International Telstar Owners Association

Thanks for all the input. I am still thinking about the options. I like the lower weight and fuel consumption of the 9.8 but do worry about the power.

The tidal currents are significant here, no rivers in my cruising area. Even with the 50 I do not challenge them. The swiftest run up to 16 knots. Even the ones that are 8 to 9 have significant overfalls and whirlpools. One that I passed this summer has a whirlpool large enough for 40 ft boats. Nothing to trifle with. Last summer I cruised to the Broughtons, a truly remarkable archipello marine park about 50 nm north of here. To get there requires transiting 5 tidal passes. None of which I would go through at full run. It was an interesting navigation challenge to plan the trip to arrive at each near slack. Normal currents in the Strait of Georgia are 1 to 2 knots

One pass we went through has smooth water running at 5 knots at peak. We ran it with the current at full and got a 5 knot push. The knot log reported 6 knots and the GPS 11.

Well after thinking about it a great deal, I played it safe and went with the Tohatsu 20. It has power tilt, remote that will fit easily onto my T38 and a 12amp alternator. The 9.8 was only a 6.

The weight differential was small.

Let us know how it works out. FWIW I think you made a good choice, particularly when you may be dealing with some strong currents!

I did not need to upgrade my motor but I really had a good deal on this one, brand new. It's a 25hp. It runs really smooth. I will test it in the water in about 2 weeks.

Looks real nice on the T28!

I've always liked the E-Tecs, but they didn't make anything that small back then. This 25 must be fairly new. Let us know how it works out.

Wouldn't a 2-stroke engine be better for weight reduction? Also, sometimes outboard engine ratings are due to a larger carb so individual engines also vary in weight not only by HP. For example, you can tune some 9.9HPs to 15HP just by swapping the carb, this is true for engines that have various HP ratings only by varying the carb at the factory. One brand can be lighter than another for the same HP.

"Wouldn't a 2-stroke engine be better for weight reduction?"

I would think so, but the 25 hp E-Tec with power tilt and remote weighs 177 pounds vs. about 130 pounds for the 20 hp Honda. Specs say 110 and I added about 20 pounds for the power tilt. That's a 50+ pound difference for an extra 5 hp. The 3 cylinder 25hp Honda weighs about 160, still 17 pounds lighter. The 50hp Honda weighs about 230. The 3 cylinder 25 sort of sounds like the better choice.

I like the E-Tecs. Maybe the much bigger models have the weight advantage over the big 4 strokes?

I finally stayed with my original 20hp Tohatsu. I originally wanted to use the tiller of the E-Tech but BRP does not have extension cables for the tiller so I would have need to buy a remote control, also the E-Tech did not have a power tilt and it was quite heavy to tilt.

Too bad, it looked very nice on the boat.

I am of a bit different cut. I had a 37ft Crowther Tempest (Cold molded ply) with an older 9.8 Honda - electric- on it in The Adriatic for 8 years. We put a lot of miles on it and I never felt the need for more power. I have a 24ft Woods "strider Club" cat here in NW Florida. Jan an I brought it 600 miles from Tampa to Pensacola using an old Nissan 9.8 electric. That 9.8 (56lb with starter and alternator) did a great job of moving it but I quickly discovered that it had very poor backing power and that can be very important when you need to go slow and have wind from any direction except where you need to go.

A wide boat that is light like the Telstar is a bear to control at low speeds in a fresh breeze, particularly in shallow water with the rudder and the keel retracted and a small "speed " prop. On the Strider, I have replaced the 9.8 Nisson with a 9.9 Yamaha HO with their lower gear ratio and monster prop (for a 10 Hp engine). Makes a world of difference getting in my long shallow (in the winter) entrance. In fact that prop has far more blade area than the prop on my 20HP Honda.

If I put ever need to replace my 20hp Honda, I would consider a HO Yamaha. Holding the boat still or backing up with a strong wind off the stern is pretty near like or death in my thinking with a wide light boat. I just might try that engine on the Telstar before I sell the Strider. I would miss tilt badly. It would be tough to manual tilt an engine on it.

Good hunting

lefty2

Hopefully not to much of a hijack.

For some of the more experienced Telstar 28 owners were looking at purchasing a 28 in the near future.

One of the more contrasting options is the 20hp vs 50hp outboard. To access open water we have about 15 nautical miles to motor.

Generally how big a difference in speed when motoring the 50hp vs 20hp? Is a real world 14-15 knots realistic with the 50hp and a moderately loaded 28?

Does the 50hp significantly impact sailing performance with the added weight on the stern?

Last but not least has anyone been able to post fuel consumption numbers vs the two at cruise speeds?