Which outboard engine for a 3.4m inflatable boat cont’d

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Ok, so you have chosen your application, be it displacement speeds, planing speeds with a light load, planing speeds with a heavy load, or watersports. Next lets look at which brands of engine I would recommend you choose for each application. Now I know we sell mariner outboards, parsun and Tohatsu outboards. But I will try to be as objective as possible - although I will choose these ultimately in some of the applications but for good reason! For displacement speeds: if you want a VERY portable engine...

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Which outboard should I fit to my 3.4m inflatable boat?

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Its a question that people ask me all the time, so I thought I would address it here! First of all what do you do with your boat? Is it a family runabout, do you need to pull toys with it? Does it even need to get on the plane? If you have a nice shiny new super yacht and you need a tender boat then you will be looking at 4 - 5 m ribs for sale. But if like the rest of us you just have a little inflatable boat for messing around with the family at weekend. Firstly we will look at the boat owner who does...

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The CMC power trim and tilt system

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } The CMC power trim and tilt system, after market ptt for outboard engines There are a few after market power trim and tilts available these day, but the benchmark system comes from CMC in america. There are two models of power trims, the pt130 is rated to 130hp and is the most powerful system on the market rated at over 780l0b of pressure, it is suitable for all outboards for sale and almost any boat application, from ribs for sale to fishing craft. The baby of the bunch is the CMC pt35 power trim / tilt...

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Whats new for the boating market in 2012?

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } With the new 4hp 5hp and 6hp from mariner outboards launched at the end of 2011, the 2012 will see some new advances in inflatable boat technology also, Seapro inflatables will launch the all new one for all range of boats incorporating a newly designed deep V air hull using technology from the inflatable surf board world, it will also use a new aluminum deck system to allow the boat owner to choose whether they want to use the boat as a pure airdeck, and ALSO to fit an aluminum floor to the boat for extra rigidity...

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Tohatsu 15hp outboard review 4 stroke on inflatable boat

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } If you are thinking of re-powering your 3.5m inflatable boat, or buying a new inflatable boat package then you will doubtless be considering which is the best engine of choice for this application. Here you will have a quandary, because most of the major manufacturers have a good quality offering in this hp category. Some are a little lighter than others, the lightest 15hp outboard engine is the Suzuki at 44kg, then its the honda 15hp outboard engine @ 45kg, after that the Parsun 15hp 4 stroke comes in...

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Have you been wondering which outboards for sale around the 90hp mark you should buy?

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Well its a good question, there is a lot fog choice and it depends on what your application is. I will list the various options: Mercury and Mariner outboards 90hp optimax, direct fuel injected 2 stroke - light weight (well 170kg so not that light actually), biggest cc of any 2 stroke in this range at 1.5L providing easily the most torque of the bunch - ideal for over laden ribs carrying divers. For a 4 stroke outboard engine to provide this much torque it would need to be over 2L! Honda 90hp...

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Which 5hp outboard should I buy??

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Its a common question, so here’s my thoughts on the matter, I will go through each engine in turn:Suzuki 5hp 4 stroke outboard, it weighs 25kg, and is 138cc, retail price is £1000 so its the benchmark in every way really, bang on the money, a good little engine. The 5hp 4 stroke from Mariner outboards (and mercury) (oh, and tohatsu outboards), this is a tried and tested engine, recently given a face lift with a front mounted fuel tank, and an industry first front mounted gearshift - excellent idea, expect...

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Mariner & Tohatsu outboards new 4hp outboard test part 3

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } After the run in period was completely I lifted the engine out of the test tank, and came to realise that the new carry handle on the front and the grab handle on the back are well designed, if you carry your Tohatsu outboards using the front grab handle it is great, I have always liked to carry 4hp and upwards on the shoulder though, and this is also aided by a nice smooth underside to the back lower cowling. I went to pop the engine into the boot of the one series, which was already fairly well laden...

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Tohatsu, Mercury & Mariner outboards new MFS4C D S L engine test part 2

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } I have a little trick to get around this either fully or partially and it is performed thus: open the fuel tap but leave the vent on top of the cap closed, then hold the tiller and shake the engine from side to side vigorously for about 5 seconds, this releases gasses in the petrol and thus pressurises the fuel tank, pushing fuel through the system and filling the carb in the process. This done the cold engine will usually start 3rd pull. The new F4M from mariner outboards did exactly this and after a...

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Boat review seapro ribs

Seapro have been around for 6 years now and in that time they have made some interesting models, but what is the quality like and where are they from? I caught up with simon higham, the designer and researcher for seapro to find out, and he came up with some interesting comments. Q.There are a lot of new ribs for sale on the market, why should we buy a seapro? A.Its a fair point, the new rib market is saturated, but seapro offer something unique, british designed boats, manufactured to exacting standards, using the best british GRP, german fabric,...

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Boat review, interview with seapro inflatables designer simon higham

Seapro not only make new ribs but they also manufacture a well respected  inflatble boat range, I asked simon higham what makes seapro inflatables better than the rest, and what’s round the corner? Q.Seapro inflatable boats have been around for 5 or 6 years now, what sets them apart from other inflatables on the market? A.Well two things really, firstly each boat is designed by an avid inflatable boat enthusiast (me), I have probably spent more time in inflatable boats being whizzed along by mariner outboards throughout my life than a helmsman...

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Outboards for sale review: Tohatsu outboards 50hp TLDI review part II

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } So last week we had run in the tohatsu 50TLDI at loch Lomond and we were just about to start testing, we were moored at Inchmurin island and had a full day of watersports to look forward to, the seapro 500 divemaster RIB was ready to undergo some serious stress testing!! I thought I would ease the engine in gently so my son William was first up on the kneeboard, he was a newbie so I held the board in the water whilst my wife Caz helmed the boat with an experienced observer at her side, the engine pulled...

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Mariner outboards 125hp optimax review part II

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Ok so in my last post I was up to the running in period of the new mariner 125L optimax outboard engine that I had fitted to my 6m seapro rib. The fitting process had gone well and we were in anglesey running the engine in. All went smoothly, engine sat nicely on the transom and the boat sat well in the water, I think 125hp is the perfect choice for a 5.5-6m rib, balancing weight with power. Once the new mariner outboards engine was nicely bedded in (this takes around 3 hours to do properly) we decided...

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The all new mercury and mariner 150hp 4 stroke

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Brand new for 2011 is the mercury 150 4 stroke mariner engine. It purports to be the lightest 4 stroke 150hp engine on the market at just 205kg - for those not listening, that’s 205kg!! That is almost 2 stroke outboard weight - planting this 4 stroke firmly in the realms of optimax and etec weight range. Not only that but it’s a 3 liter powerplant, thats the biggest cc 150hp on the market by some margin! Great strides have been made over the past few years in tightening the waistband of the once obese...

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All new mariner 150hp 4 stroke

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } It has not yet been unveiled but we have seen the first few sneak peeks at the new beast from mercury marine, the 3.0L (yes 3000cc) mariner 150hp 4 stroke. Light weight at only 305kg it promises to be a world beater. The engine is the biggest AND the lightest 4 stroke 150hp outboard on the market. It will be marketed in the UK under the brand of both mercury and mariner outboards. Its price is really impressive too, it looks like it will retail for under £10K AND its cheap to own. I’m a mariner dealer...

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New 50hp tohatsu TLDI review

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } As a outboard engineer of 15 years and somebody who does more than his fair share of boating, I thought you may want to know my thoughts on the tohatsu 50TLDI that I have been using for the past 2 seasons. This isn’s an advertisement for tohatsu or this motor, just an impartial review of the engine. Firstly why did I choose the 50TLDI from tohatsu outboards? Well I always try to match the engine perfectly to the boat and type of use it will be required to do, in this case, skiing, cruising, and a little...

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Mercury 125 optimax review

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } I have been an outboard engine mechanic for 15 years and an avid rib enthusiast for even longer, so I thought you may be interested to have my review on the all new mercury and mariner 125 L OPTIMAX. I fitted this engine to one of our ribs for sale - a seapro 600DM divemaster. A heavy boat for her size, especially with the consoles I fitted to her, she has a large centre console and 2x jockey seatpods, along with a 90l under floor fuel tank, all this was going to take a little pushing, did I go for the...

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What outboard shall I buy?

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Its a good question and one that goes through most peoples mind when they look at the price of new mariner outboards, or the latest offering form yamaha outboards. There are so many different outboards for sale today that you as the buying public can be truly overwhelmed by choice! The first thing to do is know exactly what size and type of engine best suits your boat and your needs. This will take a whole blog/article in itself so I wont get into it here. Next set your budget, this is different for each...

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Shall I buy a new or used inflatable boat?

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } It comes down to budget AND preference for shiny new, or built to last used. Only you can decide on this so I expect you will have made up your mind on that one. If you have chosen shiny new, stick to a good quality brand - honwave, avon, bombard, zodiac, seapro, with one of these brands you will have a boat designed and built right. Choose your outboard carefully too, I have written articles and blogs on this so look at these. Mariner outboards are a very good choice - middle of the road price wise,...

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A little about tohatsu outboards

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } If you have a tohatsu then your engine has the potential to last a lifetime, these outboards, originally designed as commercial engines have grown to become amongst the most reliable ever made. Most tohatsu engines are 2 strokes, having only branched into the 4 stroke market in 2003 with the 4/5/6hp single cylinder 4 stroke outboard engine, and the 9.9/15/18hp twin cylinder overhead cam motor which was exactly the same powerhead as the yamaha of the same era. Tohatsu manufacture all small engines for...

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Looking after your rib boat

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } There is lots of information out there about how to look after your outboard engines, but very little about actual rib maintenance, ribs are reliable 4x4’s of the sea, they are very rugged, and so long as you find the right ribs for sale, your boat will last you a lifetime. General boat maintenance procedures apply to the hull of the boat, keep eyes open for any damage to the gelcoat caused by abrasion and impact, these chinks in the armour of the boat need to be attended to as soon as possible to avoid...

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What’s the most popular used outboard for sale?

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Well it has to be yamaha outboards, everybody wants a yam. But of all the yamaha outboards for sale which is the most popular? I think the most occurring request we get at bill higham marine is for a 50hp yamaha 4 stroke. They are very well sought after, even more so than the mariner outboards favorite - the 60hp bigfoot, or tohatsu outboards 50TLDI. All of these are good engines and when looked after carefully will give years of great service. We have around 300 outboards for sale at any one time, and...

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How to look after an inflatable boat

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } So you have done your research and hopefully have made a wise investment. With a little luck you have steered away from the chinese cheapo brands and have plumbed for something reassuringly substantial like one of the french makes - bombard zodiac inflatables, or a british avon, or maybe one of the high quality korean boats like Seapro. You have bought your new outboard engine to match the boat perfectly, possibly one of the offerings from Mariner outboards. Well if you have bought carefully there is pretty...

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How To find the best new rib for sale to suit you!

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Well you are ready to take the plunge, push the boat out, dive in (insert watery pun here). You have your hard earned cash in your pocket but you don’t want to waste it on any old dross. Its a big decision. My advice is to speak to somebody who knows what they are talking about, and no I don’t mean captain pugwash down at the sailing club who had mariner outboards twenty years ago. I mean somebody who can give you exact advice on the best ribs for sale. Get to a rib dealer and tell them exactly what you...

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Why choose mariner outboards?

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Lets face it, you as the boating public are spoilt for choice these days when looking for new outboard deals. Whether you’re looking for mariner outboards to put on your inflatable boat, your new rib package, or your warrior fishing boat, you have a mind boggling selection to choose from. Every outboard dealer will tell you his brand of outboards is the best. Well, the real truth is all new outboard brands are pretty good these days, sorry, with the exception of the chinese cheapo’s - Hidea (or Hideous) and Vector...

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What next for the inflatable boat?

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } What next for the inflatable boat? Well inflatables have retained their integrity for the past fifty years or so, the odd new innovation here and quirky add on there, but to all intents and purposes they have remained unchanged. With so many brands vying for their little cut of the pie inflatable boat manufacturers must look to new horizons to turn their inflatable boat for sale into an inflatable boat sold! They can no longer rely on special offer deals to dazzle the punters with...

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Tohatsu outboards have taken the top spot!

p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } A sign of the times? Well its approaching end of season silly sales time again at bill higham marine, and as I look back on what appears to have been a very busy season I am left with the facts and figures that don’t lie: namely sales of new Tohatsu outboards, Mariner outboards and Parsun outboards. Coupled with the used outboard sales, but these are more of a constant than the new sales, the new engines are a barometer for the health of the marine trade. Tohatsu outboards have in their own right been...

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