Boat Motor for an Expo 14.2???

Scott Airey

New Member
Afternoon All:
I have a 2011 14.2 Expo and am considering putting a small motor on the boat to be able to escape the dock and/or motor back in when there are no winds. I had a motor mount installed on the boat in anticipation of this decision. Recently, I have been researching different motors to puchase (gas and electric) and obviously both have pros and cons. I would appreicate any suggestions that you might have regarding: (1) getting an electric vs a gas motor, (2) suggestions as to size and type (Honda, Yamaha, Mercury, etc.) of engine that you might recommend, and (3) any running problems that you might have experienced due to having the engine when sailing the boat. My main goal is to be able to single hand the boat easily in and out of the water.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Scott
 
Scott - I bought a 1988 Mod. 1 this past summer and added a motor mount for a 2 hp Mariner 2-stroke I'd had for years. Two hp is plenty. I prefer a gas motor as the battery for an electric is very heavy and requires constant charging. My Mariner - think its a mid 1980s model - has an interal gas tank and shut-off value to the carb and for the gas cap so it won't leak gas when laid on its side, a nice feature. It is pretty much a one pull motor and I see the same used motors for sale in the $75 range.

The motor mount gets the motor back away from the transom and keeps the traveler and boom sheet from getting tangled up in it. I steer with the tiller and just aim the motor at the correct slightly off-center angle so there is no pressure on the tiller when running straight.

The 4 strokes are a little quieter and maybe use a little less gas, but they tend to leak oil from the crankcase when laid down on their side. And they are expensive. The main deal is to find a motor that starts on the first or second pull and to keep fuel stabilizer in the fuel at all times. I have been using the Stabil pink for years but have just switched to the blue on the advice of an outboard mechanic who worked on another motor of mine. He says the blue is better for gas that might have ethanol in it. The stabilizer is the silver bullet for most all small engines that sit up a lot. I use it in all my stuff - weed eaters, blowers, pressure washers, etc and have had zero fuel related gum-up problems since.

My 14.2 stays in the water at our weekend place's dock on a canal so the motor is essential for getting in and out. And real handy when the wind dies. I keep a one gallon jug (the new EPA approved no-leak kind) of gas/oil mix in the cuddy. The boat handles really well on the motor and the boat's rudder will turn it on a dime, but be sure the centerboard is down or it just slides sideways into hard things - don't ask me how I found this out the first time.....

I'd say try to stay under about 25 pounds on the motor.

Vic Roy
 
Yes, I do recommend a small outboard. I have a 1977 2HP Johnson, white in color with a blue stripe that I put on to make it match the boat. :D I paid $250 which I thought was a good deal. Expect to pay up to $800 for newer models. 2HP is plenty of power and personally I don't mind a 2-stroke motor which requires adding oil to the fuel. I point the engine toward the centerboard and steer with the rudder.
 
Vic,
I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I particularly appreciate the advice on the 2 stroke versus the 4 stroke engine and really appreciate the tip on Stabil. From what i can tell the 2 strokes are considerably lighter than the 4 strokes, with the 4 stroke engines averaging 30-50 lbs versus 20-30 lbs for the 2 stroke.

One more question. When trailering the boat do you remove the engine or do you leave it in a tilt position on the motor mount?

Lastly, i appreciate your sense of humor regarding not having the centerboard down. (Don't ask me how I know). Thanks again! Looking forward to the start of sailing season here in Texas.
Scott
 
Scott - No need to remove the motor from the bracket when trailering, assumingyou have plenty of clearance.

I've been boating all my life (pushing 70 now) but never owned a sailboat until this past summer. Got a lot of great advice from this site on the 14.2 and learned a good bit by trial and lots of errors. I'm over in south Louisiana and sail on the Tickfaw River, which is a freshwater tidal river that flows into the big tidal lakes near New Orleans. The river is not very wide and has a lot of twists and turns so its not the best sailing water, but a real good place to learn. And I'm very easily entertained. Lake Maurepas is a tidal lake that the Tickfaw flows into and its a great place to sail but some 6 miles down the river from our weekend place. I plan to tow the Capri behind my 31 Bertram out into the lake, anchor up, then do some sailing with the Bertram as the "living room" to relax on since it has a gneerator and a/c, a head, etc.

I saw a youtube video on towing the 14.2 that shows it tows best with the centerboard down about 4" to make it track straight, which makes sense. My first voyage in the 14.2 last summer was friom a public boat launch on the Tickfaw River to our place, about 2 miles on the outboard. I forgot to put the centerboard down and when I got in our canal - maybe 50 feet wide - and shoved the tiller over to turn and come about smartly to my dock, all that happened was the bow turned toward the dock but the boat just slid sideways into my neighbor's bulkhead, crunch.....no damage but a pretty helpless feeling. With the centerboard down it steers great with the rudder at very slow speeds.

Anyway, its finally warmed up here - 80s - so I'm gonna take a 10 da sabbatical next week and do some sailing, fishing, and general goofing off on the water. I plan to unstep the mast and pick the 14.2 up in one of my boathouse lifts and pressure wash the bottom - it stays in the water all year and some scum & grass grows on the bottom, but we don't have any barnacles. I did find, BTW, that if you tie one side to a dock and then take the main sail halyard and use it to tip the boat over, you can expose better than half the bottom to clean it from another boat while its in the water, then flip it around and do the other side. I may try that next week before unstepping the mast, which I've done several time by myself on the trailer, but is a little iffy with the boat in the water.

Hint, hint, on the 2 strokes - change the spark plug often, they are cheap and 90% of the problems with 2 stroke motors are fouled plugs. The other 10% is gas gone bad due to no stabilizer.

So far I've really enjoyed the little boat and bet you will too.

Vic Roy
 
One thing to bear in mind is that in some states (at least in Virginia) once you get a motor, you have to register the boat.
 
One thing to bear in mind is that in some states (at least in Virginia) once you get a motor, you have to register the boat.

If Scot has the boat at Canyon Lake he will have had to register it anyway - it's required in Texas based on the length.

Hopefully I'll get to take my Expo to Canyon Lake this year. Have you been out this year Scot? It looks like the water is getting back up to the point that many of the ramps will be open.
 
Bernardd,
Canyon Lake appears to be filling up, but more slowly than we all would hope. Haven't been out this year, but FYI there are a couple of deep water ramps in the Corps of Engineers park over by Fort Sam Houston park on the East side of the lake. Used both last summer and never had a problem with shallow water. What size Expo do you have? 14.2 or a 12.5? Hope to see you out on the lake. Will be looking for you.
Scott
 
Bernardd,
Canyon Lake appears to be filling up, but more slowly than we all would hope. Haven't been out this year, but FYI there are a couple of deep water ramps in the Corps of Engineers park over by Fort Sam Houston park on the East side of the lake. Used both last summer and never had a problem with shallow water. What size Expo do you have? 14.2 or a 12.5? Hope to see you out on the lake. Will be looking for you.
Scott

Hi Scott,

I've got the same 14.2 as you, though a little older (a 2006/7) - bought it from the original owner last Fall and took it to LBJ to get the hang of the rig which was a lovely day out. Sadly other commitments and my wifes back problems have kept me off the water but I'm hoping to get the boat out late this month / early next. Incidentally I haven't really thought about a motor, though I bought a couple of paddles!

I'm pleased to hear Canyon Lake is coming up - I've given up hope of Travis getting high enough this year to open the Windy Point ramp. I'm on the north side of Austin so I have a few options this Summer from Belton or even Waco in the North, to LBJ and maybe Buchanan in the West, Canyon obviously and maybe even Granger or Somerville to the East. Hopefully I'll catch up with you on one of the lakes this summer.

Bernard
PS - have any of the Texans out there sailed on Possum Kingdom Lake (west of Ft. Worth)? The pictures look dramatic and I've wondered about heading up there for the weekend, but it sounded like that there might be an excess of power boats and PWC's?
 
Afternoon All:
I have a 2011 14.2 Expo and am considering putting a small motor on the boat to be able to escape the dock and/or motor back in when there are no winds. I had a motor mount installed on the boat in anticipation of this decision. Recently, I have been researching different motors to puchase (gas and electric) and obviously both have pros and cons. I would appreicate any suggestions that you might have regarding: (1) getting an electric vs a gas motor, (2) suggestions as to size and type (Honda, Yamaha, Mercury, etc.) of engine that you might recommend, and (3) any running problems that you might have experienced due to having the engine when sailing the boat. My main goal is to be able to single hand the boat easily in and out of the water.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Scott

I had the same question three years ago when we bought our Expo. Best motor we found was the Honda 2hp long shaft. It is a four stroke and weighs 28lbs. We fill it up with gas in the spring and never use anymore. Only used to get out and back from the dock. Has been very reliable for us. Brand new the motor was about $1,000. Here is a picture of it on the boat:
011.JPG
 
SMALL engine for the 14's

Last week i purchased a "CRUISE-N-CARRY" 2 stroke gas outboard from a dock mate. He bought a new Honda 2hp, 4stroke...Very nice!!! I asked what happened to the little motor and ended up offering him $50. for it, as is. A bad crack in the bottom of the plastic gas tank which i repaired with fiberglass cloth and epoxy. A large crack in the plastic cowling was also glassed and is good now. Cleaning exhaust system and carb solved the idle problem. A little gas and she started right up. This engine weighs 12lbs. It came with a carry bag with shoulder strap. They are for sale on E-BAY all the time for $150. or less. Air cooled with a neutral switch on the model 6700. 2 1/2 h.p., 2 stroke weed eater type engine. No longer in production but some generic parts are available. The power head can be replaced in five minutes with any type engine, even a 4-stroke. Check it out on U-Tube Charley
 

Back
Top