2.7-3m and 6hp solo advive

[essex]

Hi,

I am thinking of buying my first boat. I am thinking a 2.7 to 3.1m airdeck (maybe hornwave or seapro) and a 6hp 4 stroke (maybe honda, mariner tohatsu). I am planning on buying new and getting launch wheels, external 12L tank and a vhf radio. I dont plan on going out far and doing mainly estuaries bays and along the coast.

It will be mainly just me. I am concerned about the weight of the boat (approx 35kg) getting it in and out of the car and general hassle of it. Also the safety if I get a puncture or the engine conks. Also I am not sure if 6hp will be enough if there is a strong tide and offshore wind. But would a 10hp second hand stroke (vs new 6hp) be reliable and not sure about the extra weight. It seems 2 strokes are thin on the ground these days.

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated!

[Fenlander]

Hi Essex and welcome to the forum.

Would this be your first experience on the sea as well as owning a boat?

I'd say go just over your size range as a min and look at the Honwave 3.2m air floor. There is little real life difference between moving this around and something under 3m... but the feeling of room and safety on the sea will be massively increased.

Re OBs a 6hp may be a little down on performance compared with the ideal 15hp for middle size SIBs but you can't beat their weight of around 26kg for portability. If you wanted a used 10hp 4 stroke or two stroke you'd be up in the 36kg+ range which feels a fair bit heavier... but still doable.

The holy grail outboard for that SIB size has always been the Tohatsu 9.8hp 2-stroke which weighs the same as a new 6hp 4-stroke. Last legally sold for leisure use in 2006 they do come up used in clean condition sometimes. You can still buy these Tohatsu models new though if you find an enterprising dealer and have headed notepaper (?!) as they are still available for commercial use.

I'd say for a new leisure user the 39kg Honwave T32 plus a new 6hp 4-stroke or Tohatsu 9.8 2-stroke at 26kg is totally manageable and as small as I'd advise going.

Where would you travel to to launch... the Crouch... the Blackwater??

[The Gurnard]

Hi Essex ..everyone is different in what they want from a boat..and some people don’t feel safe at sea even in car ferries so size is a personal preference based on the comfort zone and wants of the owner.

Example I have covered almost the whole west coast of Scotland in a 2.75m F Rib and 6HP ..including some of the islands like Mull and Skye.. I have many videos on line to prove it. Sometimes in rough conditions as well as smooth and in tides flowing at 8 or 9 knots too...but I wouldn’t go through heavy overfalls in it ..example the Corryvrechan or the Portland Bill race..which also flow at similar or slightly faster speeds

Below are some thoughts..based on my experience..but like everyone ... it is opinion only ..not scientific rules. ..I will attach a video to back up what I say so you can see for yourself if my claims are true.

First..my 2.75 is actually a small RIB and is far more seaworthy than any fully inflatable boat of similar size that I have owned or used. Its also only suitable in size for one person at sea. Therefore I would agree with Fenlander.. a 3.2m honwave airfloor may be a good choice for you. Although I go many places and long distances in the small boat..Im seldom further than a few hundred yards from shore . If going miles out to sea..and I do regularly ..I only do it in a bigger 4.3m inflatable with more powerful outboards.

Is 6HP enough power for use at sea ?

Yes..in my opinion it definitely is if the weightcarried in the boat allows it to plane.

In the past I heard many folks say a 6hp wont plane a Honwave 3.8IE airfloor. I asked a friend who has that boat if he wanted to try a 6HP on it and he agreed. Its now his choice of outboards when going alone .. despite him also having a 20HP and a 9.9HP outboard..simply because of weight and reasonable performance. Yes..his 9.9 four stroke will get his boat going faster but like me.. he finds it difficult to carry. Everything with boats is a compromise ..and for many weight is far more important than speed.

Some will say..you need a bigger OB if the sea starts to get rough so you can get home quick. IMO that does not work in real life as I have to drop to displacement speed in the exact same conditions whether I have a 6HP on the back or using my mates 9.9HP. The sea constantly changes..so I could never work out the exact time to get back if I wanted to be able to keep on the plane

So how fast will a 6HP plane a small boat..and what weight can it plane ?

My Frib will easily plane with myself and I weight 200lb ... and all my boating..fishing.. picnic gear for a day. It rattles along around 15 miles per hour. Load it will full camping gear which for me .. includes a gallon of Guinness and a couple of litres of drinking water ..and it wont plane any more.

My mates Honwave 3.8IE is slightly slower on top speed in calmish waters ..around 13 mph. He carries a weight of boating gear, safety gear, days food and fishing stuff, his dog and himself ..total weight of around 300kg.
However when the water begins to chop up..he leaves my F Rib standing. I have to drop to displacement speeds long before he does as the small RIB rattles terribly when going fast in short sharp chop ... due to its hard flattish hull. Even if I ignore the pain barrier..I could get bounced out the wee boat. His softer airfloor hull absorbs the shock of waves and its longer length assist reducing its hulls drag , allowing him to keep up his speed in choppy conditions.

However as I said..all boats are compromise. It takes two people to carry his Honwave. Its a struggle getting it in and out the car ...never mind go down bankings if his transom wheels don’t work in rough ground. I carry the F-Rib on my back so don’t require wheels. Its easy to carry when on my shoulders (Im 65years old and definitely not a weightlifter) However I find it is my limit to lift into the car folded up. It weighs 34KG. The 6HP is 27KG and is the heaviest I would want to carry. I carry separate boat then OB when launching. I would not change my setup and its now in its 5th season.

Here is a video to let you see the performance of the wee Frib and the Honwave 3.8IE with 6HPs carrying the weights I mentioned. Its calm to begin with..but on the way back..the sea loch chopped up a bit and I was left far behind. There are other videos of both boats at sea and in different conditions too ..but this gives a good overview. (The video is in HD ..so best watched in that resolution or it can be a bit fuzzy in lower resolutions.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HkdtfeFp90

Hope that helps some..but to summerize..if weight is not an issue..get as big and as fast a boat as you can..especially if speed is why you want a boat.

If weight is your main issue..a 6HP four stroke or equivalent weight two stroke and 3.2 airfloor would possibly be a good choice..in otherwords I agree with Fenlander but used more words to pass some lockdown blues

[essex]

Hi thanks for the reply. What boat is your 2.7? Why would a 3.2 hornvave be better, more space of more sea worthy?
I would like to do as much south coast as you have done in Scotland. I have been in the highlands on a motorbike

[essex]

Hi Fenalnder thanks for the reply. Not sure where I will launch but probably ramps rather than dragging it to a beech. Why would you recommend a 3.2 vs 2.7, more sea worthy or or more space?

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by essex

What boat is your 2.7? Why would a 3.2 hornvave be better, more space of more sea worthy?

I again Essex ..yup..more space and more seaworthy ..but the word seaworthy can mean many things.

Example if you only went out in flat calm days ..IMO there is no difference whatsoever in seaworthiness between a 2.7m inflatable or a similar type at 3.2m except the obvious half meter extra length for space inside the boat.

However once you start going out in waves ..then the seaworthy aspect comes into play. A 3.2m boat is probably bigger diameter tubes than the 2.7m boat, and certainly very much more buoyant. This photo illustrates my 2.75m F –Rib beside a 3.8 Honwave and you can instantly see the front is much higher out the waterso it will take much bigger waves to wash over its sides than the smaller and lower 2.75m boat.



The 3.8m boat is also very much more buoyant than the 2.75m boat because of its size. When I sit inside my 2.75 boat in the water, the boat obviously becomes much lower in the water so there is even less height before waves can come over the side. If I then sit inside the 3.8m boat..my weight will hardly lower the bigger boat at all, in comparison with the 2.75m boat.

So it is these things that are worth considering as well as carry weight. If you had no problem lifting a 3.8IE Honwave..its a great boat but because it weights of 48Kg and large rolled up size making it difficult to carry ..its far too much for myself or my mate to lift on our own and its brutal to get in a car unless someone is assisting. The smaller 3.2 Honwave airfloor is obviously easier to lift

If money was not an issue to you ..I would certainly recommend the 2.75 F Rib. It folds into three so is compact to transport in a car boot and at 34kg is a much easier lift. The honwave 3.2 airfloor is 39 kg ..so a bit heavier but still doable for me. However the F Rib is twice the price...but it suits me perfectly

[Mikefule]

I'm a 57 year old shortarse and no longer as fit and strong as I was, and I can easily launch and recover a 3.1 metre SIB with plywood floors and a 9.9 hp 4 stroke motor, relying on transom wheels. Carrying it to and from the car is no struggle.

You should have no difficulty with the set up you have described.

A larger hull would be more comfortable and able to cope with worse conditions. A smaller engine would do the job, but not as well.

The general rule for SIBs and engines is when you're using it, bigger is better; when you're buying, storing, transporting or launching/recovering it, smaller is easier. It's always a compromise.

[The Gurnard]

Originally Posted by Mikefule

I'm a 57 year old shortarse and no longer as fit and strong as I was, and I can easily launch and recover a 3.1 metre SIB with plywood floors and a 9.9 hp 4 stroke motor, relying on transom wheels. Carrying it to and from the car is no struggle.

.

Im truly delighted for you Mike and also the many others who have no issues lifting OBs around 40KG. I appreciate loads do.

My late father was your age and said the exact same as you..just before he had to have a painful hernia operation. Lifting it out his car. Another guy I know did the exact same.

It is why I will stick with my words about lifting the weights quoted and not really impressed by your claims of how easy it is ? Especially when the OP already stated "I am concerned about the weight of the boat (approx 35kg) "

Essex..its an easy test to go to your local dealer and try lifting the outboard of your choice .then you can decide first hand if Im a woozy and Mike is da man

[Fenlander]

>>>its an easy test to go to your local dealer and try lifting the outboard of your choice

Yes good point... many folks new to boating tend to think of the weight they know they can lift easily in other goods... but an outboard is different... top heavy and often a bit slippery.... and a bit more valuable than a sack of gravel if dropped.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

>>>its an easy test to go to your local dealer and try lifting the outboard of your choice

Yes good point... many folks new to boating tend to think of the weight they know they can lift easily in other goods... but an outboard is different... top heavy and often a bit slippery.... and a bit more valuable than a sack of gravel if dropped.

I can clean lift a couple of bags(50kg) of spuds/cement/plaster onto my shoulder. A 44kg 20hp £2600 Suzuki outboard however, is a struggle to lift & manoeuvre.

[essex]

I am going to order a 3.2 hornwave on Monday. It was partly the comment from Gurnard about it being more buoyant that swung it. A couple of boat shops suggested a 2.7 would be better which made me dither! It would be nice to have the option to upgrade to a 10hp or 15hp too vs the 2.7 which will take upto 8hp

I think I need to man up about lifting the extra 5kg in and out of the car! I am 44 and 13 stone. I am going to get a trolley for the outboard and another for the boat to take them from my shed to the car.

I have always wanted a boat. When I was a child I saved up my pocket money for one but didnt get one. Recently the mooring fees have put me off getting a bigger one. The big advantage of a 3.2 inflatable is you can take it to lots of places without having to tow a trailer.

[Locozodiac]

A 320 Sib is the way to go, wouldn't want any less size to go boating with. Advantages, will plane more easily, has tad larger diam tubes, it's bit wider, tad roomier, accepts a larger HP motor and best of all more fun.

If going for a 4 stroke motor check if the next HP weights exact same, if so go for it. A 2 stroke 9.8 Tohatsu is an excellent alternative powering a 320 Sib if possible to get in top working order...

Happy Boating

[essex]

Hi Fenlander,

I have ordered my boat. I am planning on starting off in the crouch, paying to use a ramp, maybe at a yacht club. Have you launched on the crouch and if so is there anywhere you recommend to launch?

[Fenlander]

Knocked around the Crouch loads... 55yrs ago... sailing boats and pram dinghies with Seagull motors... at what is now Bridgemarsh Marina... but not much since.

I always advise West Mersea for someone in our area for a variety of reasons but it's a bit further for you.

See my info with photos post #16 onwards...

https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/launch...sea-52571.html

[essex]

After going out a few times I am glad I got the extra space of the 3.2 even when its just me.
It planes easily with just me at about 14 knots. Really glad I got it