Shaun,

Two things (at least)
Never post a good @ddress on the usenet. The spambots will grab it and
you will soon be in the 60-80 spam/day area.

Next,
Don't hold your breath for a high thrust. You don't need it. Any good
little OB will do fine. Honda's High thrust gets you more stall thrust
and better thrust astern, but at the cost of rev at cruise. My boat is
an S2-7.9 (2.2t vs 1.7t) very much the same class as your Thunderbird.
My 2000my (but not many hours) Honda 9.9 Exls will kick me to hull speed
at about two thirds power, but at WOT it picks me up maybe 0.1 knots and
burns twice the fuel. A friend with a sister boat and a newer H9.9 HT
has to crank it up to stay with me. This engine is about 50kg (108lbs)

An alternator capable of ~10 amp at rated speed will add maybe 0.5Kg.
Electric start adds 6+Kg not including cable and battery. While the
alternator is real nice to have, the only reason I have the electric
start is because my wife and daughter also sail and neither was
comfortable with the hang your body over the transon routine to get the
engine going. My Ex shaft added at least 3Kg.

Fair Wind and Smooth Sea
Matt Colie



Shaun Van Poecke wrote:
Larry makes a good point.

What outboard do you have? Maybe an alternator can be added to it.


At the moment i've got a honda 2HP 4 stoke. I'd hate to fit an alternator
to it for double the weight and half the power ;-) Ive been looking over
the last 3 months for a second hand Honda 9.9 4stroke high thrust,
preferably one only a couple of years old. Honda dealers in sydney are
trying to sell these new with all the forward controls and without a tiller
for AU$3,300. Id be pretty happy to get one a couple of years old in the
plain vanilla tiller control which has an electric start and an alternator
for maybe AU$1500. Then i would have a bit of power and i can use the 2
pony on my dinghy, and as a backup motor.

Shaun