John,
FYI....I use a 5 HP , 4 cycle HONDA on my 21 foot shallow draft motor
cruiser [ was a sail boat ].
This also is a single cylinder unit so it does vibrate [ especially at low
rpms ] more then I would like, but not a problem. It also is not quite
as quiet as I had expected...but a bit less then a 2 cycle.
It IS heavy [ for the HP ]...about 62 pounds. It has only a remote tank
[ 3 gallons of just plain old gas station gas....nice ]....and I get about
3 hours per gallon at cruising rpms [ cruising at about 6 knots ].
When I bought it new three years ago it was $ 1,500. It runs and starts
fine...no problems.
Since it is 4 cycle I have no worries about waters that do not allow 2
cycle [ like Lake Tahoe ], etc....and it has a clean exhaust vs 2 cycle.
I do really like the remote tank idea...no hanging over a transom on a
bouncing boat trying to refill an integral tank and possilbe [ probable ]
spilling a bit of gas into the water.
Good luck in your deliberations.
Bill Zeitler
Wilmington, DE
A Potterer at heart [ previous P -15 # 2060 ]
Now 21 foot shoal draft motor cruiser