Another Cave Diving Boat Question

[IowaCaveDiver]

Ok.... long story short, I still need a motor for my inflatable. I'm looking for a 15 or 20HP tiller outboard. I'd really like to get my hands on one of those "canadian fish camp" 1 year old used motors that I've heard about and seen on the net, but the only people I see selling them are "smalloutboards.com" and they have not been very friendly. Anybody know where else I could find one of these or similar? I don't have the cash to drop on a brand new motor but don't want an old hunk of junk.
... rowing the boat from Edd's to hole in the wall is about as far as I want to be rowing.

-Matt

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Keep an eye on Craigs List and ebay. My buddy just picked up a 15hp outboard for $200, new waterpump empeller, plugs, and wires, and she was purring decently enough.

What type of inflatable did you end up with?

[IowaCaveDiver]

I found a great deal (also on craigs list) from a guy while I was down in the keys on a 11.5' Achilles Hypalon inflatable... inflatable hull, hard wooden floor, has some years on it but is in great shape. Holds air solid, all components are in great shape and the guy even put in a reinforced transom on... looks pretty good for a 1983 model! So I'm super happy with the boat, just not sitting too well in the motor department. I ended buying another boat/motor/trailer to get my hands on a motor... only paid $700 for that and sold the boat and trailer two days later for $400....so $300 got me a 20hp 1977 2 stroke Mercury outboard... but it is not running well at all and I can't get it figured out. I dropped it off at the local marine mechanic today to see if it is worth spending any money on. Wish I had the cash to pickup a new motor, but $2-3K is way out of my budget.

[Kelly Jessop]

Have you looked at the Briggs and Stratton 4 stroke 5hp motor? Good price and the maintenance will be fairly easy

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I found a great deal (also on craigs list) from a guy while I was down in the keys on a 11.5' Achilles Hypalon inflatable... inflatable hull, hard wooden floor, has some years on it but is in great shape. Holds air solid, all components are in great shape and the guy even put in a reinforced transom on... looks pretty good for a 1983 model! So I'm super happy with the boat, just not sitting too well in the motor department. I ended buying another boat/motor/trailer to get my hands on a motor... only paid $700 for that and sold the boat and trailer two days later for $400....so $300 got me a 20hp 1977 2 stroke Mercury outboard... but it is not running well at all and I can't get it figured out. I dropped it off at the local marine mechanic today to see if it is worth spending any money on. Wish I had the cash to pickup a new motor, but $2-3K is way out of my budget.

Nice

[FW]

Have you looked at the Briggs and Stratton 4 stroke 5hp motor? Good price and the maintenance will be fairly easy

True, but if he gets on a fast moving river in the springtime, he won't be able to go upstream.

[Kelly Jessop]

True, but if he gets on a fast moving river in the springtime, he won't be able to go upstream.

You'd be surprised what lower horsepower can do. I use a Mercury 9.9,and it handles everything well that you expect to encounter on most of the rivers in Florida and Georgia. More horsepower isn't always your friend,because a heavy motor can be hard to deal with in shallow areas,and shoals. I have a friend of mine with a 25hp,and he has to pull his boat by hand around some shoals where I can ride through since he sits a little lower to the bottom. That Briggs 5hp is great because it is cheap-around $700,is 4 stroke because places are starting to ban 2 stroke,and the maintenance is cheap-outboards cost a fortune to service.

[huvr]

Up here in the land of 10,000 lakes there are many outboards for sale due to the sagging economy. U should be able to find a couple hundred dollar motor easily on craigs anyday of the week around here. Personally, I find them no more difficult to maintain than a dirt bike or lawnmower. If you can service a reg. you can surely service an outboard. I like the Mercury brand as I have a couple of them and they can be put up wet and left for months and always start when you ask them to.

[IowaCaveDiver]

what area specifically are you from... I'll search craigs list there.

-Matt

[Benthic]

The 'Land of 10,000 Lakes' would be Minnesota.

Brian