PeterI have the same protocol for my 8hp Merc, except that the guy who pulls my boat does the heavy lifting. I have found the 8 he extremely reliable for the 5 months it's in the water.
Mel Rothbard Paper ClipperLong Beach Island

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  On Mon, Aug 30, 2021 at 4:11 PM, Peter Nyberg<peter at sunnybeeches.com> wrote:   One more vote for the 8 HP Mercury with the shift and throttle on the handle.  I don't feel the need for remote controls, and I'm not sure where I'd mount them if I had them.

I only remove or install the outboard when the boat is on its trailer, and I only do it in order to take it in for service.  Otherwise, it stays on the transom year 'round.

When I do remove or install the outboard, I cheat and use the front end loader on my tractor to do the lifting.  When it's off the boat, I put it on a stand I built out of 2x_ lumber.  With the outboard on the stand I can move it with a hand truck.

Peter Nyberg
Coventry, CT
s/v Silverheels (1988/2016)