Greetings all, I have a 5 hp Mercury with the same issues as you Bob. I intend to upgrade to an electric start at some point. Also a Rhodie friend of mine paid 1,200$ to have cockpit shifter and throttle. He said it was the best money he ever spent on the boat. I may get that as well some day.
Scott 86’ Rhodes
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> On Apr 1, 2024, at 3:02 PM, Weiss, Robert L via Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org> wrote:
> 
> My Mercury 8 hp with electric start and the throttle on the tiller works great. While in 2014 Stan was not wanting to tell me what to get, he did suggest this as an option and it was plenty powerful and easy to shift with the tiller handle sticking up.
> 
> Bob
> Beach Spring
> 
> Robert L Weiss Jr.
> Director of Music
> First United Methodist Carbondale, IL
> Professor Emeritus, SIUC
> ________________________________
> From: Rhodes22-list <rhodes22-list-bounces at rhodes22.org> on behalf of bobfcohen at gmail.com <bobfcohen at gmail.com>
> Sent: Monday, April 1, 2024 1:57 PM
> To: 'The Rhodes 22 Email List' <rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org>
> Subject: [Rhodes22-list] Some questions
> 
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> 
> I have been reading the various recent postings about outboard motors with
> great interest. I have a 2007 Rhodes with a hand-start 4-stroke Honda 5 HP
> motor probably of the same age.  It works reasonably well, although the gear
> box had to be replaced a couple of years ago.  We also have a GB motor lift
> trolley system, which continues to work very well.
> 
> 
> 
> There are two chronic problems with the motor.  One is that shifting gears
> is awkward.  The shift mechanism is not on the handle with the throttle.  It
> is located on the side of the motor and is very hard to reach, especially if
> I am facing forward.  Our jury-rig solution is to have a piece of PVC pipe
> which I can put onto the shift mechanism when I am backing out of the slip
> and need to change gears.  It is very clumsy (and can be lost overboard).
> The other problem is that my wife and I are in our 70's.  She would be
> unable to start the motor by pulling on the cord if something were to happen
> to me.
> 
> 
> 
> With these problems we need to make some changes, especially with regard to
> the hand-start aspect of the motor.  Is it possible to retrofit some kind of
> electric starter on a motor like ours?  Assuming not, we would be looking at
> buying another motor. It would need to be electric start and have the shift
> control on the handle with the throttle.  Our 5 HP Honda is also a little
> underpowered  for our location on Portage Lake in northern Michigan,  which
> connects to Lake Michigan.
> 
> 
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions for what we should look for in a
> replacement motor? I don't think we want to get an electric motor as some on
> the List have suggested, given the need to use it (or at least have it
> available for use) on Lake Michigan.  I have seen suggestions on the List
> for an 8 HP Mercury with the shift on the handle.
> 
> 
> 
> Also, our hand-held anemometer broke.  Does anyone have suggestions about a
> good hand-held anemometer to replace it?
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Bob Cohen
> 
> 
> 
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