Hi Tom,
We originally had a Honda 8 which we liked a lot but I couldn't start by myself reliably. Because we kept the boat in a slip after we moved the boat to Rock Hall we didn't flush the motor regularly. Big mistake especially when we started sailing below the bridge. Salt finally filled up all the passages so badly the motor would have cost more to fix than we wanted to spend.

We replaced it with a Yamaha 8 with electric start and a flushing port on the upper part of the motor. It was a great motor. It was on the heavy side but we kept our water tank full and it seemed to balance the boat. I would hope the newer motors are lighter.

Mary Lou
ex Rhodes 22
now Rosborough RF 246  Tara  (with a 115 Yamaha - good grief!) Rock Hall, MD

On 12/3/2024 10:03 AM, Tom Hyatt via Rhodes22-list wrote:
> Dear R22 Members:
>
> I’m throwing this question out to the group. In your experience, what is
> the best motor for the Rhodes? I currently have a Tohatsu Sailpro 6 hp
> pull-start. But it always seems a bit underpowered and vibrates a good bit.
> I’m toying with the idea of getting  a 9.9 two cylinder which I believe
> will be a lot smoother. Any thoughts, ideas or suggestions? Will the added
> weight be a factor? Honda vs. Mercury?
>
> Thanks for your help.
>
> Tom Hyatt
> S/V Eliza Jane 1978
> Baltimore MD