Honda

December 2004
Rating: Good

Honda is the company that we bought our dinghy outboard from as well as our generator.

As far as dinghy motors go, Honda is definitely not the most popular. Yamaha or Mercury probably is. The only reason I mention this is it is somewhat harder to get spares for the Honda. Make sure you stock up before you go!

Other than it lack of popularity, we are happy with our little 8 hp Honda. It's a four stroke and has like zero emissions. It is without a doubt the cleanest running dinghy engine out here. I wish we had gotten the 9.9 hp or better yet the 15 hp, but it's a little late to worry about it now.

The engine starts on the first pull every time even after I have dunked it under the water on three separate occasions. It is carbureted, not fuel injected, which in hind site is a good thing, because it is super easy to rebuild the carburetor after you dunk it under the salt water. I can do it in about twenty minutes.

The little Honda seems to use a lot of gas, but I think this has something to do with their emission controls. Other people with Honda's have made similar comments.

The one thing our doesn't have, but I believe newer models do is a variable lift mechanism for raising the shaft up out of the water when you get into the extreme shallows trying to beach the boat. I've learned to do without, but still, next time I would probably make sure it had it.

We also have a Honda 1000 watt EU generator. Ours is honda red and we call her Fiona. I don't remember why.

I think this piece of equipment is rapidly becoming a must have on cruising boats. I bet over 50% of the boats we have seen out here have one of these.

With about $30 bucks in adapters or $6 in parts at the hardware store, you can make a cable that will allow you to plug the generator directly into your shore power plug and your boat will behave as if you are plugged into the dock.

We haven't had to rely on ours much, but every time we've needed it, it's always been ready. One couple we met have two and they have been running them each two hours a day for the last year without problems.

Overall, this generator is quiet, light (27 lbs) and reasonably prices at about $650 US last time I checked. I'd definitely buy this one again.