Date: 12/29/2005
Name: Dan Cassedy
email: daniel_cassedy@urscorp.com
subject:outboards
Here's my inexperienced two-cents. I just got a Mark I this fall and it came with an old Mariner 3.5 motor that died the first time I put it in the water. I went looking for a new motor thinking I would go for something in the 3.5 to 5 hp range, but I fell in love with the long shaft Honda four-stroke 2 hp. I was worried it would be too small, but it does just fine for my small lake sailing (I may sing a different tune when I try it in heavy current). What I love is that it is feather-weight - so easy to carry around and not much load on the stern - plus it has an air-cooled, reliable, less-polluting motor. Finally, it has no gears - it has a centrifugal clutch like a chain saw so the prop spins when you rev it up - and to go in reverse, you just flip the handle and rotate the whole motor 180 degrees. I got mine new with a 3 year warranty for about $800 in Durham, NC. A little expensive, but I'm worth it!
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