Outboard size

[Jon Alberts]

I am looking for advice on an outboard for a Cape Dory CD 14. (Not the Handy Cat model).
I know the CD literature recommends up to a 3 hp, but was wondering if it should be a long shaft
(20 inch) or a short shaft (15 inch) outboard. Any experience that could be shared on this is appreciated.
Jon- ( Cape Cod )

[Steve Laume]

I used a 2HP Honda I had from my Typhoon that had a long shaft. It had enough power to cruise around but the shaft length was a bit excessive. I believe the short shafted version would be a perfect fit for a CD-14, Steve.

[jen1722terry]

We use the Honda 4-stroke 2.3 for our dinghy. Pretty good power, light enough for me to handle at 29 lbs. and easy on fuel. Standard shaft. Very reliable after 5 years of fairly heavy use (we live on board all summer).

One complaint is that they made the little drain screw for the carb out of ferrous metal. Rusted in place the second year. I run all the fuel out anyway prior to storage, but it seems Honda cut a corner on that screw.

And we wish you and all the members a new year filled with joy and wonder!

Jenn and Terry

[Jim Walsh]

We use the Honda 4-stroke 2.3 for our dinghy. Pretty good power, light enough for me to handle at 29 lbs. and easy on fuel. Standard shaft. Very reliable after 5 years of fairly heavy use (we live on board all summer).

One complaint is that they made the little drain screw for the carb out of ferrous metal. Rusted in place the second year. I run all the fuel out anyway prior to storage, but it seems Honda cut a corner on that screw.

And we wish you and all the members a new year filled with joy and wonder!

Jenn and Terry

I've only had my Honda 2.3 for one season but I am a big fan. I didn't notice the carb drain screw is ferrous, I'll be keeping an eye on that. Thanks for the tip and all the best in the new year!

[jen1722terry]

Happy New Year, Jim!

Our Honda 2.3 is a 2013 model. It may be that they corrected the carb drain screw issue in subsequent model years.

Sadly, we'll miss seeing you and the others at the January party. But we'll be bobbing around Maine all summer, so we'll see you and all the other fine owners then.

Jenn and Terry

[Skylark]

Go electric. The Torqueedo is excellent. I use the 503 on my dingy (about 2hp) a 7' Boatex.

[moondance]

Recently bought a CD25. Interested in input on outboard requirements of HP and shaft length. Have a 6hp but locals to Indian River Inlet in DE tell me I will have problems at times getting back in on outgoing tide. Need to power up electricity so need to switch motors anyway. BTW anyone interested in 6hp long shaft Tohatsu very good condition? Also have had 2hp Honda on dinghy and 16' sailboat, great motors.

[Sea Hunt Video]

MoonDance:

I think this thread got started as a inquiry about outboards for a CD 14. You may want to start a separate thread for outboards for a CD 25 to get responses more focused toward your issue.

Or you may want to add to the below thread that has several posts about the pros and cons of various outboards for a CD 25:

http://www.capedory.org/board/viewtopic ... pe+Dory+25

[Steve Laume]

Recently bought a CD25. Interested in input on outboard requirements of HP and shaft length. Have a 6hp but locals to Indian River Inlet in DE tell me I will have problems at times getting back in on outgoing tide. Need to power up electricity so need to switch motors anyway. BTW anyone interested in 6hp long shaft Tohatsu very good condition? Also have had 2hp Honda on dinghy and 16' sailboat, great motors.

I spent a LOT of time on Indian River Bay during the 60s and early 70s. We had a place at White House Point. My dad had a 23' inboard fish boat that we used to use in the bay and off shore. He was good at running that inlet but it could get very dicey with an outgoing tide with any kind of seas running. We also did a lot of diving in that inlet. Mostly at slack tide but often when the current started to run. I had a Sunfish and spent hundreds of hours sailing on the bay. I realize that was a long time ago but the basic nature of the inlet has not changed.

Back then there were very few sail boats on the bay. I am assuming that the locals you are referring to are power boaters and might not fully understand your situation. Your problem is not a matter of horsepower but the hull speed of your boat.

The current in that inlet could exceed your hull speed at times and no amount of horsepower is going to overcome it. The 6HP long shaft engine is probably a perfect fit for the CD-25. It will not push you through that inlet against the tide any better than 100HP, if you could strap such a beast on back. If you want to venture outside, I would recommend leaving at the ebb so you could safely motor out and then return on an incoming tide. You will fly back in and the seas are usually flat on an incoming tide. Just be careful. That inlet has claimed more than it's share of boats. I once watched the Coast Guard tee bone one of the bridge abutment but I believe the only reason that happened is that they were paying way more attention to the girls on the breakwater than they were to their situation.

The bay was a wonderful place to sail with good winds and fairly uniform depths. It you were to go aground it is all soft mud or sand bottom.

Another option for you to explore would be to take Massy's Ditch into Rehobeth Bay and the canal up to Lewis and the Delaware Bay. That inlet is far more forgiving. While you don't have a bunch of offshore islands to explore, you could make a nice trip of going out the inlet and sailing offshore to Delaware Bay and back via Lewis.

If you are going to mess around with Indian River Inlet, pay very close attention to the tides. It can very calm or life threatening. My buddy and I once water skied the 6 miles from White House, out through the inlet, into the Atlantic, around the bell buoy and along the back of the surf line before we got too tired to stay up any longer. The point is that there are good and bad times to pass through there. Pick your time and you would have no problem with a 6HP motor. The boat also be well balanced and sail well, Steve.

[mgphl52]

Great write up Steve! I concur wholeheartedly that a 6hp is a great match for the CD25. My last CD25 came with an old 9.9 - way too heavy and large... I replaced it with a 6hp Nissan 4 stroke. Since I could usually sail in and out of my marina slip, it stayed on the cabin sole 99% of the time.