A nice Johnson. . .

[Kim Whitmyre]

Hey, I've got my eye on a nice running Johnson 6hp 2-cylinder Sailmaster 2-cycle long-shaft outboard with the "mickey mouse ear" prop. Reason being, everything I've heard about these motors is good: idles very slow and smooth, much more torque, and the flat-bladed prop really grabs the water. Adds up to more push going home thru the chop when the clock interferes with sailing.;)

My 5hp Nissan(Tohatsu) runs great, but with the greater pitch on the prop stopping or starting the (displacement) boat is a gradual thing. I can get a lower-pitch prop for it, but I can't get another cylinder. . .Sounds like a no-brainer to me, especially since the Johnson only weighs 55lbs, very close to what the Nissan weighs. With my small catamaran, I want as light a motor as possible hanging off the aft beam. The newer motors generally weigh 30 lbs more, and the added weight is not really useful, except for giving me a hernia!

So, I'm gonna go back in time to get what I want!:D

[pcford]

Thought this had something to do with those spams I've been getting.

[Thorne]

I used one for years on my SJ21, and it ran great until I let a local mechanic "improve" the design. Can be a bit hefty and awkward when mounting and unmounting afloat, but you already know that.

How small is your small cat? Sure seems like the 2hp Honda or other good-quality air-cooled motor might be fast enough and significantly lighter.

[Kim Whitmyre]

No bodies in this picture, but you can see the 5hp Nissan for scale.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2172/2230316014_7e364b94dd_b.jpg

It's 26', with a beam of 14'8". Having gone against the late afternoon chop off Palos Verdes, I wouldn't want anything smaller!

[Paul Fitzgerald]

I've had them both, prefer the Tohatsu (Nissan) 5. More power and torque, much lighter, although a bit noisier.
Dont sell the Nissan, you will regret it.

[Hwyl]

Johnsons have been nothing but trouble for me. (entendre intended)

[Ron Carter]

Parts are readily available and there are still a few knowledgable mechanics left. Set up right it will outlast the boat. My son has one on a Catalina 22 and loves it.

[Rich VanValkenburg]

I have a Johnson 9 1/2 on Sonja. I rebuilt it last year and it runs great. One of the Port Huron 30 square meter owners bought a Korean or some other foreign 5 hp last year and are regretting it. No power, noisy, not the best motor against the St Clair River current.

[Thorne]

One issue for me was that my SailMaster 6 had a small alternator -- but I never used it. If I needed to charge the battery I just hooked up to shore power or pulled the battery from the big boat and charged it elsewhere.

So that means that I hoisted, heaved, strained and groaned over the weight of a piece of hardware in that motor that never really got used. As I recall it generated less than a medium-size solar panel anyway...

[lofting4fun]

Thore has alternator envy