Can that actually move this houseboat?

9.9's about to make their last trip of the season - onto the trailer to come out of the water for the winter

I am always surprised when people stop in to take a look at our houseboats. It's the kind of thing I often think about doing as I'm driving along the highway but I never ever do it. I actually enjoy showing our houseboats off and giving a little tour of what's inside. It's so nice to hear people's reactions as they step on board and see what our  boats are like. The one thing that amuses me, I wait for it in fact as the men in the group check out the back deck, is a little question that comes up probably 75% of the time. I don't know how many times I've heard it - "There's just a little 9.9hp on this thing?" "That motor actually moves this houseboat?"
Honestly, we love our little Yamaha 9.9hp four stroke high thrust motors. Yep, that 's a mouthful and for anyone who's not motor savvy I totally understand that it's also nearly incomprehensible. I grew up on a farm so conversations about Massey Ferguson and Chase-International and combines and tractors and balers still have much more meaning to me than outboard motors and fishing boats but I've learned a lot in the last ten years.

Peter working on a motor that's missing a little piece at the bottom:  that would be the part you lose when you hit a really big rock really hard.

I've observed that our Yamaha motors have been very dependable. That's great news for anyone taking a vacation on one of our houseboats. They just don't break down very often. Now mind you we keep them in good repair and replace them regularly but just the same most of our service calls for motor repairs are because someone has hit a rock or had a rope stuck in the prop, not because the motor has failed.
9.9hp means that it's not a big motor. If there is ever a break down we can simply replace the whole motor and you can carry on your way. That means less time stopped when there is a problem and more time enjoying your vacation.

Little motors hard at work

Four stroke is all about fuel efficiency. Your car has a four stroke engine. You don't have to mix fuel and oil. It doesn't use as much gas as a two stroke engine. That means a cheaper vacation for you and no hassle when you need to add fuel to the tank.
High thrust is what makes the 9.9hp work for us. This is the part that surprises people. They have big props on them, much bigger than your average motor of this size. They are made for pushing barges through the water and that's basically what your houseboat is, a fancy barge. You aren't going to go water skiing behind it but that's not what houseboating is all about is it?