hi any ideas on which outboard 5hp or 6hp is best suited to a 19 foot boat for irish lakes.thinking in buying a honda bf5.What do ye think.

In this case bigger is better,I'm sure the Irish guy's will chip in.but 8hp would probably be best for the big irish lochs.But of the 2 you mention the 6 would be better.

Jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

From experience of just how rough it can get out there I wouldn't be happy with anything less than 8hp. You've got to consider the distances to be travelled as well.

A 4-6 will only really power a 12ft
A 8 will power a 15ft -20ft but a 10 or 12 would be better.

If your going for a 19ft clinker boat and loch fishing, I would definitely go with a 10hp or bigger, make sure it takes an external fuel tank as refuelling on a rough loch is no fun at all.

Tohatsu's are reliable and often rebranded as nissans or mariners. They do a reasonably priced 10hp for only about £100 more than their 8hp.

Example of prices.

http://www.leisure-boat.co.uk/catalo...oards/tohatsu/

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Just My Tuppenceworth!!

Honda 5 would be fine. I've got one. There's no real difference between a 5 or 6HP. The 6 just seems to rev higher than the 5. Same for the 8 to 10. No real power advantage in getting a 10 over a 8. I've got a Honda 8 on a 22ft converted yatch. One thing you you need to consider is the weight, are you going to leave it on the boat all season or take it home every night ? 4 stroke engines are fec'n heavy, you'd do well to lift a 8hp on and off the boat every day and carry it to your car. Don't get caught up in the 'my engines bigger than yours' nonsense.

Can you guys in Ireland only use 4 strokes on the lakes now? What about HPDI 2-Strokes that are 2012 emissions compliant?

DJ very rightly brings up the weight issue. For occasional use and use where you'll be taking it on and off the boat and lugging it around, I'd avoid 4 strokes if possible. The fuel savings don't justify the huge weight gain IMO. I helped a friend of my father's take his 25 HP Yamaha off his boat for the winter just this past fall. I knew it would be heavy, but I could not believe just HOW heavy it was. It could well weigh a 30% more than my 25 HP 2 stroke.

I would not underestimate this point. Even in the lower horsepower categories weight is a significant issue.

If I was buying a new motor today, I'd almost certainly buy an Evinrude ETEC HPDI 2 stroke. All the advantages of a 4 stroke, more power, simplicity, and light weight of the 2 stroke. No oil changes, auto cylinder fogging for storage, vastly fewer moving parts. Best of both worlds if you ask me.

If I had to buy a 4 stroke, I'd get a Mercury. In the lower HP categories, I believe these are made by Tohatsu, which I've also heard good things about.

In the old-school outboards, the 1970s and 80s Johnsons, Evinrudes, and Mercurys should not be dismissed if you can use them. They are simple, powerful, and tremendously reliable. Newer, IMO, is not always better when it comes to outboards.

Personally, I've never met anyone who wished that they'd bought less horsepower. I fish for fun and the petrol outboard is to get me to the fishing and home. Faster open-water running = more fishing time.

Grouse