Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

[moomoo485]

I have a 12 foot "the Dingster" from U.S. Sail Inc. It is a triangle shaped front with a square back. My questions is that I might have to put a motor on it. The recommended motor on the yellow weight label is 2-3 hp. The motor that I have available is a 5 hp gas outboard. Is it safe to put this engine on my boat? The engine does fit on the engine mount properly and the weight/size fits into the recommended size and weight warning. The only problem is the HP (2 HP difference).

Thanks,
Captain of the 16th Notes

 

[moomoo485]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

I have a 12 foot "the Dingster" from U.S. Sail Inc. It is a triangle shaped front with a square back. My questions is that I might have to put a motor on it. The recommended motor on the yellow weight label is 2-3 hp. The motor that I have available is a 5 hp gas outboard. Is it safe to put this engine on my boat? The engine does fit and does fall safely into the recommended engine weight and size. Only problem is the HP.

Thanks,
Captain of the 16th Notes

 

[tommays]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

NO please NO to much for the rateing on the hull

Tommays

 

[flashback]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

If the 5hp is within the weight range for the boat, then just run it at half throttle.d

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

I have a 12 foot "the Dingster" from U.S. Sail Inc. It is a triangle shaped front with a square back. My questions is that I might have to put a motor on it. The recommended motor on the yellow weight label is 2-3 hp. The motor that I have available is a 5 hp gas outboard. Is it safe to put this engine on my boat? The engine does fit on the engine mount properly and the weight/size fits into the recommended size and weight warning. The only problem is the HP (2 HP difference).

Thanks,
Captain of the 16th Notes

Hmm...I wouldn't, but you could probably get away with it if it's a lightweight 5hp...one of those air-cooled jobbies.

However, if you have a good-running 5hp outboard, finding someone who wants to trade a 2 or 3 hp outboard for it should be very simple. Post an advertisment on local boating bulletin boards or on the boat section of your local craigslist. Someone'll offer you a good smaller one for your bigger one.

 

[PW2]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

Why would you want to put any outboard on a 12 ft sailboat? Propulsion is why you have sails.

 

[jay_merrill]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

A 5hp motor on a 12' boat shouldn't be a problem. Just take it easy when you first start using the boat/motor to see how the boat handles. Really, the major consideration isn't the number on the plate, per se, but some of the possible consequences if you have an accident. The Coast Guard or state marine patrol isn't going to give you a ticket for having a motor above the manufacturers rating. What can happen, however, is that your insurance company may try to deny a claim based on the engine size, or someone may use the fact that you "overpowered" the boat to sue you for injuries, etc. While my next comment is purely opinion, I would be a lot more concerned about this if I were putting a 100hp engine on a boat rated for 50hp.


PS: Well, well, well! I made Seaman on this post! This is a good thing because, after all, I was a Seaman Apprentice 34 years ago!

 

[Martinique]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

Jay is right. Just use it and take it easy. 2 hp is nothing to be concerned with.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

The suggestion for maximum hp on the plate should not be exceeded due to liability. Also, many states have changed their laws and you are subject to a citation for exceeding the recommended limit. Florida changed it several years ago and people are cited here.

 

[flwestcoastboater]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

The GURU is correct!

also... 5hp on a tiny boat is unsafe! It could easily throw you overboard if there is lots of wake. My boat is rated for 7 hp, I use a 5hp and it is scarily fast for a no-seat tiller handle control.

 

[BillP]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

The suggestion for maximum hp on the plate should not be exceeded due to liability. Also, many states have changed their laws and you are subject to a citation for exceeding the recommended limit. Florida changed it several years ago and people are cited here.

I spoke with FWC last yr and they are giving tickets for this...and also ticketing cable steering. That's the only reason I wouldn't do it now...but yrs ago I ran a 4hp on several dinks that were rated for 2 & 3hp. In reality they only needed 1.5hp and just squatted the stern if I throttle up higher. No speed increase.

 

[evinice66]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

GO ELECTRIC!!!!!!!!!! i have used a transom mount 27 pound thrust motor on high speed for 4 hours straight on many different boats up to 300 lbs with a blue top optima! brand new battery:200$ motor:100$ nice battery charger: 60$ FOR 360$ YOU CONNOT BEAT THE NEVER ENDING ELETRIC MOTOR!!!!!!! there are so many benifits you can imagine! that being said make sure you take care of your battery and youll never look back.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Engine on Dingy Question! Plz Help!

So we were out shopping and it's getting close to dinner time. We wheel into Cheeseburger in Paradise since my grandson likes the onion strings. We all order some type of burger. Noone really gobbled them down. They were so-so, I would have expected better for the price. I wouldn't order burgers there again. Service was merely fair. So we finish and I go up to the register to pay and a young guy says, I can take care of you. He asks how my meal was. I say "okay" in a monotone voice. He says "only okay?". I went on to explain how it wasn't what I expected. He gave me a gift certificate for $15 and pleaded with me to give it another try. Heck, I thought he was a waiter he was so young and I didn't expect a gift certificate. Well, I've been there before just never tried the burgers. Guess I'll stick to the dinner dishes which aren't bad.