Bob, Basically, I agree with Larry--the 2 HP Honda currently is the best choice for most people. This is true for a several reasons--you don't need to mix oil in the gasoline; the motor is light and easy to get on and off the transom; and it's air cooled so you don't need to flush the salt out of the cooling system after use. I have used a 2hp Suzuki since I got my boat in 1986. It's perfect for most purposes. The only times I wished I had a more powerful motor with a separate fuel tank is when I motored 50 miles up the St. Clair River to Port Huron or 20 miles up the Detroit River from Grosse Ile. It's a nuisance to have to refill the tank every 45 or 50 minutes, and it's slow going against the current. You have to hug the bank of the river and hope you don't run aground. If I were to make that trip to Pt. Huron again I would borrow a 6hp motor with a separate fuel tank.

When we race we remove the motor and stow it below under the cockpit. And when we finish a race in the dark and want to motor home it's a bit of a nuisance to get the motor out and mount it on the transom, especially if the water is rough. That's when a light motor like the Honda 2 hp is a big advantage over a heavier motor.

A lanyard attaching the motor to the boat is highly recommended. A crew deep-sixed my motor several years ago when mounting it onto the transom without attaching the lanyard. Also, care must be exercised when backing up under power--unless you run the lanyard through a small eyestrap fairlead just above the strut, the motor can back itself right off the back of the boat! This also happened to me once when I was demonstrating the motor while the boat was tied up it the slip. I spun the motor around when it was running pretty fast, and it backed itself off the back of the boat! Fortunately the lanyard was short enough to prevent a complete dunking.

A bigger motor might be worthwhile if you aren't racing and if you either leave the motor mounted on the transom or mount and remove it in the dock rather than in the waves and if you plan to motor long distances or up a river or against the tide without enough wind to sail.

I agree that a Boomkicker isn't necessary, but I have one and like it because it keeps the boom up in the air out of the cockpit before we hoist or drop the main and because we race a lot in light air. Of course there are times when the wind is blowing hard when you wish the boom were down in the cockpit getting the main more completely out of the wind. Whatever!

We also gave up ordering reef points in our mains many years ago. In a big breeze we flatten the main with the outhaul, cunningham and backstay adjuster, and tension the vang hard to keep the leech from flogging when the mainsheet is eased. The mast is bendy enough so that you can almost turn the main inside out. And don't waste money on a Kevlar main. Dacron is all you need for cruising or racing, in my opinion. The best mains are pretty flat. Also, hanks, IMO, are much preferable to a foil. If you head the boat into the wind and release the halyard, the jib drops like a rock without anyone going forward to pull it down. And when it's down, it won't blow off the deck.

Finally, I would strongly recommend a medium heavy Dacron #4 jib. I use that instead of a #3 when there is a breeze and I'm not racing and perhaps I have some non-sailing guests aboard who might get nervous when the boat heels. The number #4 tames the boat a bit without killing its responsiveness. Also it's easier to sail in and out of the harbor in a breeze with the small sail.

Please excuse me for telling you a bunch of stuff you already know!