HAVE YOUR SAY IN PRINT AND ONLINE
PHOTO OF THE MONTH The winner will receive a bottle of Mainbrace premium golden rum. Mainbrace rum embodies the courage, teamwork and friendship of those who love being on, in or near the sea. Send your photos to mby@futurenet.com
WORTH £34.99
OUTBOARD REPLACEMENT
I have just watched your YouTube review of 2.5hp tender engines, and very good it is too. However I need to replace my 4hp Mariner engine on my Drascombe Lugger and write to ask if you have any advice to give on best 5hp outboards suitable for my boat?
The Mariner has done me well, it has not let me down, but is now at least 15 years old and I feel it needs replacing. I look forward to hearing from you.
If you search for 5hp outboard engine reviews on Google you should also find our comparative test of these models, although admittedly it was back in 2016. Since then most of the manufacturers have updated their offerings to varying degrees, especially Honda whose previous 5hp engine felt pretty dated, even back then. That said many of the key findings still hold true. Personally, if weight isn’t an issue I’d be tempted to go for the Yamaha. It looks and feels a little more robust and well engineered than the others, although the new Honda and Mercury/ Mariner are good too. If every kilo counts then the Suzuki might be a better choice.
GOING SOLO
Having missed boating for a decade and swapping from sails to power, I hope my question is not too stupid! My plan is to be able to escape my flat at weekends to spend some time on and by the water in the Solent area. I would like to be able to invite friends and their young children sometimes, but I would also like to head out on my own to enjoy the water.
A Jeanneau Leader 805 is a leading candidate, though I am also tempted by the extra space of a Fairline Targa 29 and Jeanneau Leader 30S. Being used to mooring a 34ft yacht, with help from crew, my concern with the Targa 29 is the difficulty of docking solo and being stuck behind the wheel. On the flip side, there is the advantage and cost ,of course, of having twin engines compared to a single.
I’d be really grateful to hear your thoughts.
