what is the longest dinghy i can get? and 2 stroke question

[Richie89]

on a swim platform, should it be shorter than the width of the boat? and assuming so, by how much?
also, has anyone been successful with getting a new 2 stroke outboard? there are some on ebay that are cheap china ones, but is there a way to get a good one? heard that i can buy on in the bahamas. if so, i might wait until next summer and by one once i'm there.

 

[wellswa]

Measure your hull width at the swim platform. Your dinghy (including motor, if you won't be removing it) should be no more than the width measured. Otherwise, the hull spray will hit the dinghy as mine does. I am now looking for a shorter rib in the 10 foot range.

 

[Richie89]

thanks, just the insight i was looking for.

 

[IanBat]

The other hassle if the dinghy is too long is boarding.

Its ok if you board from the side of the boat, however when you are in a pen where the has the walkway at the rear its a PIA, as mine is. Which when your travelling you never know where you are going to pull up to. Also if you just want to go for a quick swim, you dont want to be putting the dinghy in the water, just so you can get on and off, if you can help it.

I have a RIB which takes up most of the back, in the Pen I end up shoving it over to the Port side and about 1-2' over so it is safe to step on and off the boat.

 

[sea paws]

I have a mercury 270 air deck with a 9.9 two stroke which I found on Craig's list. There's used two strokes out there take your time and search. When traveling I request port side exit so it's easy to get on and off the boat.

 

[Ike]

Mercury, Evinrude, Nissan, Tohatsu and Yamaha all sell 2 strokes in addition to their 4 strokes. They are all made by Tohatsu and rebranded. They are damned good engines. But As far as I have been able to find out none of them are portables. Nissan seems to make the smallest at 40HP. The others are all really big.

I just bought a Mercury 4HP 4 stroke. It is a good engine. Pushes my 18 footer along smartly. Haven't tried it on my 12 foot rowboat yet. It's a 4 stroke. runs quiet. sips gas. Weighs about 55 lbs (Long shaft). I'm sure a short shaft would weigh less. Actually the motor is made by Tohatsu and sold as Tohatsu, Mercury, Evinrude, Nissan and Yamaha. . All the parts are interchangeable. You just need a part number and a cross reference.

 

[Havana Shamrock]

We have A 2013 mercury 270 airdek also and pull it up over the bow rail and strap it down on the foredeck, this way we have the swimplatform open at all times. We also bought a new Mercury 6 hp 4 stroke (Tohatsu ) runs great and is fairly easy to handle.
It has an incorporated fuel tank who wants to mix oil/fuel ? Anymore? Not me just some thoughts to consider

 

[kaz911]

on a swim platform, should it be shorter than the width of the boat? and assuming so, by how much?
also, has anyone been successful with getting a new 2 stroke outboard? there are some on ebay that are cheap china ones, but is there a way to get a good one? heard that i can buy on in the bahamas. if so, i might wait until next summer and by one once i'm there.

The best way is to first find out how you will mount it.

Some mounts will place the dinghy keel inside on your swim platform. With others - you can push the keel slightly out over the edge of the swim platform. Hurley h2o davits can supply you with up to 10" extension - so keel would be about 5-6" behind your swim platform edge. The further out you can get it - the longer the dinghy can be - but you might have to "optimize" the mount to balance the dinghy. You would also need to measure the "length" of your swim platform to make certain you have space for it.

My favourite dinghy series is Merc Dynamic series since it is very low weight - plus "hard keel/bottom" - so it requires less HP for good speed and steering through the water - so you can use a smaller engine to get same speed as many of the soft / inflatable keel versions. On my 310 - the Merc 250/260 Dynamic Rib measures out as a perfect match - and the Merc 270 is too long for comfort. With H2O mount and 10" extension - it leaves me about 5-8 inch of walking space left on the swim-platform - and more at the nose of the dinghy since it is pointed. So nose goes towards the entry gate on the back.

 

[ktcanuck]

Merc was making 2 stroke 9.9 and 15s for the fishing lodges and they became available for sale after one season use. I have one. I bought it from an agent in Florida but collected it at source in Canada two years ago. Great deal, cosmetic effects only. Inside it looked like it just came off the line. I wanted it for the lower weight and it is on my Mercury Dynamic RIB 310.

 

[Richie89]

Hey kaz911, what size outboard do you have on your 260 R I B?

 

[kaz911]

Hey kaz911, what size outboard do you have on your 260 R I B?

I'm still waiting for the delivery of mine but I borrowed one to check sizes. Mine is the 250 Hypalon (so 2.5 meters long) - and I plan to buy a Tohatsu 5 hp for it or a Lehr natural gas powered - as I don't fancy carb rebuilds every other year. Just waiting to see if I can get the gas canisters here that fits.

 

[Madifonzo]

I just installed the Hurley traditional on my 280. I have a Zodiac 310 Zoom with a Honda 9.9. Does not fit well at all even with the extensions. The boat is 9.5' wide and the dingy is 10'2" long. So the result need a smaller dingy. It looks ridiculously large for the boat and is a royal pain in the ass to get on board. I am now looking for a dingy that is no wider than 4.5 feet wide and a max of a six hp engine. So as follow up any suggestions of inflatables that would work for me?