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RL24, RL28, and RL34 Trailable Yachts
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RL Yacht Owners' Surveys

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Motors fitted to RLs

Boat Model Boat NameType of MotorType of Fuel Motor BrandMotor Size (hp)Age of motor (years)Comment
RL28Peaches and CreamOutboard2 Stroke PetrolMercury2012Little trouble for 12 years despite being in the water all the time but is now quite corroded.
RL28Cloud 9 previously BecauseInboardDieselBukh20unknownIt is where the ice box should be.......it is a reasonably quiet and vibration free motor for a diesel. Bukh says it is quite an old motor, and probably my sail number being 37 could indicate the age of the motor and boat.
RL28Apache 11Outboard4 Stroke PetrolYamaha9.93I have a extra long leg with high thrust pop. Only concern is locking the leg in and out of positions with no room for a hand to operate the switching mechinism. Speed 6kts One and a half litres per hour. Very Quiet and no problems. P.S. Great idea Keith.!!!
RL24Big DealOutboard4 Stroke PetrolMercury62Sits on a bracket for the moment. Considering moving into a well. Replaces a 8hp Mariner that was bigger than necessary for an inland lake (Canberra). Saved 10kg off the transom!
RL28RINGS-N-THINGSSaildriveDieselVolvo203I believe that the ideal motor for the RL28 is around 14hp but at the time we fitted the new engine to Rings Volvo could supply either a 10hp or 20hp. We decided on the 20hp and the only regret is the extra weight appears to have slowed the boat slightly under sail. probably less than half a knot. The positive side is we can cruise home at over 7 knots and tow another boat at over 6 knots.
RL28morning mist Outboard4 Stroke Petrolevinrude82000seems to be underpowered, very tight fit in well, but ecomomical.
RL24Thisll'DoOutboard2 Stroke PetrolJohnston810
RL24KermitOutboard4 Stroke PetrolHonda51
RL28FreyjaOutboard4 Stroke PetrolHonda9.98New Motor fitted without any modifications. Went for short shaft Honda replacing long shaft 15hp Evinrude. Has been a transformation, quiet, no smoke, more torque for pushing a displacement hull, lower fuel consumption, easy to maintain. Forget diesels now that 4 stroke OB's are available. Have investigated tilt out of water brackets and bomb-bay doors but haven't proceeded yet.
RL28DistractionOutboard4 Stroke PetrolYamaha9.91996One of the old white Yamaha's with electric start and thrusting prop. Surprising how well it pushes the boat along.Has a pivoting mount to make the short shaft fit up through bomb bay doors.
RL24Hart BeatOutboard2 Stroke PetrolSuzuki515The motor came with the boat. It wouldn't be my first choice, too heavy but otherwise it does the job pretty well. I have also tried a 5 Mariner because it's 5 kg lighter and in light weather a 2.5 Tohatsu which pushes the boat along at 5 knots in flat water. Tohatsu is my preferred brand for value, reliability and good power to weight ratio.. A 4 would be good for racing, a 6 for cruising
RL24Dorrieon (formerly Blue Wanderer)Outboard4 Stroke PetrolHonda810Deck area cut out by previous owner to fit motor. Slightly to big for motor well but pushes boat along at a good speed.
RL24ImaginOutboard4 Stroke PetrolHonda54Quiet, economical and enough power
RL24Last ResortOutboard2 Stroke PetrolJohnson822Worn but rugid and reliable....
RL24Ariel (RL193)Outboard2 Stroke PetrolMercury 7.525?came with boat. Too heavy on transom and short shaft problem in choppy water. Currently investigating other motors. vey interested in well vs transom discussion as well as 2vs4 and sizes.
RL28rebelOutboard4 Stroke Petroltohatsu180does not fit cowl to deep - otherwise motor fits
RL24summer rainOutboard4 Stroke Petrolmecury62been no issue - currently need to flush out cooling system as prob wasp nest
RL28 EclipseOutboard2 Stroke PetrolYamaha15?Very unreliable at low revs ( just when needed!). Am considering the purchase of a four stroke in the hope that the low revs performance will be acceptable
RL28kestrelSail DriveDieselvolvo7.5 H.P.20underpowered - caught in a squall whilst transiting a channel i could not hold it into the wind.
RL24mikelaOutboard2 Stroke Petrolevinrude813i find this motor ok it is the only one i have had,goes a lot better now i have put a small exhaust out though stern would like a bit more econimy for use in river
RL24streetcarOutboard2 Stroke Petrolyamaha68
RL28Just RosyOutboard4 Stroke PetrolHonda152.5Absolutely brilliant
RL24SATOOutboard2 Stroke PetrolYAMAHA65Plenty of power. Replaced a 4 hp Evenude which would not push he RL24 into a 25kt wind. I have used about 25litres of fuel in 5 years. I always run the carby dry and spray with dispersant after flush. Usually starts first pull.
RL24Cape RoseOutboard2 Stroke PetrolYamaha820A short shaft hp yamaha has been on the yacht for a long period of time, she runs well and is economical. Has a 5amp charge circuit fitted to charge the battery.
RL28HavachatOutboard4 Stroke Petrol2002 Honda long leg156Extremely fuel efficent. I fitted a 10 amp charging coil to it. I regret not having an electric start
RL24Waltzing MatildaOutboard2 Stroke PetrolMariner426It works great for my needs, I live in the USA and have one of the Minnesota made boats. I haven't used it for several years, it will need a carb cleaning before I use it again. Before my boat became a fixture at Gull Lake in Brainerd, MN., I had used it and the motor on Lake Superior and the Mississippi River.
RL24CacatooOutboard2 Stroke Petroltohatsu85Reliable although would like a lighter motor with as much or more power
RL28DonkioiteInboardDieselVolvo
RL24ParemaOutboard2 Stroke Petrolmercury5apx,8yearsIt's not to heavy to lift, pushes us along at 5knots on about 30percent power, uses little fuel, it came with the boat and will stay untill it dies. Our boat lives on a mooring during the sailing season, Easter to December, and sails on and off the mooring, so the outboard gets little use. if i have to buy a new motor with polution in mind, i will go for a small 4stroke.
RL28WeggisOutboard4 Stroke PetrolHonda152Excellent
RL24Outboard4 Stroke PetrolMercury64
RL24The StingOutboard2 Stroke Petrolyamaha82Transom required some modification due to a different possition of the hinge point on the motor over the previous Suzuki 8 HP. The High thrust prop diffently made a hugh difference in both stopping the yacht and reversing. With this motor at low hull speeds in reverse with the limited swing of the motor in the outboard well, I have very good control over the direction I want to head.
RL24Miss Tress Outboard2 Stroke PetrolTohatsu9.84 months26Kg (27.4 with electric start and charging coil). Fits nicely in the motor well. Surprisingly easy to start, and does its job well.
RL24High Spirits Outboard2 Stroke PetrolTohatsu9.83Extra long leg on transom bracket. Replaces a Mariner 9 which I had trouble with. When motoring prop stays in water even in rough conditions and has been very reliable so far.Being an extra long shaft it allows me to have the bracket up high when in calmer waters or coming into land. I usually run it at half throttle to give reasonable economy and speeds around 6.5 knots. The only problem with motors on a transom mount is it restricts steering sometimes with rudder settings. All in all I will be leaving it mounted on the rear and the extra storage is more than welcome.
RL24INMA Outboard2 Stroke PetrolMariner54Short shaft high thrust prop with charger in well.
RL24Red Baron II Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolHonda5 HP1Replaced original Suzuki 8HP with Honda 5HP last year. Honda is a great option for the RL24 - quiet (have to listen to the crew now) and very economical. Despite the smaller HP it has had no problem pushing the RL around on lakes and Pittwater in 15-20 kts headwind at 5+ kts. Charging coil great for accessories/battery charging. Would ony consider larger outboard for extended offshore cruising. I had to modify the tiller as the Honda is much higher than the Suzuki above the well.
RL24Commissioner Outboard2 Stroke PetrolJohnson84Long Shaft with Sail Prop. Motors along at about 5+ knots comfortably. It is transom mounted. The 6 and 8 HP weigh the same, so I went for an 8. A smaller engine would be OK in most cases, except for those times when you really wish you had a bigger engine. Ditto for the long shaft - usually not needed. However, when motoring home to Manly into a strong northerly slop from Peel with a bit of heel on the boat, it is worth the extra power and long shaft just to keep the crew less frantic.
RL24Slyfox Outboard2 Stroke PetrolMariner5new
RL24touche Outboard 4 Stroke Petrolhonda104Heavy at 42kg, but pushes the boat along very well. Used for cruising. Merc 4 used for racing.
RL24Rum Dunit ! Outboard2 Stroke PetrolTohatsu 3.55Seems ok nice and light, used in racing. Not been tried in rough water as yet.Mounted on transom bracket.
RL28Tarka Sail Drive DieselVolvo104Little under power in strong wind but on whole the motor is reasonable.
RL28Elanora Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolHonda152001Electric start. Quiet when cruising. Good power when needed. Sail drive prop. Tight fit makes it tricky getting in and out due to the weight. It would be good to be able to rotate the motor to give greater manoeuverability in a tight marina.
RL24Just for Kix Outboard2 Stroke PetrolJohnson7.520+Australian made. Incredibly reliable even after I dropped it into sea water. Mounted in well with a tilt bracket. Economical. Only problem is it is noisy. Flushed out once per year. Charging circuit now does not work
RL34c-jadeInboard Dieselnanni2107Just the best thing light on fuel quite smooth at 2200rpm 6knots new motor and nwe hot water system togeather was still under the price of a new volvo or yamar
RL28Shalimar Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolYamaha152I loved the old 9.9 Yamaha originally on the boat when I bought it in 2000 but after 5 black boxes and a carboned up exhaust I eventually gave up. Went for a short shaft Yamaha 15 four stroke ES. Needed minor removal of fibreglass and remodelling around the engine compartment but it fitted just and retracted through the bomb doors. I have made a pair of retractable bomb bay doors which clean up the boat really well. It gives a noticable improvement when racing (Bay to Bay especially), without them its like dragging a bucket along behind. Any one interested I'll email a photo and a plan of doors. Search for Phil Macqueen Acupuncture on Google.
RL28SandpiperInboard DieselVolvo Pentq10hp20I love the Volvo Penta sail drive. I find it is an excellent motor. Plenty of push (with the fixed 3 blade prop) and allows us to motor in calm waters at 6 knots or choppy conditions at 5 knots, using just over 1 litre per hour. If the Volvo ever gave up I would certainly buy another to replace it.
RL24Peer Gynt Outboard2 Stroke PetrolSuzuki510Very adequate for normal cruising area (inland lakes). Never missed a beat. Mounted on stern-mounted bracket that had to be modified slightly because of the stern rake.
RL24Bandit Outboard2 Stroke PetrolYamaha8 hp8Motor came with previous boat [Nomad] so has long leg not much chop in shallow water Heaps of grunt but even with fuel mixture of 100-1 smoke from well and noise is anoying
RL24Sasha Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolMariner4.510 approxReplaced 8 HP Evinrude. Too heavy, too much power. 4.5 HP easily pushes light boat (950 kg rigged and crewed) at 5 kts onto any reasonable wind - 30kts. Don't go out above that or if caught, head for shelter not to w'ward.
RL24INMA (updated) Outboard2 Stroke PetrolMariner3.3hp0Added update. Put tender motor on a stern bracket to provide safe storage when underway. Little 3.3 Mariner pushes yacht fine in calm conditions with a top speed of 5 knots with no wind. Mainly used 3.3 Mariner on the bracket to run it in due to little use on the tender. Still have the 5hp in the well which is the normal yacht motor, for long trips we carry 70 liters of petrol in the well. Fuel consumption of 5hp is 2.5 liters per hour flatout and 1.5 liters per hour at 5 knots in calm condtions.
RL24Flinker Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolMercury8 hp2I had a 6 hp ling shaft in the well and got a great deal on an almost new 8 hp short shaft. I like the 8hp short shaft much better. It has more power/speed and 5 inches less sticking out the bottom. Even in 3 foot swells the motor never clears the water. I had to cut about another 2 inches further back in the hull to fit the foot through the opening but it fits great now. I like the friction lever on this motor also. Adjust the motor direction and then lock it in with just a movement of the lever. I just returend from a 160+ mile trip down the St. Johns River in FL USA and the motor performed great. 6 miles per hour and 10 miles per gallon at 90% throttle.
RL28Kestrel Sail Drive DieselVolvo7.520Reliable and economical but very underpowered.
RL24Jindili Outboard2 Stroke PetrolEvinrude6old
RL24Jindili Outboard2 Stroke PetrolJohnson9.924updated from a 6hp Evinrude which was 32 years old but still going Wanted a bit more power and reliability as intend coastal cruising Seems very reliable and easy to work on all bolts etc are in good condition May be better with a high thrust prop as not too good in reverse Cut the inboard transom out and fitted epoxy timber piece on the forward side so moving the motor 50mm forward now the cover can be taken off and goes in and out easily 35kg Cut the shallow water bracket down one inch so that prop cant hit the hull when up
RL24Remedy Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolSuzuki62Mounted in well goes great, quite and economical.
RL28Polaris Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolHonda82Moves the boat ok but too big for the well. Had to remove part of the well to take it out for repair after using old fuel. Too heavy for me to lift out after each trip so lives in the water and grows weed and barnacles on the shaft and prop. That slows it down a lot. Thinking of changing to 2 stroke to make removal easier.
RL24Parahandy Outboard2 Stroke PetrolSuzuki925The engine is too too heavy for racing (35 kgs) but it never let us down by failing to start. I of course was very careful and used to make up my own two stroke fuel mix using the top two stroke oil.
RL24Streetkid Outboard2 Stroke PetrolTohatsu9.96
Sail Drive2 Stroke Petrol
RL28Varelie Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolSuzuki15New 2011Awesome. Previous 6hp johnson was inadequate in a blow. This is a short shaft that fits without modification other than enlarging hole in bottom. To retract it completely I have had to fit a pulley system transom to cavitation plate. It will not swing up to the second lift position before prop engages the transom. But the pulley system holds it clear. I have not worked out a bomb bay door yet. I really appreciated the grunt recently when I spent two days motoring into a 30+ knot southerly, from Urangan to Tin Can Bay for the Bay 2 Bay race (what a great event). Mostly @ just a bit over half throttle - 6knots. Have since fitted a 7inch pitch prop and thrust is even better. I can get a limited amount of steerage from the motor, cowling is smaller than the 10hp Honda. To fit and remove engine the dealer uses a forklift (my boat is on a trailer). Engine is quiet and fumeless.
RL24HI-JAck Outboard2 Stroke PetrolMariner825Mounted in well, still runs well and reliable starter.
RL28Quintet Sail Drive DieselVolvo1030?Very reliable and economical using a little over a litre per hour to run. Unfortunately the local dealer's spares prices are double the price of overseas people. Two blade folding prop works well in forward and reverse. I'm more than happy with this boat and motor combination.
RL24Streetkid Outboard2 Stroke PetrolMercury5new
RL28SandpiperInboard DieselVolvo Penta10hpSame age as the boat.I wouldn't have any other motor. The motor just putts away at full revs, quiet enough to hold a normal conversation in the cockpit. It will push the yacht at 6 knots in calm water, burning only 1 litre per hour. And Diesel fuel is much safer to store than petrol.
RL24Dixie Outboard2 Stroke Petrol8hpSuzuki,15&3.3 Mercuries.3.3,8,1510 ea8hp best, 15hp works well but overkill, 3.3 still able to the job for experienced,- even raced a number of times without any motor to keep weight down.
RL28pinnaroo Outboard 4 Stroke Petrolhonda15hp15yrsShort shaft,elec start with alt. Made a pivoting tilt with pulley system from cav plate. Motor comes up to near horizontal to allow bom-bay doors to close then drop motor down to hold them shut. recon I gained an extra knot.Very quiet and rarely use more than 1/2 throttle,can manouvere with motor at idle.Can't fault it.
RL28Yeah Buoy Outboard 4 Stroke PetrolYamaha9.9.3This is a high thrust, electric tilt with long leg fitted on an adjustable bracket. It is locked in the forward direction. Although she does 6.5kts in a straight line it unfortunately has not worked out because the steering is ineffective at low throttle and the weight imbalance affects turning and sailing badly. Am looking to use an outboard in a motor well.
RL24Osprey Outboard2 Stroke PetrolMercury long shaft9.930Motor in the well and still works very well for it,s age, first pull.
RL28kestrel Inboard Dieselvolvo ??very dead fixed keel ex charter yacht getting make over soon
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