.
Believe they’re running at a higher mixture ratio initially only, per the engine break-in period instructions
If a 2-stroke is not smoking it is sprinting towards the grave.
lol. no.@@svbarryduckworth628
Clear episode again, but the main pro of the 4 stroke vs 2 stroke is that is less polluting. The 2 stroke spills more oil and smoke. And the greener pro’s of the electric motor (even when you charge it with a fossil engine or generator. I really miss that angle in your review. We all contribute, even if it is very rarely…
For the rest always Sundays Sail Life before heading to bed. Bye from a loyal viewer.
You will love your new Yamaha engine. We had one for years, never a spec of trouble. We used a little richer fuel mix-75:1 instead of recommended 100:1. Always ran engine dry of fuel if not running for a week or more.
Thanks for the tip 🙂 I hope we’ll get many years of faithful service too 🙂
I hope you enjoy the new motor. One item you may want to have is an extra porp for your new engine as a spare. Enjoy your time there, and have a wonderful week ahead
That is a great idea! I’ll pick one up asap 🙂
@@SailLife Get a few spare shear pins while you are at it. These are designed to break if hit something submerged and spare the prop. Enjoy the new freedom to explore.
I’m not sure it has a shear pin !
Most small outboards come with extra sheer pins and cotter pins in a little rubber holder that is snapped into the cowl or just inside it.
Wow you just saved us a ton of money. We were feeling guilty about using our 4 stroke Yamahas but maybe we will wait to see if someone learns to squeeze more power out of the same volume. Hanks again for your excellent decision making process.
2 strokes still have a place in the modern world and powerful , lightweight outboards is one of the best uses...chainsaws another.
Mads, you are wrong about the runtime vs the capacity. The battery has a capacity of 1276Wh and the motor has a maximum power consumption of 1000W. This implicates that a fully charged battery should last 1h20min at full power. If your battery runs flat in 20mins it is defect. Contact a local dealer. Disclaimer: we are an ePropulsion dealer based in The Netherlands. We’d give you one for free if you’d still be in The Netherlands.
That makes sense. I saw another comment mentioning that they get longer runtime. Seeing that got me thinking and I do recall us getting more use out of the battery earlier on but I haven't gotten any errors or anything like that.
It is a very lineair calculation. 1276wh equals 1,276 hours of 1000W consumption. If your motor would drain a full battery in 20mins it would consume 3,828kW and your dinghy would be flying. I’d buy your Spirit immediately if it would be capable of that. Unfortunately your situation is the other way around. Your motor didn’t gain superpower, your battery lost usable capacity to just 0,33kWh and that is a definitive sign tor have it checked and, I assume, replaced. Kind regards, Remco
Hi guys, I think personally electric outboards are like electric cars they are okay if you’re only go for a short distance, but gasoline outboards only give you issues if you do not maintain them and and use good fuel they are far superior than electric motors and we’re gonna go for a long distance. I personally will never lie buy a electric car especially living in Australia with the vast distance that we need to travel. Like you said you’re going to buy a two stroke Yamaha engine and I reckon they are fantastic. 4 stroke probably would’ve been even better but that’s only my personal choice. Keep up the good work love the videos cliff from Logan City Queensland, Australia
Excellent choice for an outboard!
I too don't believe your fuel consumption will cause an enviromental impact.
As always, I enjoy your videos and adventures. 😊
Perfect choice on the motor. As little as you use it, you will find a gallon of gas goes a long way. As for the foil thingy, if you are up on plane that easy you DO not need it. It would be a waste of money as well as unnecessary weight. You will love the motor! Just DONT drop her overboard!👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Great choice on the outboard. A good upcoming project would be a custom cover- you can easily integrate some nylon webbing into the cover to make a hoisting point so you can raise it on dock with a halyard from the mast. Not only will the cover help protect the motor it will also make it a little less noticeable. The bold Yamaha 15 graphics are certain to catch the eye of some ne’er-do-wells down by the dinghy docks.
Nav lights on the outboard are a great idea. I got the charging coil for my tohatsu 20hp 4 stroke which has enough juice to top off a small 12v battery and run the nav lights. The white light is mounted on the outboard and the red and green are mounted on a removable post up near the bow (it’s a RIB.)
Looking forward to the dinghy build. I built a Spindrift 10n from B&B yachts. It’s the same boat Amy and Matt used around the world on sailing Florence. One of the forum members built a version out of carbon fiber and foam panels. Not a planing design, however, but it’s great for sailing, rowing, and motoring.
You can take the top cover off and there are normally winch points. You can then put cover back on.
I call BS on the eProp data. Ours runs 70 minutes on a full charge at full power and propels our AB aluminum RIB easily at 6 knots. And I'm 2 years into ownership and using it every day.
What is the size of your battery? In Kh.
@ 1276Wh I get about what eProp advertises. 70 minutes 6+mph or 10kph in my 9.5" al rib
You will love fins on the cavitation plates.
Helpful video as always but a few comments: our Torqueedo electric pushes our 3.1m rib at 3.4kts for over an hour on one battery. The Tohatsu 9.8hp, or the Yamaha 8hp, two-strokes weigh 28kg, 10kg lighter than your 15, and either will push your dinghy onto a plane easily with two adults aboard. The comparison of environmental effects to driving a car is not valid, as the 2-stroke is exceptionally bad environmentally, which is why you can’t buy them anymore in the US, Europe, Australia or most other places with environmental standards-they leave an oily film on the water. But we have just bought a Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke for the reasons you indicate. Good luck with the boat building project, but many OC owners are disappointed with their boats-it’s hard to beat a good lightweight rib for stability.
Yep, I was expecting him go with 8hp. It should have been plenty for a dinghy.
The foil will make a huge difference in the stability of your dinghy. It helps eliminate the porpoising. We installed one on our Boston Whaler and it gets up on plane immediately.
Yes the Yamaha is quite popular. I suggest a good lock!
The lockpicking lawyer will show you how useless they are. Angle grinders can open any lock. Almost.
You only need to lock it up better than the dinghies next to you on the dock. The thieves take the easiest targets. This is the reality in the cruising world.
A very good choice of outboard engine.
I have however, already read a few comments in line with what you asked us to consider not doing… :-)
You have made a good choice, the losses in a diesel generator is rather substantial as well. So the total “cost” for the environment might well be lessened by your choice.
So you have made the best possible choice of the ones existing at the moment.
It is rather simple and easy to understand, if one give it a shot. If you need charging the electric outboard continuously with dinosaursquishings of the diesel type, the losses just might add up or even surpass those of the new petrol outboard. Yes, a two stroke is not as efficient as a four stroke, but since weight is a factor for safety the loss of the outboard in deep water is not that good for the environment either.
If memory serves me, a normal diesel generator run at about 40-50percent efficiency, and if you weigh in the fact that you might have to run the diesel generator inefficiently just to charge the electric outboard it is even worse for the environment then using the petrol outboard when it is needed. Especially when you think of the maintenance and wear and tear on an engine not running in perfect conditions. Also the effect of a spare part for a gen-set that have to be flown from god knows where is also something to take into consideration.
It would be a lot better for the environment if the more radical individuals would be able to see the reality for what it is rather then getting caught up in a swamp of emotions each and every time the reality is discussed.
And in my humble opinion, it would be far more beneficial for the environment to find alternative fuels for our older engines then mark them all as scrap and start yet another rush for resources to build an engine of a kind that we at the moment believe to be best…
Electric propulsion has its benefits, but so have combustion, and nuclear power as well for that matter… but since there are no small nuclear reactors for recreational use… It is a lot better to use common sense and minimise one’s footprint. Still that is not equal to sending the whole west back to the stone age….
you really miss the point CO2 does not contribute to global warming...its a fraction of a %
Yet CO2 is the line of demarcation for the greenies. A lifetime of CO2 is produced in battery production before an electric motor ever moves a device a foot.
You are killing the planet switching from the electric outboard to .....wait..... OK, you just explained it...... Joking. Great video as always, glad you two are enjoying life!
Hy I'm a fairly long time subscriber and have enjoyed your content. Anyhow as watching this weeks episode and wanted to maybe help with your dingy operation. I'm not sure if you are aware that small outboards are engineered to be operated from the right side of the boat using your left hand. If you look at the control surfaces (throttle and shifter it is apparent) its also set up this way due to the torque of the engine. Anyway not to be a critic just thought it might help.
Thanks for the heads up :) I never knew that. I've always just sat on the port side because I'm right handed. For us to plane I do have to shift forward quite a bit - feels safer doing that with the right hand on the throttle. I'll play around with it a little bit :)
Yeah, left hand is the go. Strong hand for the boat (and holding your beer)
Try sitting to starboard when helming the dinghy. You might find it more comfortable if there's a little more space for the tiller arm. Might be worth having a go
Hi if you are going to carry fuel for the out board get a second fuel tank ready mixed youe will use the same space as an extra jerry can.
great video
That’s a cool idea 🙂
Storage? As the fuel tanks, have their filler/cap in the wrong location, for leak free, on end storage, and flat tiedown on deck, that might prove problematic! A dry run might be in order.
Take care all.
You can't fool me. That was Ava's stunt double raising the dinghy. That's why we only see the back of her head!(g)
hahaha :D
Guys, you’ll never look back with a Yamaha 2 stroke outboard. Run the fuel out of it at the end of the day and few problems will follow. We sailed from FL to Australia so far and have had the stop button corrode and one carb cleaning
My Two cents: Add a hard point for lifting so you can use the listing handle & use a winch to pull the outboard onboard. Great for locking it in place when at sketchy ports & It will also self to prevent accidentally dropping it overboard.
You ARE my YT ref in everything sailing on YT Matt!😊 How much did the motor cost ?
Hi. Great video as usual. My 2¢. I am not very trusting and I would not want to own the newest looking dinghy with the biggest engine on the dock. So a chain of course but if the outboards are exactly the same I would try to get a used cowl with the smaller numbers on it.
I saw a video maybe 2 years ago where someone deliberately “aged “ the cowling. But remember there are a lot of people that think what’s yours ,is theirs.
Take off the 1 and you have a lame 5 hp
Hey Mads keep on Yammer Hammering, our terminology from childhood for Yamaha bikes, hey have you seen those quicky winches that use your battery screw driver for power, I suspect they'll lift your dinghy as well as portable enough to lift the outboard as well, Judy and I love you both, full steam ahead 😊
That smile, reving that beast, priceless.
Forget all that hydrofoil nonsense.
Got a yam 25 2stroke, its a monster. 😂
I am surprised how many other countries still allow the sale of new 2 strokes but that seems like a nice little motor.
One alternative for the electric motor is to change the prop pitch. You’ll be pushing more water at lower RPM so you’ll go faster… longer. I say that because the prop you have on there doesn’t look like it has any pitch at all.
power = power. You cannot create more power than is in the battery by altering prop pitch.
Well done. I've seen several switch to an electric outboard for their dinghy. I'm all for electric. But I've always considered them a hazard for the 'car' to be used in port. I've seen several SV channels roll into a port with high winds and rough weather. Exploration away from the SV and out of the port is very limited with
electric. There can be moments when having an outboard that will power through those rougher-than-normal seas may be important. And electric just doesn't have the range or power needed to get the job done. Thumbs up. Maybe in five years electric will be ready.
We have a crane to lift ours, and made a loop of seabelt material attached to a stainless ring to lift the motor. It works great except that I can never remember how it fits. It eventually does very securely. Get a tatty old cover for the motor. Nobody steals the worst motor at the dinghy dock.
it's not only true for long distance cruisers. i run a solar system at home. nothing as big as yours. but my home is very small. in the autumn and winter months, i have to regularly charge the batteries from the grid supply. but in the spring and summer months, i can run the whole bedsit from the solar system. but this is the balancing act we play for wanting to be as renewable as possible.
incidentally, i have an inflatable 420 with a 2.5kWh battery and a 6 knot bison electric outboard. lots of fun, but still very slow in the scheme of things. i will be getting a petrol engine as well just for the extra grunt - until electric outboards get more powerful and cheaper.
I toured the YKP factory in Kumamoto Japan where this engine is made. Super cool factory.
back in the annals of time, I sold autoparts and oils. I had a customer who loved his Yamahas. He did charter fishing and his big boat for the Gulf was powered by 4 250hp Yamaha units. A bit more than your dingy would handle.
even with one 250 hp our dinghy would turn into a submarine. They had some of those giant outboards at the dealer. Less expensive than I had assumed :)
There’s no replacement for displacement!.
Carry a spare carb ( cheep, cheep and when it gets clogged you just swap em over and pull the old one down and give it a good clean at your leisure) impellers, plugs and a copy of the service manual. Being a two banger give it a good flogging at all times and it will love you forever.
Any day the "oh so glorious" two-stroke fumes over electric. One of the outboards we have is probably 35+ years old Yamaha and it's still a first pull machine. Even the gasoline quality has gone to hell these days. So, use your stuff as much and often as you can and it will work
You made a great choice, the Enduro is a bullet proof motor and they are quick. 🎉
There are also import tariffs and other regulations that have been set for engines 10hp and over. So literally the engine makers took designs for 12-15hp engines and either added a baffle plate (like the Atomic 4 Stevedore inboard) or just a smaller engine head to bring them down to 9.9hp.
You find the same thing in Japanese car engines, i.e. a 1.6 liter engine is built as 1.59 liters, to brung it into lower regulatory costs.
Great real world comparison, We have a small 2.7 mt rib on our 10.7 Mt sloop & Power it with a 8hp Yamaha 2 stroke, This is perfect for us, 🍷🍷🍷
Mads, trust me them foils have real pros & cons as well, mainly Cons, although they do offer horizontal stability at speed, they (let’s be honest, if they were required Yamaha would have fitted em STD) Cons inc, they will take speed away, they will make the engine thirsty, they will cause cavitation in tight at speed turning, they will add corrosion spots if drilling the cavitation plate is required to fit.. basically the only accessory you need js a 9.9hp factory sticker to get around pesky laws in some countries! Oh and make a nice cover for it.. I’ve owned more outboard engines then i dare to admit, One thing i swear by, i constantly sprayed en down with CRC (removing any salt) plus i would run them in a bucket of Toyota long life coolant (the red stuff if not in use for a few weeks)
Have fun both of you , yes the 2 stroke is a good choice , we have run ours for hrs over the years .😉😉👍👍
Hi guys, I think you’ve made the best decision buying the 15 HP Yamaha, I think Yamaha are the best outboards on the market
In my area we need to register any boat by motor over 10. Hence all the 9.9 available and the reason they are as close to 15 as possible.
That makes sense 🙂
It's a similar conundrum as electric cars but at a smaller scale. Main difference with cars is EVs are as faster if not faster than ICE cars and you have more restricted charging options out on the water.
I can certainly see the electric motor being very practical for marinas and the like ferrying to and fro from moorings (i.e. commuting) where you can swap out a battery, you are expected to go slower and you have shore power to charge up. For long distances and remote areas, the petrol/gas option makes a lot more sense (for now).
I agree. diesel is still a better option. Love the comparison chart. very organized.great couple. great channel. so much more knowledge learnt!
Is it diesel ? I beleve it is gasoline ,, which should have been considered in the pro/con chart. That you have to carry around another fuel source.. and it is a fuel source that has much more safety concerns as to fire prevention.
It would be great if we could have a decent 5/10-hp *diesel* outboard for a dinghy/tender from the big manufacturers, looking at you Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki etc.
When most sailboats are diesel-fueled, it makes a hell of a lot of sense to be able to transfer diesel from the main tank into the dinghy and back again, avoiding carrying petrol on the boat.
Could also vastly improve the range on the dinghy and saves you having to buy seperate fuels for the dinghy and the boat, while being less temperamental.
C'mon, if Alibaba etc. can butcher an industrial diesel motor onto an outboard drive, I'm fairly sure that a big manufacturer can do a lot better with off-the-shelf parts.
The kill switch is there for a reason! Easy to overlook and can be disastrous should you fall over (even with another person onboard)
For sure, there are TH-cam’s out there with run-away dinghy and also people getting very seriously hurt trying to catch hold of a run-away. I always put the little strap on my ankle to the kill switch. Also on the list of good things to do, get that nav light installed on a little post. I remember the police in Marathon Florida were quite vigilant about that and about speed in areas with Manatees about. It is also very easy to forget to run the engine dry before lifting it out but probably more important because long distances and long storage times between anchorages. It never seems to be remembered as you are busy rigging to hoist out and your thoughts are on other concerns. Kudos on your engine choice. I have the 9.9 2-stroke. Just slightly more fuel efficient on smaller dinghy’s.
I was able to get that exact motor and hapolon dinghy brand new in Michigan this summer. It came in a new Australian made yacht. Owner wanted a jet dinghy...a big win for me. It is scary fast, I also have the whale tail on it. Jumps to plane lol
Do yourself a favor and build or buy a dedicated crane to lift your new outboard.
It should swivel so you don’t need to wrestle with it.
You will not always be in flat water when you want to deploy
and 100 pounds of swinging engine can really hurt you.
Don’t forget about how you will stow and lower fuel tank.
Might want to consider a smaller tank.
Don’t forget to run dry after use to keep the carb jets clean
Add some carb cleaner and starting spray to your spares.
Try to use only ethanol free fuel
Extra pull start cord also
I would have bought an electric start but you being you
I’ve seen guys that have Mcguyered an electric starter using a cordless drill
I’d love to see you tackle that project
Fair Winds
If you haven’t already done so it is a good idea to tie your outboard to the dinghy. With a motor that can push you at a greater speed if you happen to hit a solid object under the water while at speed the motor could jump up and off the dinghy into the water. It is also good for longevity of the motor to regularly flush it in fresh water. Have you given any thought to this. I would suggest a stand on the deck and placing a large bucket under the leg filled with freshwater. Then you can run the motor to give it a good flush
Make an outboard harness out of dyneema. I made one basically out of long soft shackles. Two horizontal soft shackles and 4 vertical lines with an eye splice in each end. The vertical lines go through the horizontal ones. Use one small shaft shackle to connect the top ends of the vertical lines.. as well as whatever line you use for a hoist. Mine took an evening to make and < 50’ of Amazoneema. 😂
I would like to suggest using a strap or rope, with quick release clamps on each end.
Use it as a safety cable to prevent loosing your outboard motor, while putting it on and off the dinghy.
You never know when a large wake or wet hands may cause you to loose your grip or loose your balance.
I’ve seen too many outboard motors going into the water.
With 4 stroke EFI outboards available down to 9.9hp I think its the way I would go. To each their own. Bettery fuel economy means you'll get better range for a given volume of fuel on-board.
Outboard leg fins (Doel-Fins) make a big change in fuel efficiency as well as being able to plane faster and run smoother at lower revs...
Hey! I'm fairly new to you channel so I wanted to say hello.
At the moment I am watching all you DIY vids about Athena.
I just want to say hello to you and Ava and tell you , your vids are appriciated by me :)
i got my hands on a 23 ft Vigg last summer and I am bringing love to her :)
Really great to be able to follow your step by step vids.
I am to use mine as a practise sailor boat becaus she is so small.
Dream is to find (buy or find ) a 33 - 38 aand refurbish.
Price / investment gotta be at low. :)
If it all works out I'm heading out from Sweden towards the Mediterranean Sea by April -25.
Best of videos your making here Mange Tack :) Tnx Mate
Be cautious, your new cowling screams brand new engine. I've seen some folks cover the cowling with a solar cover and lift harness,just concerned about theft ,best of luck, and great purchase.