On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:55:39 -0700, Jim wrote:

jps wrote:
On Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:20:17 -0700, Jim wrote:

I have a 2 stroke 18 horse Nissan on my inflatable. If I didn't own
this thing it's the outboard I'd think I wanted. 18 horses, only 80 pounds.

I want to buy a new 4 stroke, but the additional weight has me concerned.

Any recommendations on what I should look at to replace my noisy 2
stroke? Weight is a concern because it gets dragged up on the beach,
and taken out of the water every night.

What's the size of the inflatable and what horsepower is it rated for?

It's a Caribe C-12 (RIB), rated for a 35 horse.

All the responses so far tell me I should be happy with what I've got.
I want a smoother, quieter engine.

When you say it comes out each night, do you mean you have to dismount
the motor?

If you're not having to take it on and off all the time, those Honda
20 and 25's are a good choice albeit spendy. I think the 25 is
between 135 and 150 lbs (can't recall exactly) which is substantially
more than you've got now but I think your Caribe would handle it well.

I was considering replacing the Merc 25 two-stroke with the Honda but
like you I was concerned about extra weight, even tho' it was rigged
for an electric davit. It was for an 11' whaler and the 120 lb merc
was just about right. With a 25 the thing flies.

Do you have a steering station?