If you search futura videos on YouTube there's one with a bloke lifting a 45hp evinrude onto the transom single handed. My lower back twinges at the sight of it...
I viewed a 1980s 25hp Yamaha a couple of years back and was amazed at how light that was. I'd consider that one portable, for the purposes of lifting out a car onto the back of a sib. And I don't believe their 30hp was any heavier either.
I had a Mariner 6hp four stroke on my 2.85m Zodiac. It was OK and would plane two up, achieving about 14mph after a wait for it to get going.
l replaced it in 2012, with a Tohatsu 9.8 two stroke, which weighed the same (26kg). I bought it from a company who sell them from the Channel Islands.
With the Tohatsu installed the boat goes like a rocket. It planes instantly two up and will easily exceed our Zodiac 285s rated maximum hull speed of 17mph.
The engine has been totally reliable. It has trolled for hours on the canal without complaint. The rubber mounted power head damps engine vibration which eventually made my hand go numb on the tiller of the Mariner.
The engine starts easily even after five months Winter lay up. I'd say it is unsurpassed for a small SIB.
I've still got my old yam 25 2s, as you know always been happy with it.
Not had time to go out yet this year, though was thinking about pulling the ob out later today to give it a once over in the hope of getting on the water one weekend soon.....
I'm using a tohatsu 18HP on a 3.2m rib it fly's with three people in I dont think its heavy, but then I don't have to carry it far from the van to the water, the one thing I would say is it might seem light until your carrying it across soft sand and shale.
I also have the tohatsu 9.8hp which I got new from the gumtree seller, which was a replacement for a mariner 6hp 4 stroke, although the mariner was a sweet smooth motor with low revs and great fuel economy it never felt like it had any real grunt, the tohatsu is a twin cylinder which I prefer and is nice and light, it seems to be a sad fact of life that when you have a bit of spare cash for these boys toys you are to old to lift them, when you can get a 15hp 4 stroke which weighs in at around 28kg I'm buying
