It's definitely noisier than my sailsTell me about that Honda 2hp. I've read that it's noisy. True?
, but quieter than my other motor (a Seagull). It's air-cooled, light (28#), has a centrifugal clutch, and is pretty stingy with the gas. It has a forward gear only (neutral at idle), but can be tillered 180 degrees to reverse the thrust (but with the Ty motor mount, any amount of throttle other than low results in the propeller breeching the surface. This Fall's issue of Boatworks rated it as an Editor's Choice over 3 other 2 - 2.5 hp 4-stroke motors (Yamaha 2.5, Tohatsu 2, Mercury 2.5) but they tested the motors on dinghies, not on a 1 ton, keeled sailboat. The Honda was the only one available in a long-shaft, but if you move up to a Tohatsu/Mercury 3.5 (both made by Tohatsu, as is the Nissan 3.5), at the same 38# weight as their 2/2.5 hp version (just a different carb) you can get a long-shaft and more oomph. Yamaha has a 4 hp available in a long-shaft, but the weight jumps to 48# (from 38# in the 2.5hp).
The Yamaha 2.5 was the quietest of the 4 tested but the Honda was just a little louder yet quieter than the Tohatsu or Mercury.
My limited experience with the Honda 2 is that it's a reliable 1 or 2 pull starter, cold or warm, and provides decent thrust for most situations, pushing the Typhoon adequately at 1/2 - 3/4 throttle and close to hull speed at full throttle.