Swinging Outboard Brackets

[m1taylor]

Hi, having changed my boat, I would like to get a swinging outboard bracket for my transom to replace an old fixed one. My thinking is I would like to have the option of using a short shaft (which is a spare to my longshaft), so need the flexibility of getting a short shaft lower into the water. When I leave the boat on the mooring, it would be good to be able to swing the outboard back up again high enough that it is completely clear of the water - could otherwise tilt it, but that seems more hazardous when you approach the boat in your tender in a real chop. So any recommendation for a swinging bracket which has a really good range of up and down swing?

 

[Guest]

having gone through the same exercise ..... the only way you will ever get such a combination of such .... short shaft deep in water and also up out of wtaer when raised - is by having the Alacrity Rail system .... but if your boat is more than Alacrity 19ft and ~4hp +/- .... then you will have serious difficulty raising and lowering.
The commercially available brackets - such as the common cantilever style are great - it's what I plumped for in end ... do not have such range of movement .... large yes .... but not enough.

Final point - using a short shaft on any bracket is a "Get-U-Home" affair .... not a serious main solution. Any yacht with outboard aux. on back end is a Long Shaft proposition really ... even then you have problems in any chop / seaway with prop coming clear of water ....

My Snapdragon 23 - I fitted a cantilever bracket with a Merc. 7.5HP SailPower O/board .... excellent combination .... but if engine was deep enough in water .... even though a long shaft designed for this operation - on raising prop was still partially in water ... and a right dog to lift on / off !! I cut a cockpit o/board well in the end ........

 

[William_H]

The style of boat makes a lot of difference. My 21fter is light and is very sesitive to fore and aft trim. ie with 4 peeps in the cockpit the stern is way down. With just me on the foredeck releasing a mooring or anchoring the stern is very high. Some heavier boats with less rocker would not vary so much.
I would suggest you try the Short shaft o/b on your present arrangement.
However a swinging up and down o/b bracket will help a lot. Mine varies by about 35cms from full up to full down. (A home made one) but yes a sliding on track system would be good except you may be fighting friction and may need a tackle to lift the motor.
I find when sailing I lift the motor on the bracket then piviot it up wrapping a rope around the back of the motor onto the stern rail to get it completely clear of the water. (can't have drag)

PS got to tell you we had a fabulous race yesterday afterrnoon with gentle 8knot winds and yes we came home first but definitely no motor on board. and yes the weather is finally warming up. olewill

 

[Searush]

My experience with a 7.5 longshaft on a Westerly 25 was that, generally there was no problem . . . . BUT, when the chips were down and I needed to escape from an exposed bay in a F5 and deteriorating, it was a different matter.

Short steep seas don't need to be high, my prop came clear out of the water on every wave. Not a pleasant experience & requiring a fast throttle hand to prevent damage. Can you be sure you will never meet such cnditions?
Regards Searush, Conwy.