People have been running outboards on canoes for years; Grumman used to sell
a side-mount kit for their double-ender canoes (as opposed to their
square-stern canoes that would accept a motor without an extra bracket)

I side-mounted an Evenrude 6hp on a 17' Chestnut Prospector using a
home-made birch mount, with decent results, but had two specific problems to
solve. The first was that the motor would cavitate long before getting up
to speed. I rigged some birch bark on the motor's cavitation plate and
along the side of the canoe to eliminate this. The second was the added
weight of both the motor and me crammed near the stern of the canoe. I was
forced to carry extra weight in the bow to counteract this, which of course
lessened the efficiency of a light load, but allowed me to go against the
Yukon River current solo quite easily (the river current was around 4-6 kts
and I could go upstream about 4-6 kts). The only other problem was the
cramped position the operator required to run the motor. The Chestnut is a
high-sided canoe made for carrying a load so, even with a substantial load,
another adult and camping gear for a few weeks, I had little concern of
flipping. The torque from the motor did make initial runs feel somewhat
unstable but was soon just part of the ride.

Brad Snow
s/v Aldonza

"Al D" wrote in message
...

I stumbled accross an old Evinrude Junior outboard motor today in a
local chandlers: asking price £60. They assure me it's in good working
order. It looks like it's well over 10 years old. I have the option of
taking it back if I'm not happy. Research tells me it's probably 2hp.
Does this sound like a good deal? I want it to power a 14ft open
canoe. Have never owned an outboard motor before. Can anyone give me
any tips on faults to look out for, or where I can obtain an owner's
manual or any such helpful info? The guy in the shop says "you just
put fuel in (50:1) and off you go; there's nothing much else to worry
about." He says I can lay it flat in the boot of my car when it's not
in use. Is that correct?

Thanks for any info...

Al D

On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 17:56:05 GMT, "padeen"
wrote:

People have been running outboards on canoes for years; Grumman used to sell
a side-mount kit for their double-ender canoes (as opposed to their
square-stern canoes that would accept a motor without an extra bracket)

I side-mounted an Evenrude 6hp on a 17' Chestnut Prospector using a
home-made birch mount, with decent results, but had two specific problems to
solve. The first was that the motor would cavitate long before getting up
to speed. I rigged some birch bark on the motor's cavitation plate and
along the side of the canoe to eliminate this. The second was the added
weight of both the motor and me crammed near the stern of the canoe. I was
forced to carry extra weight in the bow to counteract this, which of course
lessened the efficiency of a light load, but allowed me to go against the
Yukon River current solo quite easily (the river current was around 4-6 kts
and I could go upstream about 4-6 kts). The only other problem was the
cramped position the operator required to run the motor. The Chestnut is a
high-sided canoe made for carrying a load so, even with a substantial load,
another adult and camping gear for a few weeks, I had little concern of
flipping. The torque from the motor did make initial runs feel somewhat
unstable but was soon just part of the ride.


Hi Brad, Thanks for the input. Yes, I always have a load of camping
gear with me too, so the bow is usually well-weighted down. The motor
I am currently playing with is very light too.

Al D

I started out with a 4-horse, which was more than adequate for that canoe,
and a tidy bit lighter, but Evenrude had problems that year (1976) with
their 4-horse block getting enough cooling, so I upgraded to the 6. This
worked quite well as I later upgraded (downgraded; wood-canvas to aluminum)
to a Grumman 19' square-stern and the 6 pushed that along beautifully,
hauling over #1200 of chum salmon at a time.
Brad



"Al D" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 22 Jun 2006 17:56:05 GMT, "padeen"
wrote:

People have been running outboards on canoes for years; Grumman used to
sell
a side-mount kit for their double-ender canoes (as opposed to their
square-stern canoes that would accept a motor without an extra bracket)

I side-mounted an Evenrude 6hp on a 17' Chestnut Prospector using a
home-made birch mount, with decent results, but had two specific problems
to
solve. The first was that the motor would cavitate long before getting up
to speed. I rigged some birch bark on the motor's cavitation plate and
along the side of the canoe to eliminate this. The second was the added
weight of both the motor and me crammed near the stern of the canoe. I
was
forced to carry extra weight in the bow to counteract this, which of
course
lessened the efficiency of a light load, but allowed me to go against the
Yukon River current solo quite easily (the river current was around 4-6
kts
and I could go upstream about 4-6 kts). The only other problem was the
cramped position the operator required to run the motor. The Chestnut is
a
high-sided canoe made for carrying a load so, even with a substantial
load,
another adult and camping gear for a few weeks, I had little concern of
flipping. The torque from the motor did make initial runs feel somewhat
unstable but was soon just part of the ride.


Hi Brad, Thanks for the input. Yes, I always have a load of camping
gear with me too, so the bow is usually well-weighted down. The motor
I am currently playing with is very light too.

Al D

On Fri, 23 Jun 2006 02:49:07 GMT, "padeen"
wrote:

I started out with a 4-horse, which was more than adequate for that canoe,
and a tidy bit lighter, but Evenrude had problems that year (1976) with
their 4-horse block getting enough cooling, so I upgraded to the 6. This
worked quite well as I later upgraded (downgraded; wood-canvas to aluminum)
to a Grumman 19' square-stern and the 6 pushed that along beautifully,
hauling over #1200 of chum salmon at a time.
Brad

That's a lot of salmon! I got my Evinrude 2hp motor working yesterday.
All it needed was a new HT lead and a bit of adjustment on the mixture
screws.

It has two mixture screws on the carb: one above the other. I assume
one is for fuel and the other for air. I wish I knew which was which.
The top screw seems to like to be in the fully clockwise (minimum)
position. Anything else causes the engine to falter.

AL D

Please don't take my word as fact; I'm not really a very knowledgable small
engine mechanic, but I think one screw is idle and the other is power
(cruising rpm). AND, there is some danger in running an engine too lean as
it runs hotter and can burn rungs. If it won't run anywhere else, check the
air filter. Also, a jet that will run best only closed is a worn jet.
Bottom line: run it where it runs best. Good luck.

That six horse Evenrude sure gave some service. I ran it for three years,
probably 3hrs a day for 150 days a year, then sold it to a friend who got
another six years from it as a spare. Its biggest problem was that the top
"bearing" wasn't a real bearing; just sleeved in the aluminum block. When
it got older the shaft would wobble, causing the points to become inaccurate
and the motor to start hard and run lousy. Still worked, though.

The other problem was that the Yukon was heavily silt-laden so we'd go
through a water pump rebuild kit every year.

Brad




"Al D" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 23 Jun 2006 02:49:07 GMT, "padeen"
wrote:

I started out with a 4-horse, which was more than adequate for that canoe,
and a tidy bit lighter, but Evenrude had problems that year (1976) with
their 4-horse block getting enough cooling, so I upgraded to the 6. This
worked quite well as I later upgraded (downgraded; wood-canvas to
aluminum)
to a Grumman 19' square-stern and the 6 pushed that along beautifully,
hauling over #1200 of chum salmon at a time.
Brad

That's a lot of salmon! I got my Evinrude 2hp motor working yesterday.
All it needed was a new HT lead and a bit of adjustment on the mixture
screws.

It has two mixture screws on the carb: one above the other. I assume
one is for fuel and the other for air. I wish I knew which was which.
The top screw seems to like to be in the fully clockwise (minimum)
position. Anything else causes the engine to falter.

AL D

On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 06:26:31 GMT, "padeen"
wrote:

Please don't take my word as fact; I'm not really a very knowledgable small
engine mechanic, but I think one screw is idle and the other is power
(cruising rpm).

AND, there is some danger in running an engine too lean as
it runs hotter and can burn rungs. If it won't run anywhere else, check the
air filter.

I will. Thanks for the suggestion.

Also, a jet that will run best only closed is a worn jet.

Could be...

That six horse Evenrude sure gave some service. I ran it for three years,
probably 3hrs a day for 150 days a year, then sold it to a friend who got
another six years from it as a spare.

That's reassuring!

Its biggest problem was that the top
"bearing" wasn't a real bearing; just sleeved in the aluminum block. When
it got older the shaft would wobble, causing the points to become inaccurate
and the motor to start hard and run lousy. Still worked, though.

The other problem was that the Yukon was heavily silt-laden so we'd go
through a water pump rebuild kit every year.

Hmm.. I have that problem too... the water I canoe in is not clear but
somewhat muddy.

Still, if I can even get one or two years of life out of it, it will
have been worth the money I paid. It certainly seems ideal for my
purposes.

I'm thinking of building a bracket that will sit the motor directly
behind, and in-line with the center-line of the boat -so no steering
compensation will be required.

Al D

I never found steering compensation a problem with a side mount. The main
problems with rigging the motor off the stern are thus:
* It's harder to reach the motor for adjustment, pulling up, fiddling with,
or shutting off.
* It puts the motor's weight that much further back from the center of the
canoe, requiring more ballast to compensate for it.
* There's more structural rigging, adding more weight.

If you do try this route, I'd suggest arms back to a flat piece for the
motor coming from pivots on the gunwhales, with some form of adjustable
stops to vary the prop's bite. Any more of the motor down into the water
beyond the anti-cavitation plate increases its drag exponentially.

Personally, I think the side mount would work fine, and be a good deal less
trouble, but this world is built on "bad" ideas that turn out to be
earth-shatteringly effective!

Brad Snow
s/v Aldonza



"Al D" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 27 Jun 2006 06:26:31 GMT, "padeen"
wrote:

Please don't take my word as fact; I'm not really a very knowledgable
small
engine mechanic, but I think one screw is idle and the other is power
(cruising rpm).

AND, there is some danger in running an engine too lean as
it runs hotter and can burn rungs. If it won't run anywhere else, check
the
air filter.

I will. Thanks for the suggestion.

Also, a jet that will run best only closed is a worn jet.

Could be...

That six horse Evenrude sure gave some service. I ran it for three years,
probably 3hrs a day for 150 days a year, then sold it to a friend who got
another six years from it as a spare.

That's reassuring!

Its biggest problem was that the top
"bearing" wasn't a real bearing; just sleeved in the aluminum block. When
it got older the shaft would wobble, causing the points to become
inaccurate
and the motor to start hard and run lousy. Still worked, though.

The other problem was that the Yukon was heavily silt-laden so we'd go
through a water pump rebuild kit every year.

Hmm.. I have that problem too... the water I canoe in is not clear but
somewhat muddy.

Still, if I can even get one or two years of life out of it, it will
have been worth the money I paid. It certainly seems ideal for my
purposes.

I'm thinking of building a bracket that will sit the motor directly
behind, and in-line with the center-line of the boat -so no steering
compensation will be required.

Al D

padeen wrote:

snip
... but allowed me to go against the
Yukon River current solo quite easily (the river current was around 4-6 kts
and I could go upstream about 4-6 kts).

Brad, if my memory serves me (and this is not something I ever want to
count on, these days) your cabin was about 40 miles downriver from
Eagle.

I know you back-country types are self-sufficient jacks-of-all-trades,
but I wonder what your back-up plan was for the event of catastrophic
and irreparable failure of that motor?

Just ponderin' this matter, I thought, well, wouldn't it be better if
you lived UPRIVER of your connection to the outside world, so that in
such a case you could float with the current to the place where you
would have to have a replacement engine (or parts) delivered?

Or was your mind-set such that you preferred to have the option to have
the current help you get HOME to your cabin, and you'd deal later with
the problem of getting to town?


-Richard, His Kanubic Travesty
--

================================================== ====================
Richard Hopley Winston-Salem, NC, USA
rhopley[at]earthlink[dot]net
Nothing really matters except Boats, Sex, and Rock'n'Roll
rhopley[at]wfubmc[dot]edu
OK, OK; computer programming for scientific research also matters
================================================== ====================

Hey Richard, your memory is still functioning; the cabin is five miles up
the Nation River, whose mouth is forty six miles down the Yukon from Eagle.

The 4-horse did seize 1/3 the way back to Eagle on its first run (which is
how I found out about Evenrude's problem), so we pulled out the spa 100'
of 9mm climbing rope. With one end of the rope tied to each end of the
canoe and a bight 1/4 back from the bow in hand, the canoe would "track"
nicely out in the current as I walked along the bank. Hell, after the
disappointment of the motor sh***ing the bed, it turned out to be a
beautiful three-day walk back to Eagle. Lilly, my wife at the time, enjoyed
the tracking, so that left me to look for small game, take pictures, and
daydream.

In a pressing emergency there was always the option (in the summer) of
heading downriver from the Nation the one hundred or so miles to Circle,
which was connected to Fairbanks by a 152 mile dirt road. The float would
take about 20-30 hours depending on the wind.

If you want to see some pictures, go to:
http://uaf-db.uaf.edu/Jukebox/PJWeb/proguseyuch.htm agree to the simple
terms, click on "Interviews" on the left, and "Brad Snow" fifth from the
bottom on the right, then "Click here to go to slide #1" and page through
the slides until you see what you want. There's also commentary about the
slides if you click on the audio icon. This site is the product of the Oral
History Department at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks Campus, and was
funded in part by the US Park Service, who, despite the US Congress' intent
to preserve the subsistance lifestyle along the Yukon, has managed to force
everyone off the land.

Brad







"Oci-One Kanubi" wrote in message
oups.com...
padeen wrote:

snip
... but allowed me to go against the
Yukon River current solo quite easily (the river current was around 4-6
kts
and I could go upstream about 4-6 kts).

Brad, if my memory serves me (and this is not something I ever want to
count on, these days) your cabin was about 40 miles downriver from
Eagle.

I know you back-country types are self-sufficient jacks-of-all-trades,
but I wonder what your back-up plan was for the event of catastrophic
and irreparable failure of that motor?

Just ponderin' this matter, I thought, well, wouldn't it be better if
you lived UPRIVER of your connection to the outside world, so that in
such a case you could float with the current to the place where you
would have to have a replacement engine (or parts) delivered?

Or was your mind-set such that you preferred to have the option to have
the current help you get HOME to your cabin, and you'd deal later with
the problem of getting to town?


-Richard, His Kanubic Travesty
--

================================================== ====================
Richard Hopley Winston-Salem, NC, USA
rhopley[at]earthlink[dot]net
Nothing really matters except Boats, Sex, and Rock'n'Roll
rhopley[at]wfubmc[dot]edu
OK, OK; computer programming for scientific research also matters
================================================== ====================

When were you up there? That sounds like a pretty nice life, were you
studying, or just living up there? Saw a recent PBS special on the
Murry's, and they were up there in the 50s and 60s, and had quite a
storry to tell! HYY


padeen wrote:
Hey Richard, your memory is still functioning; the cabin is five miles up
the Nation River, whose mouth is forty six miles down the Yukon from Eagle.

The 4-horse did seize 1/3 the way back to Eagle on its first run (which is
how I found out about Evenrude's problem), so we pulled out the spa 100'
of 9mm climbing rope. With one end of the rope tied to each end of the
canoe and a bight 1/4 back from the bow in hand, the canoe would "track"
nicely out in the current as I walked along the bank. Hell, after the
disappointment of the motor sh***ing the bed, it turned out to be a
beautiful three-day walk back to Eagle. Lilly, my wife at the time, enjoyed
the tracking, so that left me to look for small game, take pictures, and
daydream.

In a pressing emergency there was always the option (in the summer) of
heading downriver from the Nation the one hundred or so miles to Circle,
which was connected to Fairbanks by a 152 mile dirt road. The float would
take about 20-30 hours depending on the wind.

If you want to see some pictures, go to:
http://uaf-db.uaf.edu/Jukebox/PJWeb/proguseyuch.htm agree to the simple
terms, click on "Interviews" on the left, and "Brad Snow" fifth from the
bottom on the right, then "Click here to go to slide #1" and page through
the slides until you see what you want. There's also commentary about the
slides if you click on the audio icon. This site is the product of the Oral
History Department at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks Campus, and was
funded in part by the US Park Service, who, despite the US Congress' intent
to preserve the subsistance lifestyle along the Yukon, has managed to force
everyone off the land.

Brad







"Oci-One Kanubi" wrote in message
oups.com...
padeen wrote:

snip
... but allowed me to go against the
Yukon River current solo quite easily (the river current was around 4-6
kts
and I could go upstream about 4-6 kts).

Brad, if my memory serves me (and this is not something I ever want to
count on, these days) your cabin was about 40 miles downriver from
Eagle.

I know you back-country types are self-sufficient jacks-of-all-trades,
but I wonder what your back-up plan was for the event of catastrophic
and irreparable failure of that motor?

Just ponderin' this matter, I thought, well, wouldn't it be better if
you lived UPRIVER of your connection to the outside world, so that in
such a case you could float with the current to the place where you
would have to have a replacement engine (or parts) delivered?

Or was your mind-set such that you preferred to have the option to have
the current help you get HOME to your cabin, and you'd deal later with
the problem of getting to town?


-Richard, His Kanubic Travesty
--

================================================== ====================
Richard Hopley Winston-Salem, NC, USA
rhopley[at]earthlink[dot]net
Nothing really matters except Boats, Sex, and Rock'n'Roll
rhopley[at]wfubmc[dot]edu
OK, OK; computer programming for scientific research also matters
================================================== ====================