Since October 2012, a pleasure craft licence is no longer required for engines up to 15 hp, but the class of small outboards up to 5 hp remains interesting for sailors. There is movement here, especially away from the established brands. Chinese imports from Parsun and Seanovo are wooing customers with proven technology and low prices.
Another newcomer is the American manufacturer Lehr. Its engines promise extremely easy operation. A gummed-up carburettor, a stalled engine, starting problems? All that should be a thing of the past, because the outboard motors do not burn petrol, but propane gas. They can either be fuelled from disposable cartridges or a gas cylinder can be connected via a hose. Another innovation comes from Italy. Although the Sea Bass series from Selva works according to the four-stroke principle, it does not have an oil circuit, which should eliminate the annoying leakage in the event of incorrect storage.
You can read about how the engines perform in practice and whether they meet the requirements for dinghies and small cruisers in the latest issue of YACHT. Issue 19/2014 will be available from newsagents from 3 September.
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Hauke Schmidt
Test & Technology editor
