New member welcomes advice on purchase of 22' Cruiser

[LkODave]

I recently joined this group and would appreciate input on main and kicker motor selection for the new 22' Cruiser which I have a deposit on. I originally selected a 70 HP Suzuki main motor, but I noticed that in reviewing the "Our C-Dory's" section that most of the 22' C-Dory's listed had larger motors. I intend to use the boat cruising the Columbia River at moderate speeds (10-20 mph), and high speed cruising is not that important to me (My previous boat was a sailboat!). However, I will on occasion have three additional average size adults on the boat, and I want to make sure that I have enough power to plane comfortably.

For my purposes, is a 70 HP adequate or would there be situations where I might wish for additional power? I also wonder if a 70 HP motor would deter prospective buyers in a resale situation? The 90 HP Suzuki is approximately $900 more and I would be willing to pay that if I felt like the additional expense was truly justified.

I also would like input on whether a 6HP Suzuki kicker motor would be adequate for an emergency back-up on the Columbia River (Portland area), or would a larger kicker be required to get me back home safely. I do hope to eventually take some extended cruises up and down the Columbia (approximately 30 miles each way), and want to feel confident that I could deal adequately with a main motor failure.

The motor selections at the dealer I am purchasing the boat from are Suzuki and Honda. I am gravitating toward the Suzuki mostly because of the fuel injection feature in the hope of minimizing any starting problems. Has anyone had an opportunity to directly compare these motors on an extended basis, and are there advantages to the Honda which compensate for its lack of fuel injection?

I have read the previous discussions on this topic on this site, and have found them to be very helpful. Any input that you could provide addressing my specific questions/situation would be greatly appreciated. I hope to close on this boat by Tuesday, June 15, and have until then to finalize my motor selections.

As a prospective C-Dory owner, I have found this website to be an amazingly helpful source of information. Thank you for all your help.


LkODave

[jimandlaurie]

Hey Welcome to the Pub!!
We are glad you are here. Now for my 2 Cents worth. I think that for $900 more I would go for the 90. Just to have that reassurance of abundant power. I figure I can throttle back a big one ,but can't throttle up a smaller motor. We have twin 40's on ours ,and If I did it again would probably go with either the biggest single and a kicker ,or twin 50's. Did that help or didi I just muddy up the water?

[Levity]

LKODave,
Welcome to the Pub and club. There are moments when even a 90 will seem insufficient. It isn't about exhilarating speed over the water but power to move your 3500lbs through contrary winds and currents. Never been there but I hear the Columbia can offer lots of current and wind.
Levity's Michael

[Wheeler Dealer]

LkODave,
Welcome to the group. It's great having another C-Dorygonian amongst us .
We have a 16' angler so I am probably not the best person to give you advice on this matter. I will say however, don't fool around with the Columbia . Get more than enough power, main & kicker.

If you are getting your boat at Sportcraft Marina, you are probably working with Larry. We got the Denebola there and I found that my research turned out to be more factual than his recomendations and opinions. Very nice guy, but a bit lacking on product knowledge. The head mechanic there is first rate and is a good person to get to know and ask questions of. I think his name is Mike. There is no better information than what you will get on this site though.

Jon

[Chuck S]

Dave --

I spent a lifetime in sailboats from the Thistle on up. Finally a J/24 followed by a San Juan 28. I doubt we used the SJ 100 hours in the last 10 years we had it and she sat at her dock for 4 summers without moving beyond the harbor. Dropped down to the lil 16 Cruiser and even though use is still light we can put lots more miles in those few hours.

River use requires power. Only been on the Ohio and Muskingham Rivers, but in some sections control is greatly enhanced by power. Runnin into a leaking lock requires a bit of rpm to keep from being pushed back out the doors!

I've no experience with Suzuki. No starting issues with my small Honda 50, just gotta pull the choke. FI is great. Also more complicated. Clean, stabilized fuel does wonders for good operation.

-- Chuck

[Larry H]

LkoDave,

We have a 1991 22cruiser with a 1991 70 hp Evinrude two stroke.

In my experience 70 hp is NOT enough. Especially if the boat is heavy with people, fish, or supplies.

[Juneau_Jason]

Dave,

We just bought a used 2003 22' Cruiser with a Suzuki 90 on it. This is my first boat, so I'm not the most knowledgeable about what will and won't work for power for this boat. However, we've done some relatively long trips working against typically swift southeast Alaska tides and 3-4 foot chop. During one trip, we spent some time in Cross Sound, which is exposed to swell and was a little nasty due to the 3 foot chop on top of 7-8 foot swells. Always, the engine has done well.

I've got a tendency to expect a breakdown at any time; I don't trust things mechanical. Throw in the fact that we don't have a kicker yet, and I'm downright nervous most of the time. I'd just assume own a sailboat, but in southeast Alaska, there's so much to explore that at 18 knots, I've got better range over the weekend. If the weather is nice, I cruise at 4200-4300 rpms, which gets me about 20 knots. My engine seems to max out at 5500 rpms, but I try to run it less than that figuring it will increase the life of the engine. If I'm riding the trough or in a following sea with moderate weather, I can run at 4000 and get 17-18 knots. With the weather on my nose, I've got to slow down to 10-15 knots, but I find I can use the throttle to my advantage if the period allows it. FYI, I try to travel with a full 40 gallons of fuel, 20 gallons of water, a crab pot puller, and all the gear I think I'm going to need to keep myself and my wife comfortable, and the performance doesn't seem to change much fully loaded.

One thing that I had heard from a local mechanic (whom I don't know at all and can't verify his knowledge) is that the difference between a 75 and a 90 in weight is significant enough to get a similar speed from both engines. Sorry, but I won't be able to comment on that.

I haven't had experience with this yet, but I've heard that Suzuki stands firmly behind their product.

Hope this helps.

[flagold]

Dave,

Go with the extra power, get the 90. There will be times when that extra ooomph in beaching, towing, or handling a heavy load will be much appreciated. As far as re-sale, it is the underpowered boat that is harder to sell, as the prospective buyer is faced with buying the boat and then having to deal with a re-power and re-fit if unsatisfied with the original power. The earlier post was also correct, you get significant fuel savings with the higher horsepower motor throttled back. The 4 stroke 90 on mine chugs along easily at 3000 rpm on plane, using very little fuel.

You'll enjoy this boat.

MM
http://www.treasuresites.com

[magnru]

4strokeEFI (2003} ...with less than 20hrs. I got it on iboats.com for about half price of MSRP. When I received the engine, shifter, and cables. The accessory kit wasn't there for the cable-engine connection so I called iboats and they will have it for me by next Tuesday.My old evenrude 70 2 cycle maxed out at 12 knots. I hope to acheive 15 knots or greater at 80% throttle on the new engine and that is fine with me. I am also going to put on a 13.75 X 13 pitch prop because I carry a heavy load 72gal fuel 20gal. H20. It would have been nice to have a 90 but my budget can't afford it. I hope to be in Prince Rupert by 21 June at which time I will launch if safe to the inland passage for a couple of months of exploring and fishing. If any of you know of any other C-Dory heading my way let me know and let them know as it's always better to buddy cruise. Dan with 'ZOE'S PRIDE'

[Chuckpacific]

LkO Dave,

I bought my 22 at Sportcraft. It has two Honda 40s and I keep it up at Tomahawk Island. I cruise the Columbia every weekend, often with 4 people aboard. I have never wished for more power. I usually cruise at 4-4500 RPMs. The gas consumption is a little greater on a single engine than with twins. Last spring I went to Astoria from Tomahawk and only used 22 gallons (and 24 on the return)! I haven't had a single problem with the 40s. I am partial to Honda as I also have two other 4-stroke outboards and a power washer (all Hondas). I know some folks swear by Suzukis but I am more impressed by Honda's service network. I would be happy to share any additional info or insights with you since it seems we are from roughly the same area.

Chuck

[Luna C]

After much research I went with the 90 Suzuki. The first choice was twins or single - this site has great info and input which helped me make my choice.

Between Honda and Suzuki, the comment "can't go wrong with a 4 stroke" came up several times. I went Suzuki in part for the extended 6 year warranty back in March. With the Hondas, the 70 & 90 are of equal size and weight. For the Suzuki mains, 90 is the same as the 115 in weight. I don't have torque comparisons on the two makes.

In my 6 weeks of ownership, I have not wished for LESS power! I just finished off my two 20 gal tanks for the first time - took 12.2 hours. Thats about 3.3gal/hr - better than my 2 stroke 90!

[C-Otter]

6 HP kicker is not big enough. I use a 9.9 for fishing which works fine, however it will only push my 1985 22-0"angler at 6-7 mph wide open on flat water in Lake Superior. You may want a 15hp for a river.

Jack on Sea Otter.

[Anita Marie]

I had a 70 4 stroke Suzuki on my 82 angler and it preformed fine as long as you did not put too much weight in the boat. I now have a 90 Honda and am glad that I have the power. I sometimes wish I had more but it works great. I think over the long haul you will be glad to have the bigger motor.