After about 25 years service I replaced my 3 hp Mercury outboard. It spent a good portion of its life in salt water on a small Zodiac we used to get to shore. A couple of years ago it had a phantom ignition problem that disappeared for no reason while it was on the bench while deciding which parts to replace. Haven't had a fuzzy feeling about it since then. The last three times I had it on the canoe it acted up with three different problems. The possibility of paddling a 17 foot freighter 5 or 6 miles back against the wind and current (kind of like up hill) prompted me to go for a new 4 stroke.


Interestingly this 2.5 hp appears to be identical to the 3.5 hp same bore, stoke, bottom end, propeller but $200 cheaper. Funny how a smaller bore carburetor can be that much cheaper too make. I certainly is quieter and vibrates the aluminum canoe less. Not quite as fast, or at least seams that way, maybe just sounds slower. Has a neutral shifter, nice feature for the shallows and rocks on the stretch of river I use the canoe on. 
Had it put this afternoon for a test run. Not always the easiest to start but the tech said they need to break in before they preform great. It only caught two really small fish so Im not too sure about it yet.
This about 20 mile stretch of river  is between 2, 170 megawatt hydro dams. Its runs through mostly crown land and is virtually undeveloped. Aside from a hand full of hunt camps the shoreline is pretty much untouched. The last two times I've been there I never saw another boat. BUT thats for a good reason, I wouldn't dare take the Whaler on it. I've never seen a stretch of water with as many shoals and rocks and they just poke up hear and there with no rime or reason. When the dams are open you might see some swirling around them or a wave breaking but on a calm day they just lie in wait.






My little piece of heaven.