F-Ribs And Sibs - Inflatable Boat Community

Hi,
Bit of an urgent post in terms of timing. I need to secure a O/B quickly because we're going on holiday soon. I've done a fair bit of research, but haven't lifted a 15hp. They seem common, and lots of 3.2s and 3.8s have them. Just spoke to guy at a marine outfitters, who says to think carefully about a 15 hp O/B because of the weight. I thought I'd be OK lugging it on to the SIB, and SIB to sea using transom wheels. I've paid for a 3.2 Honwave IE, but can upgrade to the 3.8 which I fancy. Just how awkward is it lifting a 50 Kgs O/B? He's says think about a 10hp which I suppose would be OK if I stuck with the 3.2...
Replies really appreciated....
Nick

Hi Nick,

I have a 3.8 honwave and a 20hp suzuki, which will be the same weight as a 15hp. I wouldn't want to carry it any distance, but I unload from the car to a trolley, wheel the trolley to the boat and lift it onto the boat, which is all doable for me. They're not light by any means, so if you're not sure it would pay to lift a 15hp to gauge if you're ok with the weight.

Regards, Gary

Hi nick,
This has been debated a lot over the years & a bit of research on past threads should answer all your questions.
One of the popular configurations is a 3.8 with a 20hp, because generally the 20hp is the same as a 15 up as far as weight goes.
Having said that a 10 will get a t38 up on the plane but will limit you to around 13 knots where as the 20 up will give you around 20 knots. Chris Paris has a 9.9hp & he seems quite happy with that.
As for the weight, Tohatsu or Suzuki are are around the 44kgs, may not sound much but when talking of this much to lift every kg helps. Go into the shop & try lifting them.
There are ways of getting around the weight problem. I made a cradle thingy which meant I didn’t have to lift the engine much at all, it would slide into the back of the car & just tip it to fit onto the transom, as for moving the boat I could lift the front & pull up a slip on my own but again I made a gadget which made it so easy. Now I have mine on a trailer which makes it even easier.
If your buying new most people would say the bigger the better but each individual needs are different.

3.8 and Suzuki 20hp here aswell, heavy but manageable from car to boat.

Go to B&q and lift 2 bags of cement together to get an idea of the weight of engine, boat is similar weight.

Hi Nick,
Latest generation efi 15/20’s are around 44kg. Still heavy but much better than the previous 52kg carb versions...a few kilos makes a huge difference.
With judicious use of a trolley they are just doable for most.

Lightest is the Tohatsu at 43kg closely followed by the Suzuki at 44 kilos. The new Merc’s/Mariners (made by Tohatsu) are quite a bit heavier at 47.5 kilos due to the fancy tiller.

The Suzuki’s seem to suit the T32/38’s well.

Great advice, thanks for the replies. The cement idea is a quick way to check. Not too near a marine outfitters so dropping in on spec is difficult.

I tried lifting a 15hp 4s last Sunday and it really surprised me how difficult it was. I would not have been able to walk holding it.

Thanks again. Just put a deposit down on a 15hp. I'm committed now, if I struggle, I'll have to spend more time in the gym. Might make myself a trolley....

At the risk of sounding like Confucius: the trick to lifting an outboard is not to. Get yourself a sack truck and bolt a piece of wood to the top. The all you’ll have to do is lift from the car to the boat and the car to the trolly.

My 9.9 is almost as heavy as the 15 and 20s. Unless you get a 9.9 or 15 two stroke you are destined to have to carry 40+ kilos around.

I was of the understanding the 2s were a thing of the past on leisure craft? ...unless they are over twenty years old of course