Lately I have been convincing/unconvincing myself to go out and buy a new 4-stroke 5 hp outboard for my (motorless) square-stern canoe. Then, this morning I read Castwell’s piece on Money. I’m taking it as a sign from God, which, as you know, we ignore at our peril.
I’m goin’ in. She can only get so mad.
Besides being colder than the devil’s heart when it comes to starting cold,
4 strokes are heavier than sin.
God wants you to buy something…but how big is your canoe?
Many years ago I bought a 6 hp Evinrude for my Grumman Sport Canoe (wide beam and square stern). The motor not only increases my fishing range but also my fishing pleasure. I can run at a fast trolling speed for over a week on 6 gallons of gas. Try it you’ll like it! Motors this size may be the only ones around in ten years. 8T 
My fishbud has a Yamaha 4 stroke 2.5 hp on his Grumman square stern. I think it weighs about 37 pounds. It does a good job. The only problem we have had is that if the prop hits an underwater obstacle, the tiller will wrench over and the canoe will spill us into the water. The outboard will cut out and get soaked, and then need to have the water removed (engine cleaned and dried). I don’t think a more powerful outboard would be a good idea as it might translate to more weight on the rear of the canoe and it would also depend on the allowable horse power rating for the canoe.
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Well, I have a '97 3 hp Evinrude that I bought new. It’s the old timey 2 stroke, two cylinder and has the “shift”, which is really a clutch … you can start it in neutral and then slip into forward; (for reverse, like all small outboards, you rotate the engine 180). The weight is 34 lbs compared to 29.7 lbs for the 2 hp one lunger with no shift.
For the canoe and other small boat use I’ve been well pleased with the little motor.
Dale
I have boats with everything from paddles, to oars, to small outboards through twin monster diesels… The single most reliable motor I have is a 6 horse Evinrude my father bought new in '64. I have broken several props on it and the carb adjustment has been belly up for decades.
Beyond lube and lots of plug changes it simply runs everytime asked to. I run it as a trolling motor on an 18’ jet sled and it has had to push me home the slow way a couple times.
It is a great little motor for a 12’ cartopper and has been on lots of canoes. They do not make motors like that any more…
art
A 5 hp merc is 55 lbs dry!
My 9.9 horse merc is 110…almost as much as my ole ‘67’ Evinrude 18 hp weighed.
I don’t know about your personal area, (water/outboard wise), but one thing that keeps “creeping across the nation”, albeit slowly, is the outlawing of all outboards that run a “gas/oil mix”.(2-stroke)
Here, in Oregon, you can still run them on the bigger rivers, but less than 5% of our lakes anymore. Washington State is implementing the same laws on many of it’s own lakes and reservoirs and I’ve read “hints” of it now moving eastwards!?!
It’s been rather interesting to read about some tourist, that doesn’t check the regs and then pulls his boat 600 miles to fish here, only to be told… “SURE, you can launch your boat! But, ya’ can’t use THAT outboard on it, in this lake!”
Paul thanks for the heads up on washington and two strokes, I have a 7.5 merc that is at least 35 years old and may have 50 hours on it, perhaps I will have to sell it before moving back west.
Eric
Also in Washington State and British Columbia for lakes where motors are prohibited the rule is; If its on the boat whether its up out of the water or not, its Illegal. A friend fishing on a high mountain lake with his electric motor in the up position got a $125.00 fine. The battery was not connected but the arresting officer said because the leads were alligator clips and easy to install It was illegal. He was advised that if the motor were laying in the boat then it would have been ok.
Have you thought about an Electric? It would push your canoe easily and silently thru the water all day long on a single charge.