Minimum Oil-Gas Mix Ratio

[PATRIOT]

I've been running my 30 year old 2-cycle 15HP Nissan for years at 16oz. oil (half quart, easy to measure) to a 6 gallon tank which comes out to 48:1
The manual calls for 50:1 or 15.4oz to 6 gallons for a new motor.
It doesn't smoke a lot, and it is the nature of the beast, but I'd like to cut the smoke to a minimum, especially when in the No Wake Zone around the dock.

so . . .
48:1 = 16oz (~1 tablespoon over spec for 6 gallons)
50:1 = 15.4oz spec
59:1 = 13oz (16% under spec for 6 gallons) 5 tablespoons under spec
64:1 = 12oz (22% under spec for 6 gallons) 7 tablespoons under spec
70:1 = 11oz (29% under spec for 6 gallons) 9 tablespoons under spec
.5 oz = 1 tablespoon

Anyone running a lean mixture and getting away with it?

 

[Pappy]

If you do a simple search in this forum you will find plenty of posts and answers on your question.
Simple answer is that why risk damaging a powerhead? Oil is cheap and powerheads are not.
If you are that worried about the environment then use one of the environmentally friendly oils at the recommended ratio.
NO.....synthetics still have to be used at the recommended ratio!
The complete "Non-road" compilation of gasoline users of which the marine industry only makes up a small part of used, at it's peak, approximately 1/10 of 1% of the total fuel burned in the United States. Not like you are destroying anything anyway.