2.5 hp

Want to get a small outboard on my OldTown flatback. Any exp. with a 2.5 on a canoe? Want to be able to get up stream on hooch then fish my way back down.

I have a 2.5 hp Honda 4 stroke on my 1548 jon boat that I use quite often on the hooch. It's the best motor I've every used in the river. It's no speed demon, about 5mph upstream, but that's plenty fast for my purpose. I would think it would push a canoe 10mph or faster.

It weighs less than my trolling motor battery, runs several hours on a liter of unleaded, starts first pull and is quiet. Since it is air cooled, it's not an issue when you run a little shallow and plow through some sand; no impeller to get ruined.

I still use a trolling motor, because a trolling motor has instant power, forward and reverse, no noise, use to control drift.

Not exactly the same, but may help. Quite a few years ago I had a 16ft day sailer with a small kicker. The boat was about 300 pounds dry, and with me, my wife, the motor and ‘stuff’ probably totaled around 600 pounds under way. Had lots of drag as it was a displacement hull with a keel board. The motor was a 70s vintage air cooled 2-stroke Gamefisher 3.0 (still have it, still runs) which, when needed, pushed all of that in a lake chop nicely. 2.5hp on a light canoe lightly loaded should be fun, particularly on a square stern since it should balance well.

Check Youtube; I looked around and found several videos of motors on canoes. One of the best is a family of 3 in a loaded canoe (double ender) and a 2.5 pushing them along at a good pace.

Have fun, be safe.

I have a 3 hp Johnson 2 stroke , a 1990's something year model. Has throttle on the handle and forward and neutral gears. I had it on a grumman 17' sq. stearn aluminum canoe and it was great in the Altamaha. My son used it on a 14 ft aluminum John boat in the hooch for a year or so and then I traded him a 6 hp johnson 1980's something model I had for the 3 hp because he said in some instances it would barely take him up stream. Hulls effect speed and the Canoe might do a lot better in strong current. The 3 hp is a two cylinder motor and pretty powerful. He may have just wanted more speed. It did take him up stream. Maybe this will help a little.

Generally those scanoe hulls are not planing hulls, its more of a displacement hull. I wouldn't expect much speed. Still, 2.5-3hp should be ideal.

I used to have a 4 hp on the back of my 16 ft canoe. It would push it up stream at about 6 mph with two people and gear in the boat.

Thnx all. Sounds like it should be fine not looking for speed, just didnt want to be sitting still looking upstream.
Looking at the Suzuki water cooled, but somebody mentioned the Honda air cooled any thoughts draw backs or benifits ?

I'd say 2.5 would push it just fine.

I used to have one of those Coleman Crawdad john boats.
It was about 12' long and fairly heavy. My antique 6.5 hp Mercury Wizard outboard would make that boat go at least 20 mph. That was with just me in the boat, crawling forward to get the bow down and actually make the thing plane.

I would stay away from the water cooled motor in the river. Just about every time out you'll end up at some point running through some sand. Sand eats the impeller up and then the motor runs hot. The Honda 2.5 also has an automatic clutch. You don't have to put the motor in gear, just twist the throttle and the clutch engages.