Newport Vessels Opinions

[FasterDaddy]

I am looking at a Newport Vessels Dana which is an 8.5 foot boat that is rated up to 10 HP, so I could use my 9.9 2 stroke Merc motor. It's $1000, free shipping. I've not found much about them, but they also sell lots of electric motors which seem to get good reviews on Amazon. I am looking at their own site for a direct purchase. Bad or good idea? The price is right, but the 2 year warranty gives me pause. For $300 more I get anchor, cover, onboard seat storage, second seat.

Thoughts?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Fwiw, Amazon reviews mean nothing

 

[FasterDaddy]

Fwiw, Amazon reviews mean nothing

No kidding. I did not ask about the quality of Amazon reviews. Frankly your response is perhaps the least helpful response to any forum post I've made in 20+ years of posting on various internet forums or any e-mail list-serves. You have reminded me of why I have hardly used iboats for years.

Does anybody have anything useful to say about Newport Vessels???

 

[FasterDaddy]

So I bought the Newport Dana 8.5 foot boat. We liked it, but it was two small and my 20 year old 2 stroke 9.9 Mercury had trouble getting it to plane. So I sold the Dana after one season and bought the Catalina, which is 12.5 feet long. I also bought a 2024 Tohatsu 9.8 with fuel injection, a new engine me and for for Tohatsu this year. The new 9.8 shares everything but a carburetor with Tohatsu's 8 HP and is considerably lighter than the Tohatsu 9,9. With an aluminium floor the Catalina lighter than expected and the 9.8 engine pushes it well. The old Mercury was obviously tired, but I am going to miss its light 75 pounds. The new motor is 82 pounds, lighter than the Tohatsu 9.9 (95 pounds) and 15 to 20 pounds lighter than engines made by others. The 4 stroke engine is heavier, but also quieter, more efficient, and less polluting. I just wish it was light. It's hard for me to believe, but my 1975 Chrysler 8 weighed only 55 pounds. Tohatsu's new 8hp is 82 pounds a major weight reduction program for all portablde 4 strokes still needs to happen.

 

[matt167]

You can’t add extra parts and make something lighter… I’m a 4 stroke guy myself but, it’s the nature of the beast and it is what it is

 

[FasterDaddy]

4 stroke motors

You can’t add extra parts and make something lighter… I’m a 4 stroke guy myself but, it’s the nature of the beast and it is what it is

Yes, 4 strokes are far more complex and have more parts, and they don't produce power on each piston stroke. But I also think the problem is that its hard to engineer and control cost if each HP level were designed specifically with marginally smaller displacements and less weight, It's so much easier to de-power down to 9.9 HP from a 20 HP engine. So we get 20 HP motors that weigh the same as a 9.9. Tohatsu uses the same design for the 9.9, 15 and 20 HP engines, and all manufacturers do this at all HP levels. It's also notable that its easy to convert the 9.9 up.

I wonder how long Tohatsu will sell the older design 9.9 HP engine when their new 9.8 now has fuel injection and produces about the same power at considerably less weight... and less cost.