Seeking advice on Redundancy

[drive2quik]

Hello everyone this is a great forum that you all have here, well here goes. I own a 1981 Cobia 19.5' cuddy cabin with 80 HP Mercury Outboard (also from 1981 I would expect). My question is how much of a motor do I need as a backup to get me back to the marina if the current one craps out when I am out in the middle of a body of water? The Mercury is a two stroke so I would need another two stroke motor so that I do not need more than one type of fuel onboard. I have seen 9 HP outboards going for $1000 or more online, both new and used. If I am going to throw down some serious cash for a backup I want it to be the right choice. Thanks for your time.

 

[Laddies]

Re: Seeking advice on Redundancy

I would think that a 7 to 10 hp would work well and most mounts are for that size engine, however in the right weather maybe one might want another 80, you best know your situation and the size of lake you will use it in.--Bob

 

[Realgun]

Re: Seeking advice on Redundancy

It depends on how fast you want to go and the conditions you least expect like wind and waves. You could get a 2.5 and get back or you could get blown backwards depending on the day. I would think a 5 or 7.5 would be enough but I don't know your boat or lake(s).<br /><br />I dont think it hurts to use 50:1 in a 4 stroke motor as long as you not doing it all the time. and most small engines have their own tank.

 

[lingcod]

Re: Seeking advice on Redundancy

do not make your decision on the fuel type. I have seen 2 boats get towed in from neah bay that had "engine trouble" both were fuel related. if you use a kicker motor, use a seperate fuel tank. if you have real engine problems and are too far from shore on the kickers tank then you could always cut the main tanks hose and refuel. but if you got water in the main tank, both engines would be useless<br /><br />lingcod

 

[Solittle]

Re: Seeking advice on Redundancy

I would look around for a 9.9 Johnny/Rude. They will last forever if given good care and have enough oooomphh for a 19.5 cuddy even if a bit of wind comes up - a smaller engine will push it but will be hard pressed in any wind.

 

[daveswaves]

Re: Seeking advice on Redundancy

My vote is for a 9.9, I have a 7.5 on my 20 foot cuddy i/o and its just not quite enough....sometimes.

 

[dajohnson53]

Re: Seeking advice on Redundancy

If you're worried about water in the fuel, get a water separating filter and maintain it meticulously. You'll never have water problems. <br /><br />I'm in the camp of having a two stroke kicker if your main is two stroke, even if you plan to use a separate fuel tank. If you run out you can siphon some fuel out of the main tank for the kicker. I wouldn't want to rely on going 25 miles on a 4 stroke kicker if I had to use mixed fuel to get in.<br /><br />If your main is 4 stroke, get either 2 or 4 stroke because you can use the main's plain fuel and mix in oil for the two stroke or use as-is for the 4 stroke. <br /><br />The choice would depend on whether weight is a factor. For me, I much prefer two stroke kickers just because they're a little easier to handle weight wise and I don't mind the smoke off the back of the boat. I can pretty much easily handle a 10-15 hp 2 stroke, but a similar HP 4 stroke is a little too heavy for me. Just an opinion, of course. I dont' think there is any question about the reliability and longevity of either, properly maintained.