[Rhodes22-list]Raz's Motor

[Mary Lou Troy]

Guess I have to step in and say my piece on motors. My own experience only 
- no recommendations. We have a '98 Honda 8. I can start it. For Fred, who 
has longer arms, stronger muscles and better technique, it starts on the 
first or second pull. For me it's usually the 3rd or 4th. (yeah, I throw 
like a girl, too ;-) It runs reliably. We have it serviced once a year at 
the dealer (Hilton Marine in Newark Delaware) whether it needs it or not. 
It's a lot of weight on the stern but I think it's lighter than the newer 
Hondas by 10 or 15 lbs.  We motor through cuts like the Kent Narrows bridge 
into strong currents and appreciate the power. Its best feature beyond 
reliability is that it is very quiet. I know some of you hate to motor but 
we would rather motor than stay home when there is no wind. We often go 
someplace on a windy day and then have to motor home in the flat calm on 
the next. We took this to extremes on our recent 9 day cruise motoring 60 
miles in two days with the wind on the nose. We could have sailed but then 
they would have been 20 hour days instead of 6 hour days and we did have to 
get home. They were very pleasant days.

These are some things we kept in mind when choosing a motor for the 
Chesapeake. Just because there's a great wind now, there may not be a great 
wind or any wind at all later. There are some places with very strong 
currents. There are very big, fast moving ships and barges.  You do not 
want to be becalmed with a hard-to start motor in the path of one of these. 
There are really fierce t'storms that can come up suddenly. We didn't want 
the weight came with electric start.

Mary Lou
1991 R22 Fretless
Swan Creek, MD / Ft. Washington, PA

At 10:42 AM 10/4/2004 -0400, you wrote:
>Raz,
>Historically speaking, your Honda 8 four stroke is not an old motor.
>Unfortunately it's just another example of what I've been trying to say 
>for the  past
>two years: the technology in the current line of four strokes isn't
>dependable. Their is proof to support my argument. Most proud owners won't 
>admit  that
>they are having problems with them.
>As Bill suggested, with the little use sailors actually give their motors,
>you might want to try the 2 cycle. I know of five list members that have the
>Tohatsu 8 and they swear by them, not at them. They start first pull every
>time.  Even my wife can start it. They weigh about 52 pounds and burn a 
>gallon of
>gas  an hour at full throttle.
>
>Rummy
>__________________________________________________
>Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list