Mercury 5HP 5MH 15″ Shaft – Outboard Motor

The Mercury 5MH is a 5-horsepower single-cylinder FourStroke running a 123cc block, a bigger displacement than the rating needs, which is where its low-end pull comes from. It’s carbureted, starts on a rope, and shifts through a full forward-neutral-reverse gearbox with a twist-grip tiller and a 15-inch short shaft. Fuel comes from an internal tank for short hops or an external tank connection for longer running, and at 57 lbs it’s saltwater rated with sacrificial anodes and stainless hardware where it counts.

Five horsepower is the classic auxiliary size out here, pushing a loaded inflatable across a mooring field or hanging on a sailboat transom to get in and out of the harbor when the wind quits. Because it takes an external tank, it’ll run a full afternoon around Casco Bay without a refill stop. South Port Marine stocks the 5MH in South Portland, so call (207) 799-8191, or the Danvers office at (978) 904-1924 for the North Shore.