The Outboard SAGA

If you have visited before you may have seen a nice shiny Tohatsu 3.5 on the blog and wondered about it. Well the Tohatsu was not to be - I chose a Tohatsu because you can lie it on three sides, its good for low speed "trolling" so would be great for slow speed maneuvering and the cowl was compact and smaller than its "new clothes brothers" so would fit the transom space better- well it was returned as it had some issues. The local-ish on the archipelago representative was Great more than great.

In its place is a nice shiny mercury 3.5 (a tohatsu in disguise) that runs great and should be brilliant. Thank you to the same local-ish representative who handles both brands. More than excellent service.

Only downside - it cannot lie on 3 sides


next the old honda a great simple engine BUT.....
would I buy one????


For those that know me I cannot just chuck things away- they need a second life, so while I was waiting for the mercury to arrive I started to rebuild the honda and along the way discovered some things about it.

I have some questions for honda - I like their engines and have a some garden and agri machines powered with them.

BUT WHY HONDA CHOSE TO BUILD THEIR 2 horsepower THE WAY THEY DID IS A MYSTERY

1. It is like a garden tool engine (Lawnmower/Tiller) mounted on a outboard leg

2. Most if not all of the bolts are not stainless or protected against corossion as are the dome nuts

3. It has lots of mild steel bits attached to it

4. The carb bowl is coated mild steel and rusts

5 The mild steel bolts rust so they are impossible to remove and also weld themselves to the aluminium - especially where the stainless exhaust is held to the aluminium head with mild steel fastenings !????? with the result - an attempt to remove them, results in them shearing off and having to be easy-outed and retapped.

6. The bolts that hold the centrifugal clutch housing to the engine and also the engine to the plastic case are mild steel and being close to the water rust. I had to cut the plastic housing to access one stubborn bugger, to be able to weld  some steel to it to remove it, even the special damaged nut sockets could not remove it.

7. The clutch housing is mild steel and rusts.

8. Nuts are made from some strange cheesium metal composition
9. Valve cover from Mild steel with bolts to match.

10. Various mild steel brackets and nuts and bolts are used

You would think that an air cooled engine would have better corrosion protection given that the salty moisture laden air is going to be blown around the engine to cool it - instead the salty moist air is blown around the engine to corrode it.

Oh and Thank the Heavens for PB BLASTER -If you have a honda 2 or 2.3 you will need it -  google it.

So after fighting with rusty bolts trying all the tools including easy outs and special damaged nit sockets it is apart and after fighting for a week with a rusted almost solid clutch bearing it is ready to have the oil leak fixed.

and also a NEW Carb fitted - and then back together.

After all this I can understand when people say they are a disposable engine - what had to be done would cost a fortune and be uneconomical if you had to get a mechanic to fix it.

Would I buy a new Honda 2.3

Judging by what the reviews on the internet say NO, it is apparently worse than their old 2hp in the mix of metals in and on it on it, basically a corrosion timebomb. 

OF COURSE ALL THIS IS IMHO  !
DO RESEARCH ON THE NET AND FORUMS AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF  !!!!!!!!

Looking at the tohatsu and mercury under the covers and comparing them to the honda makes me feel a lot more secure in the fact that they are built way better and look like they were designed for a sea water environment.

the only redeaming feature of the honda is it is light, and aircooled (read NOISY)

and the TAK-C is coming along well  - the honda will be used on it, along with Oars

and I see a sculling oar or Yuloh in Cagarros future.

 WINDVANE self steering mounted

the self steering has been fitted and it just remains for the blocks and line to be fitted

rudder and trimtab in the back of the Hilux

rudder and trimtab on the back of Cagarro

turret, vane and mount

The bearings on the rudder for the trimtab, I made from Delrin

and the bearings on the vane I made from PTFE teflon - there are delrin black "keepers"on the horizontal surface on the aft of the rotating turret and also an Afezelia hardwood lock with inox wingnut on the front - between the rotating turret and the mount is a large UHMWPE washer cut from a 20 litre can so that the turret rotates without binding and wearing the epoxy glass on the mating surfaces - 

below you can see the teflon bearing and the inox shaft

all installed minus control lines and blocks

The above solution is my modification to suit the Setka A of the Wave Rover Mk3 windvane from Alan Mulholland - see below pictures taken of his setup during his visit to Horta

 Battery dangers explained

 The reason I am sticking with lead acid batteries

the reason these things explode and burn is because of cost cutting in their production cheap BMS cheap cells etc etc IMHO.

Maybe having a battery that is at the top of the price range will reduce the chances of this but I am still sticking with lead acid - i could not think of anything worse than this happening out at sea

UPDATE

What is the holdup? - Why no sea trials?

Well, for all those following, here is the update - Everything was set for leaving, sails bent on, and I try start the outboard to leave the marina, a 2hp Honda that normally starts second pull and after 10 pulls things were not right- so, check fuel level and there is nothing, it had a full tank, so all the fuel leaked out. Now this engine  is from  the year 2000, so 25 years old, which is not a problem, my lawnmower is a Honda and it is from the same timespan super reliable and it also starts 2nd pull, so I brought it home and removed the carb, checked and cleaned everything, and then it would not start at all. I rebuilt the carb a short while ago as well and it started and ran well - so I do not understand why it suddenly developed these issues. In addition it has an oil leak which I have an idea why it does this, it is a known 2hp honda problem, so it needs some open heart surgery - I will repair it - . they are great simple motors.

The Honda - now, not inspiring reliability  and the fact that I live on a volcanic island with sharp rocks etc etc and also being summer, with the Azores high and the certain possibility of very light to no wind conditions - this is not a great scenario, so I ordered a 3.5hp Tohatsu NEW in the box, flown in from Lisbon and we will see how this plays out.

stay tuned for what follows.

In the interim the the TAK-C is progressing really well

 And some more pictures

Closing the companionway always makes me smile the cat sticks its tongue out
and then it gets a "tongue piercing" - maybe I will make a video

From left gennaker halyard - jib halyard  - main halyard -  jibsheet jammer
then on the lo profile dodger - topping lift -  kicker - reefs ,2,3,1 that work the reef tack - boom brake - extra cleat and  then jib sheet jammer - main halyard - jib halyard-  gennaker halyard. However - the extra main halyard can be used as a topping lift and then there will be 2 extra cleats available on the lo profile dodger that can be repurposed for other jobs that I have in mind.

the boom has an outhaul and reef cleats for the clew cringles -  as I am running a 2 line reefing system with all boom reefing done on the outside of the boom  - simple,  less rope and less chance of jams and line snarls inside the boom and also the boom can be lighter. All of course IMHO.

Inside looking forward main and jib on port bunk with one of the twin mainsheets . All the reefing lines for the boom on the bunk insert/ chart table - shackles and lo friction rings on handrails along with Rosie and Jim the hardworking crew, under the bunk insert chart table are the spare split companionway hatch covers , starboard berth with yoga mat, foam fenders, daggerboards, the floor has thick close cell foam for kneeling, note that the mast bulkhead has the collision door removed at the moment.
under the bunks are rope, spares, clothes, extra blocks and fittings, tools, crocs, foul language weather gear, sea boots, harness etc etc

On the left hand side we have the yoga mat, the removable roving  50 W solar panel lives on the yoga mat at the back , mainsail battens - and the daggerboards and 
below the companionway - cooker box, and step   
and on RHS -  2nd jib - gennaker - storm jib  - zenbivy sleep system , thermarest inflatable mattress - and a very big beanbag for sleeping on the floor or anywhere else and a real pillow.

Bow compartment -  battery on the left, lifejackets, anchor, chain, warp, bucket, fire extinguisher still needs to be fitted once decided where, flares and safety stuff in container, 10 ltrs water foam fenders, and some other bits

so basically add food water and maybe some other safety bits and ready to go. Oh and also the windvane

A new project in the workshop

 Viking Anchor Arrived

I am very impressed with the professionalism of this company , the anchor arrived , and in a plywood box that secures it for shipping and the box is so well constructed and designed that I am going to round the corners and coat it so that it can be used to store the anchor, when it is not used for long passages. Now I know what cats experience when a box arrives.

and of course the anchor is super immpressive.

Thank you https://Vikinganchors.com (click link to open a new window for more info) and the Viking team for a superb product.
I look forward to giving a user review at a later stage.  

If you are in Horta marina (or wherever you see Cagarro) and would like to see the viking anchor in person, stop by for a viewing and chat.

 And the mast is up

it all went smoothly. and there us a video to see as well

 Launch Day

Launch day has finally happened, 2nd June 2025 - cagarro was taken to the Porto by Cesar Silva, He masterfully managed to position his truck so that the ramp was inside the workshop, and pulled Cagarro safely onto his truck, and after a restful drive to Horta unloaded his cargo at the port.

With the help of Greg and Tanya and Rueben from Clube Naval da Horta, Cagarro was lifted and placed onto pallets so that the keel and bulbs could be fitted. and then Cagarro was lifted into the sea. 

Many thanks to Greg Fortin for all his help, Ruben for being patient and helpful through the whole process and to Cesar Silva for safely transporting Cagarro, Disiderio Machado for the support and supports - and of course Tanya for her organizational skills, having power handy when it was needed, organizing tools and us and for all her support, ideas, solutions and insights throughout the build