This is a complilation of the various comments Dolphin owners have made about their outboards. They are not made in any particular order and provide more grist for our intellectual exercise on powering decisions. These first few are lifted from previous comments made by Dolphin owners on the Sailnet Dolphin 24 Forum in 2006. We'll add more as we find/get them

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I shoe-horned a Yamaha 9.9 four stroke long shaft, high thrust, electric start  (I am now spoiled) into Charisma. I do not rotate the motor to navigate, I use only the rudder. I find it very easy to negotiate in and out of my slip. You just need to understand that the Dolphin is not a power boat or a dinghy -  they maneuver like a larger, say 34’ boat.

I run the motor with the well cover open and push the outboard control arm into the down position to close the cover while sailing. Having the control arm sticking out into the cockpit doesn’t seem like a good idea to me, seems like it would be in the way as well as something for the main sheet to hang up on.

The 9.9 generates way more power that the Dolphin needs, 1/3 throttle keeps us at 4.5 knots with enough extra power to buck the current at our bar during an ebb tide. Last year I filled the 3 gallon tank and at the end of the season had a gallon left over. I know some of the earlier Dolphins had inboard engines; I would love to see some photos if anyone has them.

Ken Thompson, Charisma, Yankee # 208, Brookings, Oregon

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I have a Pacific Dolphin, hull # 280. Like Ken, I have a large outboard in the motor well, Johnson 9.9 two stroke with a long shaft. I find it very easy to enter/exit the slip without turning the motor. I run the motor with the cover open and push the outboard control arm down to close the cover. Noisy, but this works well. Yes, 9.9 is a lot of power for the Dolphin, but I do not 'power boat'. Understanding how the boat maneuvers will allow for easy handling at slow speeds. Working on trying to sail back into the slip with out the motor, not quite there yet.

Harold Shomaker, Sailing Solace, Pacific Dolphin # 280, Palm Harbor, Florida

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I purchased a Nissan 6 hp long shaft for my Dolphin (no alternator, though), and have been very pleased with the results. While I initially fitted an 8 hp Nissan (smallest two cylinder Nissan makes, which I would have preferred), the 8 hp wouldn't turn in the transom very well

I find that steering in the marina by rudder alone too difficult at low speeds. In contrast, with the 6 Hp, the motor rotates easily. The only catch with both motors is that the fuel connector, which is at the front of the motor (i.e. towards bow), gives very little room for the fuel line and it will occasionally kink. I haven't been able to find a right-angle compatible Nissan fuel line connector (feedback welcome).

BTW, I also have a backup 2 Hp Honda. While noisy (air cooled), it moves my Dolphin along fairly nicely so long as I'm not fighting current. I was surprised, but I can get four knots at full? throttle. Not recommended for regular use, but as a backup, works nicely and is light weight (35, maybe 40 lb?).

Craig Burkhead, Aviva, 1967 Yankee, Alameda, CA

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Thanks to all for the recommendations. I purchased the new 6 hp Tohatsu 4 stroke with extra long shaft and a 7 inch pitch prop instead of the stock 8 inch. It runs great, sips gas, and moves the boat well.

Todd Phillips, Cove Dweller, Yankee # 111, St Michaels, MD

A quick question on the Tohatsu 4 stroke 6 with extra long shaft - when the
motor arm is straight up, can the motor well top still close (a problem with
the Suzuki). Does the arm pull back further than 90 degrees from horizontal?
Looking for an outboard but want the motor well to close and lock, obviously,
when not in use. Thanks.

Kevin O‘Leary, Delphinidae, Pacific Dolphin # 256, San Diego, Ca

The motor arm pulls back further than 90 degrees and I can easily close
the lid. Additionally, you can run the motor with the lid closed because the exhaust is through the prop hub***. It comes with an alternator to charge the battery. I ordered online from www.defender.com and had it within a week. There are other online suppliers with good prices as well.

Todd

*** Webmaster Note: Exhausting through the prop. It would be interesting to hear from more Dolphin owners that have these kinds of motors. Proper aspiration of the motor in the well is a big factor. My Johnson 4hp on Marionette exhausts its cooling water and exhaust fumes together directly from an outlet immediately below the rear part of the head. The hole in the hull for the shaft is often/usually blocked with water as the aft part of the hull squats when moving forward - so the fumes cannot get out below. If I close the hatch cover, within a few seconds the well is filled with fumes, depriving, I think, the motor of sufficient oxygen.

Another problem is the exhaust stains the inside edge of the shaft hole, instead of fouling the water! Besides the prospect of $10 gas this is one more reason to think about electric motors...

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