New dingy

D

dvan

Member
exMember
Joined
Jun 18, 2008
RO Number
30258
Messages
309
Seen on Craigslist that West Marine had there 8'dingy reg. $799.00 for $599.99. Went down to check it out and the salesman said they only had one at that price and it was sold. After expressing my dismay of going down there and not having the boat on sale he said if I was looking for a CHEAP boat (I think that was a dig) that he had a demo in the back that had a leak in it. It was a 9' reg $999.99 and he didn't want to pay the shipping to have it repaired, and he would sell it to me for $400.00. As being the cheap/thrifty guy that I am how could I pass it up. I bought it and had to take it to the nearest Zodiac warranty dealer, which is in Fremont CA. 75 miles away and a week later I have my dingy back.
So now I am thinking of a motor, because not only am I cheap/thrifty I am also lazy, and I think that rowing with the oars is going get boring pretty fast.
I am thinking about a motor with a built in gas tank, my question is, can they be laid down with gas in them, or do they have to be stood up when stored?
The dealer said the Honda 2hp ran about $850.00,and I seen on craigslist a new Briggs and stratton 5hp for $600.00, don't know anything about them.
Any suggestions on motors?
 
Some of the inflatables sold these days aren't good quality! The one you are looking at is likely PVC and not Hypalon a BIG difference! I'd rather have a good used Hypalon than a new PVC. The PVC's don't last as long so you get what you pay for, do some reading about them. I picked up a used 10' Zeppelin for $300 that needed some serious patching which I did and it's fine now. Later I found a used 1964 9.5 Evinrude for $50 and it starts on the first pull! If you are patient you will find a good deal.
 
Dennis,

PVS will be fine for you, they don't last quite as long, but most people get at least ten years out of them. I'd try to get a little bigger motor, 9.8 HP at least. You should be able to get on plane with two people in the dink which will be important if you want to head to a restaurant, go get ise, take trash to shore etc. Puttering around at a couple of miles an hour can get old quickly.
 
Dennis,

I did the same thing a year ago. I bought a used Achilles hypalon 9.5 footer and put a used Honda 2hp OB on it. I picked up the Honda for $475 at a pawn shop in Idaho. There are deals around...just keep an eye on Craigslist.

If you'd like to try out my ob on your inflatable, give me a call and we'll get together. I store the motor at my slip in the dock box on its side. Honda recommends this as one of the two acceptable stow positions. The other is upright.

BTW, the Honda pushes the dingy at 5 kts and burns a quart of gas per hour. It weighs around 26 lbs. A great feature is the centrifugal clutch which allows the engine to idle without turning the prop until you give it the gas. It's slow, but only 3 kts slower than my slow boat. I love this motor!
 
Dennis,

Another thing came to mind. I had a Mercury two stroke 9.8 HP motor that had a bad seal and the lower end was ruined. However, the top end ran great and I still have it. I know you're pretty handy and if you can find a lower end, the top end is yours free of charge. The motor is pretty old, 1969 I think, but it always ran strong and doesn't actually have that many hours on it.

On another note, I remember you said you might have a connection for batteries. I need to pick up twelve batteries equivalent to Trojan T-105's (6V 225AH) and one 8D starting battery. Drop me an email at dwitte at rhtinney dot com if you can help out.
 
Dvan,

I have one of those little Hondas, and it is great to have the tank attached and be able to lay it on it's side. In 3 years, mine has been flawless - it's a HONDA! I paid $500 for mine and it was 2 years old at the time. You seldom find them "cheap" as they are so good and bulletproof! Dave does have a good point - they are slow and if you are trying to cover any distance it can get old, but for use as a dink, running to shore, around a raft-up, or the marina, they are great!

Al - I checked your boat out and the paint is done, looked good, and the new Zincs were ready to go! I spent most of Sat - until midnight, hanging around the "A" shed with Dale and Theresa and met some great people on the other boats. Good fun, nice place! Did not get to see the office folk, but left them a nice note. Thanks Bud!
Jim
 
Dave,
If I can get anything close to ten years out of it I will be satisfied, especially for the the price I got it for. The boat says its rated for a max 8hp motor. Also I am thinking about weight, and the ease of storing when not in use. I would love to have the max speed I can get, but I may have to give it up for the different in weight.
Sent you an email.
Thanks for the advice.

Al,
I remember now that you said you had a Honda 2hp. I was thinking of a motor like that because it has a built in fuel tank, and light weight. Thanks much for the offer to try your motor, if we ever get to boat together before I get one I will take you up on your offer.
Thanks
 
Not sure, but this seems like a dumb question. Those of you that have dingys with your boats in slips and do not live aboard, where do you keep the dingy. Is there any danger of theft if you are away from the boat. I can see storing the motors in a dock box but where does the dingy get stored.

DBH
 
Some people keep them on a lift out of the water on a for-deck or aft-deck if they have the space. others may have them on a set of davits and tilted up on their sides on the swim platform. Some will keep the engines mounted if they are not tilted but a 4 stroke will need a standoff that rotates to keep the oil in the motor. If you have a 2 stroke you can run the fuel out then just tilt the dingy on its side with the engine attached since there is no oil to leak out. I think a lot of engines may be locked in place once they are tightened to the transom. Theft could occur but who ever tries is going to make some noise. I guess there is always a danger of theft but sometimes you just have to let go.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top