Is there any reason that you don't use davits to haul your dinghy?

As the boat's only 35 feet we have elected not to put too much weight by the stern.

Mind your backs :-) http://www.onlineoutboards.com/Choosing-an-Outboard.html
Thanks for a very nice blog - keep posting!

8 is all you need on a 9 foot. 15s are heavy sods and you can't really do much more with it, i mean it is still too small to water-ski with, for example.

15 is also a bit unbalanced on a 9ft - every time you open the throttle the nose will point to the sky with one person on board unless you sit well forward.

A lot to be said about extra power. You very much will want to be able to plane with the two of you plus a large load of supplies. Being able to go fast with 3 or 4 is great. Think about being anchored in Simpson bay or the lagoon and shooting up to Marigo for chocolate croissants!

I just read an article that you may be interested in. It is titled
"Choose a sailboat dinghy wisely, Dont do what we did."

Here's the link:
http://www.frugal-retirement-living.com/sailboat-dinghy.html

Try to find a 2 stroke 15, the weight differences between the 8hp and 15hp 2 stroke are very little, and the gained power is well worth it.

I will go the other way and suggest a 4 or 5 hp Tohatsu. They are both light (27kg) and economical. You will appreciate that when the nearest fuel is 500 miles away.

Don't know about the Yamaha, but for Nissan / Tohatsu engines the 8 HP is the same as the 9.8 except for the carburetor. A carb swap takes an 8 to 9.8, or a 4 or 5 to a 6. Given that the weight is the same, I'd be inclined to get the 9.8; nothing says you need to open it up, but it's great to have the extra power if you need it, like with a heavy load or strong current.

I would go with the 2 stroke 15. I found that having enough power to plane with 2 or 3 people on board was very important to me. If the boat feels a little unstable at speed with only one on board you can add a couple of windsurf foot straps. I also used an ice chest in the back of the boat for a seat and storage so I could steer from inside the tube. I have never found it comfortable to steer with my left hand from the tube.

I would go with the biggest and fastest that fits. Some of those beautiful peeling reef passes in the South Pacific are gonna be a little ways off from anchorages, at speed just getting there can be half the fun!

Thank you all for your insights. We might go for the 8hp that we just found for a reasonable price.. perhaps upgrading later on.

if you have a choise go for a 2 stroke (8hp, 9hp or 15 hp). They are lighter, easier to maintain and have more thrust - which you need to plane. unfortunately due to US clean air regulations the small outboards are now all 4 stroke so you can only find second hand, at least 5 years old.

The one we found today is 8hp 2 stroke second hand but good condition for a very reasonable price. Would loved to have the 15 as it is stronger and faster and allows us to plane with 4 people but it is also much heavier and double price to the 8 we found now so we'll see.. decisions decisions.

hey guys, you wont be dissapointed with the 8hp 2stroke. we are getting similar size for our 9footer. and two strokes are more robust machines with little drama (and if you were a petrolhead once in your life, you will love the sound :)

Interesting that you chose to to with the 8. We currently have a 9' Caribe, which we'll be trading down to a 7'6' Achilles to better fit on our foredeck when we head to the South Pacific a few years after you. We're currently living aboard, and cruising in the PNW. For the relatively large and heavy Caribe, we find that the 15 is necessary. We currently have a 15hp two-stroke Yamaha, but we were lucky and picked up a non-running 8hp 2-stroke for a case of beer and a bottle of Ketel One vodka. $50 in parts later, and it's running like a dream.

We'll likely be taking the 8 with us, but my boyfriend will certainly miss the extra power. However, the ease of humping the 8 up on deck compared to the 15 is the deciding factor. I'm looking forward to hearing how your 8hp does you in the South Pacific.