Thread: What outboard to put on a dighy

I'm looking to put an out board on my duck shooting dinghy for a bit of fun. normally an easy decision and I'd look to use a shaft outboard.
but I'm also keen to use it on some of the hawkes bay gravel rivers when they have some water in them. This is not generally suitable for outboards.

Any suggestions at what I could look to put on the dinghy?

How big is your dinghy? I’ve just decided to do the same, purely to have some fun with the kids. The tinny I’m going to use is somewhere between 2-2.5metres. From what I’ve looked at so far, a 2 stroke between 2.5 and 6hp should work, but I’ve got no real experience.


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a 13 ft fryan tinny will zoom along to about 26kmph wit ha 6hp 4 stroke merc..same boat will do 41kmph with a 15hp 2 stroke
guys on wainono were pushing thier punts along with the electric trolling motors...slightly faster and hell of a lot easier than rowing
as to gravel bottom rivers..there are SOME jet units that go on bum of normal outboard..seems you need a fair bit of hp to drive them at any pace and unsure of availability and cost

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

a 13 ft fryan tinny will zoom along to about 26kmph wit ha 6hp 4 stroke merc..same boat will do 41kmph with a 15hp 2 stroke
guys on wainono were pushing thier punts along with the electric trolling motors...slightly faster and hell of a lot easier than rowing
as to gravel bottom rivers..there are SOME jet units that go on bum of normal outboard..seems you need a fair bit of hp to drive them at any pace and unsure of availability and cost

You mean like these?

Last weeks fun: Go anywhere these things. 4.7m long, 50hp, weighs 150kgs inc motor. Uses about 8L/hr Carry up to 800kgs.

If you are thinking of putting an outboard jet on a dinghy you need a "tunnel" on the bottom of the hull to direct water into the intake of the jet unit.

Jet outboards don't come in such a small size to fit on a 8-10 ft tinny.Forget that idea.Best option is a lightweight short shaft 2 stroke but that's probably what you'rve got right now.I think you are attempting the impossible with current technology.Who knows- hydrogen/ kryptonite one day,um hovercraft?

Glad to hear I'm not too far off in my thinking.
Plan is to shoot down the river and do a beer run to the bottle store in waipawa

If you are using it to buy beer then I would definitely go and buy a bigger boat with an outboard jet that will handle the rapids and shallows. The reason is drinking beer gets you in trouble with the wife and buying the boat cant get you into anymore trouble, hows that for logic LOL

Originally Posted by Manchester

I'm looking to put an out board on my duck shooting dinghy for a bit of fun. normally an easy decision and I'd look to use a shaft outboard.
but I'm also keen to use it on some of the hawkes bay gravel rivers when they have some water in them. This is not generally suitable for outboards.

Any suggestions at what I could look to put on the dinghy?

you could run a shaft outboard - but put a protective guard around prop just in case you do hit something in a river -could help get ya home - I would go two stroke - little bit lighter

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

If you are thinking of putting an outboard jet on a dinghy you need a "tunnel" on the bottom of the hull to direct water into the intake of the jet unit.

you do not need a tunnel, a tunnel is only required if you will boat in very skinny water, where it allows you to raise the motor some 75 to 100mm higher on the transom so that the jet intake is protected from rock impacts. Operating in slightly deeper water does not require a tunnel, you just have the front of the intake a fraction below the keel
smallest OB jet is a 25 hp... about 18 hp in real money.

Originally Posted by LBD

you do not need a tunnel, a tunnel is only required if you will boat in very skinny water, where it allows you to raise the motor some 75 to 100mm higher on the transom so that the jet intake is protected from rock impacts. Operating in slightly deeper water does not require a tunnel, you just have the front of the intake a fraction below the keel
smallest OB jet is a 25 hp... about 18 hp in real money.

Ok I got that wrong, thanks LBD . Yip I reckon you lose 1/3 of your hp by putting an ob/j set up on a motor.

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

Ok I got that wrong, thanks LBD . Yip I reckon you lose 1/3 of your hp by putting an ob/j set up on a motor.

....But you triple your fun!

ton of fun, I have had a few over the years... last one was a 150hp tiller steer setup.... worked well

I have always wanted to set up a 12" pontoon boat with a 25hp... like FREWZA did once.

Look what I found…


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Originally Posted by XR500

You mean like these?

Last weeks fun: Go anywhere these things. 4.7m long, 50hp, weighs 150kgs inc motor. Uses about 8L/hr Carry up to 800kgs.

Attachment 225865

Pretty sure I saw something recently about a proposed review of the navigation/speed rules for boats on HB rivers ? ... all from the controversy created by the video's of guys getting them up to Oamaru .....