Everyone knows that salesmen are instructed to “upsell” to customers with the goal of achieving more turnover through their efforts. You will therefore be surprised to note that when salesmen in Budget Marine are selling outboards for use on inflatable tenders, we are mostly recommending NOT to exceed the recommended horsepower.
More Speed More Power and the Danger of Overpowering Your Boat
Many customers are assuming that some bureaucrat determined the recommended horsepower based on some exorbitantly cautious safety criteria that prevents the customer from getting the best usage and speed out of his inflatable dinghy. This is not the case and let me explain…
Basic New Outboard Motor Maintenance Tips
The main function of small inflatables in the Eastern Caribbean is to function as a tender.
If you are purchasing a tender for your teenage son to achieve the greatest speed whilst driving it, then read no further as this article does not relate to your interest.
Mostly the goal of a larger engine is to be able to plane with more people or with more provisions.
The critical item to do that is NOT just your engine horsepower but more importantly the size and type of the area in the water that your dinghy must support the planing of the dinghy. So, if you have a 10-foot dinghy and you put a bigger engine than recommended you will still not be able to plane with four people. You will also have a less balanced unit because of the heavier engine that will take more effort to handle on and off the boat, you will spend more money buying it and you will pay for more fuel, and all this will not give you benefits.
It will also be more likely to get more fouling growth through the heavier engine, the engine will have more chance of being partially submerged when tilted and the risk of the transom breaking will be increased.
Please also note that in case of an accident with an oversized engine, no insurance will cover the damages and you can be sent to jail if someone is injured.
Also Consider other Articles regarding selecting an outboard for your dinghy:
- Which Dinghy Outboard Motor is Right for You?
- How to buy a Dinghy Outboard Motor
- Electric Outboard Motor for your Dinghy
Please send in Questions for the Experts to answer in a future issue to editor@allatsea.net
