DaySailer.org Forum

SeanDwyer:

You mentioned motoring in your post re topping lifts. The DS1 is such a light boat, what kind of motor do you use and how is it mounted? I found a motor mount in the "cabin" of my boat after I bought it last year. I've been debating mounting it on the boat and finding a small used outboard. It doesn't appear to me it needs to be "typical" long-shank outboard, as the transom is quite low. Any thoughts?

Hi TC,

I have an older DS1 with a motor well on the port side transom, but the PO mounted a typical small boat motor mount just aft of that. The mount is at the same height as the well, so, imagine a hole in your rear deck and calmping the motor there and you will have a pretty good rule of thumb for height. I have a 2 stroke Mercury 3.3 HP (weird size, I know). It's more than enough to push the DS. A lot of guys use trolling motors. If I were you I would look for something small--2 horse would be fine I would think. And yeah, the standard shaft should be fine. That's what I have it works great.

If you buy new, check out the Lehr propane motors. They sound pretty cool!

The propane motors avoid all the usual gasoline smell / exhaust smell that really has no place on a boat like the DS.

Trolling motors work fine for, say, up to a few miles radius of getting home in a calm. They will not work well in current as the top speed will end up less than 3kts. Also good if you say need to make it for a short stretch to get out of the docks or under a bridge.

There are some 2.5hp outboards out there, they would probably already be powerful enough.

Weight at the transom is going to be an issue for the DS as "squatting" will slow you down when sailing. A trolling motor has most of the weigh in the batteries and they can be mounted near the mast step.

I often leave the trolling motor home, esp. when sailing for shorter times on smaller lakes. Just not worth the hassle. I also have had better results docking under sail than with motors - for one, not all motors have a reverse so you can't arrest them and steer with the main tiller.

I sail in tidal areas with currents, and my usual is to wait for wind, rather than try to motor. If motoring, when currents are at their peak, I mostly try to get out of the channel to cut down on drift, rather then trying to motor home against the current. Most summer days, wind will show up eventually, and the DS is faster under sail compared to trolling motors even in light winds.

Maintenance for trolling motors is essentially zero - battery recharge and monthly topping off in the winter.

One more thing about propane--there is none of the risk of varnish buildup from bad gas left at the end of the year, nor is there any risk of wasting 2 cycle mixed gas that you never use. I tend to always have gas left over at the end of the year, because I use so little of it. I can motor around more than I can stand (hate the sound and odor) on a gallon of gas, so I usually wind up with bad gas and disposal issues. Well...I dump it in my lawn mower or snow blower depending on the time of year--which isn't probably the best thing to do. You can use the little canisters of propane for a lantern or you can use a bigger, buoyant cylinder, but on the DS, I really don't think it has a place.

As to what Greenlake said about leaving the motor home, I agree. I'm down to leaving it unless I am venturing out on a large lake and planning on some exploring. I've been out once per week or more this year and haven't used the motor once. Haven't put it on the boat once.

This seems like a mixed thread, but I have a question about a motor for my DS1. I have a Yamaha 9.9HP 4 stroke (weight 90lbs) that I'm not currently using for anything. I recently moved my mooring so I'll be doing most of my sailing in and around Cape Cod Bay, where wind is variable and the currents can get strong. Yesterday we were stuck in the bay with no wind and a lightning storm approaching, so at times I do need to get in quickly.

Would I be crazy to mount this 9.9 on my DS1?

90 pounds is way too much weight for the stern of a Daysailer. 4hp is the largest engine I would put on there.

I'm using a 55# thrust MinnKota. It pushes my 1968 Daysailer I easily both on the lake and the Cape Cod Bay.

I have a 5 hp. Tohatsu which weighs 57 lbs. It's way too heavy for the boat and makes the stern drag. The good part is that it has plenty of power to push the boat against a current. I rarely run more than half throttle. I am experimenting with carrying 5 gallons of water forward for ballast, but still have not found the right solution for proper trim.

The 2 hp. Honda, weighing about 28 lbs., is popular for this size boat. They are supposed to be very reliable.

If you can find ethanol free gas in your area, using it will help reduce fuel problems. The ethanol absorbs water from the air and contaminates the fuel. Adding fuel stabilizer to the gas will help also. I would recommend putting old gas in your car rather than in the lawnmower or snow blower. All small engines are very sensitive to stale gas.

When I purchased my DS1 last year I also bought a new Suzuki 2.5 hp 4 stroke. Looked at the Honda but it has a centrifugal clutch so the rpm has to be higher to engage. Honda is also air cooled and quite loud. The Suk has a F N shift and idles dead slow. Looked at used motors but guys wanted too much for 25 to 30 year old items of questionable quality.