Best engine for a dinghy?

Gas will give you much faster more consistent speed - all day long - for a much farther distance and capability.

A trolling motor will be slower, and depending on your battery (or batteries) type and amp hours, will give you only a few (2 or 3 probably) hours of maximum cruise speed. For example: If your have a 25 amp trolling motor and a 100 amp hour battery - you will get about 3 hour of maximum speed, and then your speed will quickly slow down to nothing, as your battery drains down to it's final useful amps.

However, the trolling motor is nice and quite, great for a very short distance and fishing.

With a 9' dinghy, and along with all possible 2 passengers and or weight and distance considerations, I would go with gas - no doubt about it - especially if you plan to 'explore' and cruise around.

I think trolling motors are great on boats that have a primary (gas) engine. As in the case of a fishing boat - where the gas engine is used to go back and forth to and from favorite fishing spots and the dock or launch ramp, etc. Not so good as your only source of power unless you are going very-very short distance, and fully prepared to row yourself back if your battery dies out on you.

Electric Dinghy Motor

" One that starts " is the heartfelt thought of this small boat sailer !

Hence the expression " The Vulgar Boatman " when it wont go .

I have had several that sulked , and only ran on a mixture of petrol , oil and lots of extreme harsh language .

For a 9'4" dinghy the smallest size gas outboard - 2 to 3 HP , will be ample , you can put 5 HP on there but you will have more power than the boat can handle , will exceed the design speed , and simply create a huge wash with the wasted energy while skeetering about like a hornet-stung mustang .

Also a 5 HP motor is more expensive to buy , and more costly to obtain , and heavier , so you'll get arms like Sindbad the Sailorman from heaving it about , sore feet from where it slips down in your grasp and busts the top of your foot , a hole in the bottom of the boat where it slips again and punches the bottom while you are wrestling with it on-board , and will give you a bad back when you try to put it on the transom , or take it off , while afloat .

And while dancing about like Michael Jackson on the rapidly shifting tiny dinghy under your feet , with the motor clutched to your bosom , both you and it are liable to undergo full-immersion baptism .

Could always try Oars I suppose .

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RE:

Best engine for a dinghy?

I have a molded polysomething 9'4" dinghy that I want to motorize with a short shaft motor. I was thinking electric trolling motor but now I'm thinking a small gas outboard up to 5hp. I need advice. Thanks.

All outboards are expensive, but a small 1 1/2 or 3 HP will have a self contained fuel tank and will only weigh 29 pounds or so. It will push your boat very well. The 5 is both heavier and uses a 3 or 6 gal tank

Power to weight ratio is the most important factor when pairing an outboard with your inflatable dinghy to get optimum performance. You’re craft will need as light an engine as possible with lots of low-end torque.

If it's just for getting around the harbor, you don't need much. A 2.5 hp 4 stroke Honda would be good. The 4 strokes are quieter than the 2 and you don't have to mix the gas and oil.