Angled transom outboard bracket

[Shiver Metimbers]

I am thinking of fitting an outboard engine bracket to my boat to allow the outboard to be used in case of failure of main engine. The boat has an angled transom, has anyone got any ideas or recommend a bracket that adjust to allow for the angle?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Tranona]

A swing down bracket mounted with an angled hardwood block to make it vertical would work. However, think you will find it a waste of time if you are intending to try and use the outboard from your tender. Not only will it give you very little movement because of the size and weight of your boat, but it is short shaft and will be so low down you won't be able to reach it. It is quite feasible to move a yacht in flat water by "towing" with a tender lashed alongside. However your yacht has sails for primary propulsion an ultra reliable diesel for auxiliary so difficult to imagine circumstances where a 2-3 hp outboard would be of any value. Have a look round other boats of your size and type and count how many have an outboard bracket. That should tell you something.

ps they look ugly as sin as well.

 

[VicS]

One option is tapered hardwood spacers either side of the transom as Tranona suggests, but I have seen swingdown type brackets with adjustable mountings for fitting on to an angled transom so if you are determined to fit a bracket keep looking. Vague idea though that I saw them on an American website.

Basically I agree with most of what Tranona has said. (wouldn't dare disagree with him anyway /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )

You'll need a long shaft engine or the prop will keep coming out of the water in any sort of chop, reaching the controls, even starting it, will be difficult and except in very benign conditions you'll probably need something rather more powerful than the dinghy outboard. Getting the outboard onto the bracket will not be easy either.

In calm conditions towing with the dinghy lashed alongside works well.

 

[Blueboatman]

The obvious starting point would be to modify (ie weld on to) the swingdown ladder very close to the pivot point and in the 'up' position.

A simple 50mm flange welded fully along the back face of the first rung would probably suffice ? ( And a tether rope on the outboard tied to the yacht too!)

A 5hp will move that boat very nicely if and when you get a rope round the main prop or cloggy diesel, bust starter,fanbelt,impellor,gearbox...

The French are particularly creative with these sort of things, there was a time when boat taxes related to whether you had a 9.9hp outboard or an inboars, so some quite large vessels ended up with their first auxiliaries attached to custom outboard brackets. You may have to google around French boats for sale of a 1970s-80s vintage..

 

[Tranona]

Yes, a 5hp would move it, but most tender engines are 2-3hp, short shaft with no gears and would give a passable imitation of producing a latte! Rope round prop is largely dealt with by fitting a proper rope cutter. A well maintained diesel is infinitely more reliable than an outboard. Yes, of course the French will find inventive ways round taxes, but that does not mean an outboard on a 30 footer is a good idea!

As I said, look round marinas and boatyards and count the number of deisel auxiliary yachts that have an emergency outboard bracket.

 

[maxi77]

The clapped out 4HP engine I had moved my last 25ft boat almost as fast as the MD5A inboard in flat water, but still gave a reasonable spead in a bit of a seaway. Long shafts are only an improvement if the long shaft allows the prop to be set deeper in the water, many are long just to bring the controls up to cockpit level. Immersing the prop to deap can give backpressure problems

 

[OGITD]

Sat in the marina one sunny afternoon, listening to the conversation between the Lifeboat, Coastguard and a certain vessel with engine failure, I asked one very senior club member if this was a common event. His reply gave me a little concern, as he informed me that its almost a daily occurrence for someone during the season to experience engine trouble if not total failure for some reason or other.

So with this in mind I acquired a hardwood pad for the external mount, a 316 4mm internal plate to displace the stress, a heavy gauge / rated outboard bracket, tiller extension, lots of Sikaflex, Cobalt drill bits, the right tide to get her on and off the slip in daylight hours, wooden stick with all the appropriate parts of the outboard marked to assist with correct location of said bracket, ladder and Yam 6hp long shaft.

I now have my auxiliary mounted quite neatly, and have had occasion to use it twice when I have had main engine failure due to poor planned maintenance of the previous owners. It seems that I am in the process of replacing almost everything during my ownership and hopefully I achieve this before any part or component lets me down. But I have been caught out on the odd occasion.

I also carry a good Yam 2hp 2~ for my tender.

 

[OGITD]

Just because something is not commonplace…..does not make it a bad idea.

 

[Tranona]

But if it was a good idea everybody would be doing it! The reality is that once you get over about 25ft an outboard is not a suitable means of propulsion - and then you need at least 6hp, usually a 9.9. A tender engine is just that - designed for a tender and ineffective on a 30 footer which the OP has.

Of course there are some situations where you might have one engine to do the two jobs - for example a lightweight racy 23 footer that sails everywhere and a 12 foot wooden tender or small RIB where a 4 or 5 hp might just do both - but would be a compromise because the tender would require a short shaft and the yacht probably a long shaft .... and so on!

 

[aquaplane]

I was looking at this boat at the W/E

The top swinging arm is longer than the bottom one so the outboard lays neatly along the slope of the transom and clear of the water when it's raised.

The boat is only a 21' trail sailer, and French, so the 6HP outboard is OK.

The First 18 I sail has a sculling oar rowlock in the transom, I don't have an oar (I don't know where I would put it), but I like the idea of being able to do a short hop without the faff and noise of the engine.

 

[Shiver Metimbers]

My train of thought was: I have to carry my 4hp outboard somewhere so I may as well carry it on the transome on a bracket which allows the motor to be lowered into the water.