3.5 hp on inflatable (on plane?)

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

I want to be able to lift the motor from the sailboat rail down to the dinghy without the use of a crane.

Thats exactly what I did with my Yamaha 4. I put a line through the carry handle (made down at the correct length), lift off the rail, drop it down carefully to the end of the line, then quickly jump in the dinghy to finish the job. It was much easier and quicker with a second person, but I did it many times alone with no trouble.

As someone else posted, the 4, 5 and 6 are often the exact same engine (same wieght) with small differences in the carb. For example, the Yahama 4 and 6 both weigh 62 pounds (dry weight). So why not get the higher power for the same weight?

[lancelot9898]

You know Hamburking, I might be able to handle the 60 pounds via your method. Need to find a way to keep the motor from scraping the hull.(canoe stern) The method I used was just standing in the dinghy and then lifting the motor off the rail and lowering it by hand into the dinghy in one motion. But that was with a Nissan 5 hp 2 stroke with a dry weight of mid 40 lbs. No longer have that motor.

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by lancelot9898

You know Hamburking, I might be able to handle the 60 pounds via your method. Need to find a way to keep the motor from scraping the hull.(canoe stern) The method I used was just standing in the dinghy and then lifting the motor off the rail and lowering it by hand into the dinghy in one motion. But that was with a Nissan 5 hp 2 stroke with a dry weight of mid 40 lbs. No longer have that motor.

I tried your way...lifting from the dinghy...but the dinghy just went down instead of the engine going up!

I wish I had a video, but like all the really good stuff on a boat, when it happens you are kinda busy with the actual task. And if there was a second person aboard who could hold the camera, I would ask them to hold the dinghy instead.

I would hang the outboard over the stern, as I said, and yes, I aquired some nice scratches in the hull because of it. I suppose I could have simplified by dropping the outboard onto the dinghy floor, but I had the idea that I wanted it to go directly onto the transom.

I found the Yamaha 4 a bit too heavy, and not enough power.

[Tayana42]

After years of struggling with lifting outboards on and off the dinghy, electric and gasoline, I decided this really is the best answer. And surprisingly not expensive.

https://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=41

[hamburking]

Originally Posted by Tayana42

After years of struggling with lifting outboards on and off the dinghy, electric and gasoline, I decided this really is the best answer. And surprisingly not expensive.

https://garhauermarine.com/catalog_process.cfm?cid=41

Here is another alternative...super economical, with health benefits too:

[Davidasailor]

We have an Achilles with a wood floor / inflatable keel and a 2 cycle Johnson 3.0HP (35 lbs). When I was a kid my dad and I (about 280 lbs total) could get it on a high plane as long as I was sitting forward. With just one person it can get scary fast.

[Madwand]

Dinghy trim tabs? I'm about to buy a 2015 Zodiac Zoom Aero and put a Suzuki 6 (same specs as the 4) on it for my Catalina 30. Seriously looking at these. Makes sense to me.
https://youtu.be/gS4Mzkd-X9A

[CHBKAI]

so.......I had to give it another try
went out on Saturday...some wind and a little chop and me with my 220 plus pounds and my 06 4stroke 3.5hp merc and it was no problem to plane---I do however have to have the weight a little forward--then put my brand new 5 hp merc on it and with just me it is just flying---to a point you feel a little over powered--never went over half throttle---and you are pulling a huge wake behind you