Sliding outboard bracket ?

[Madhatter]

I am looking for a sliding OB bracket :- stern mounted that slides up and down I have been looking but unable to find one. I am sure I have seen one on a boat but can't remember where
I thank you all in advance and hope somebody can point me in the right direction.
Derrick

 

[VicS]

Plastimo do them. A standard one and a tilted one. The tracks come in two lengths.

Look at "Standard motor bracket", "tilted motor bracket" and "light alloy tracks" under Motor brackets on Plastimo's website
http://www.plastimo.com/catalogue/index.php?LangID=1&catid=9

They are I am afraid silly money to buy new. I suggest you look out for second hand, boat jumble or eBay bargains

Although they are still listed on Plastimo's website I cannot find any for sale anywhere so maybe NLA

 

[Madhatter]

Thanks Vics, forever helpful as usual

 

[Pleiades]

Sliding outboard bracket

Ah yes, the sliding bracket thingy - very useful item to have on board so that you can quickly release offensive foreign (ie non-Seagull) outboards and slide them smoothly into the drink when they refuse to start....
Robin
Pleiades of Birdham
MXWQ5

 

[VicS]

Dylan fitted one on "The Slug" IIRC he had the bracket and had to buy the tracks.

Should find it all on his website somewhere

 

[aquaplane]

Carousel has one:



It can take some faffing about to get the angles right for motoring and sailing but I managed to get it so the leg is clear of the water whilst sailing, except on port tack a bit.

 

[VicS]

I prefer the swing down type of bracket.

 

[rob2]

There's a really nice design for the folkboat - if you have an aft deck it might work for you. Not only does the pad pull up, but it parks flat on the deck so the motor is horizontal!

http://folkboats.co.uk/parts/accessories/accessories06.html

Rob.

 

[aquaplane]

I prefer the swing down type of bracket.

Aquaplane had a swing down type and it worked well. The spring assist is good but I don't know if they have different springs for different weight motors, or even if they are needed. I couldn't tip the motor to get it out of the water if it was on the top notch, the motor fouled on something.

I know I could sometimes do with some help with the weight of the 6Hp motor on Carousel, there is nothing to brace myself against and it's not easy to pull up and drop it back into the notch at the top without it dropping down again. I suspect these brackets are lighter than the spring ones but that's less of a consideration if you aren't trail sailing or racing.

 

[William_H]

Sliding OB bracket

I have a swinging type like Vic's only home made. The disadvantages are that at mid position the motor is further away from the transom than necessary. Also it needs to be locked as especially when on the high position any big thrust from the engine can lift the bracket up higher and forward without a lock.
The disadvantages of a sliding type are the friction of the slides and the fact that you still have to mount the motor away from the transom to get enough room for the motor when on the lowest position.
As a matter of interest my little 21fter is quite sensitive to fore and aft trim. So for 3 people in the cockpit smooth water I need it right up while with one in the cockpit and one person on the bow picking up a mooring I need it right down. The difference in motor height from high to low is about 12 inches 30cms.
With the motor up for sailing I also put a loop of rope around the motor to pull it even further tilted to clear the prop from the water. good luck olewill

 

[VicS]

Aquaplane had a swing down type and it worked well. The spring assist is good but I don't know if they have different springs for different weight motors, or even if they are needed. I couldn't tip the motor to get it out of the water if it was on the top notch, the motor fouled on something.

I know I could sometimes do with some help with the weight of the 6Hp motor on Carousel, there is nothing to brace myself against and it's not easy to pull up and drop it back into the notch at the top without it dropping down again. I suspect these brackets are lighter than the spring ones but that's less of a consideration if you aren't trail sailing or racing.

There are different designs of these brackets and different versions for different sizes of engine.
Carousels engine looks like the Sail version of the 6hp Johnson. My engine is a 6hp Evinrude Yachtwin.. same thing but mine is a bit older I think.

The springs in my bracket have now lost most of their effectiveness so lifting it is difficult. When it was new and I had a slightly lighter motor it almost supported the weight, in fact it needed a gentle push to get it right down.

The pushpit rail prevents me from tilting the engine fully but I have replaced the tilt adjust pin with a fixed bar for the running position and use the original to tilt the engine to the extent you see in the photo when not in use. As you can see the bracket raises the engine quite high anyway, just not quite enough to get it completely clear of the water

It would be a good idea if I replaced my bracket with a new one, possibly one suitable for a slightly more powerful ( and heavier) engine, 10Hp maybe, but I am afraid this one is going to have to see me out.