Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

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jeffsnox

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Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

Is a transom mounted outboard bracket a suitable way to store your
dinghy outboard? I mean one of the hinging types.

If fitted correctly, would that not also be useful as an auxiliary
engine in case of a problem with the main inboard?

If that's a good solution, couple of questions:

1. Would it be worth bothering with a 2.5HP outboard? Or would that
not even give you 1 knot, down hill, with the wind behind you? What
would be a minimum useful outboard power then?

2. Any specific requirements for the bracket? Any recommended make/model?

3. How complex a job is it to fit one? Would I need to get a metal
plate machined up to go inside the boat to bolt through into?

Thanks,

Jeff
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

It is a viable solution - but as long as outboard a) is not too large / heavy for dinghy but b) also able to push your yacht along.

You don't say what boat you have ... and what dinghy.

If you want to cover both angles ... I would suggest for boats up to low / mid 20's LOA and average dinghys of 8 - 10ft - a 3.3 - 4HP outboard may be better .... keeping throttle eased back on the dinghy of course .. and I would suggest a 2stroker as well to keep weight down ..

Now I'm sure I will have opponents to my suggestion !!
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

Do you mean on the transom as opposed to hanging on the pushpit? If your reference to 'hinging' means you are considering carrying the outboard hinged up with the pin pressed in, I would definitely advise against it. The pin is not strong enough for the slamming experienced by a yacht, and will bend. You will then not be able to withdraw it.

You should also consider how you are going to get the outboard onto a low bracket. When I haul the outboard on board I lift it out of the dinghy using the genoa sheet. It is then relatively easy to lift it onto its mount on the pushpit. Trying to get it low down on the transom seems like hard work, especially on the back.
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

Vyv ... on a standard cantilever outboard bracket - I used to have my Merc 7.5hp hinged up when sailing ... in good and rough weather ... slamming / banging / rolling etc...... never had any trouble with cantilever working /// the locking pin was strong enough to do it - in fact as I understand it - it's designed for use when boat is in use ..

So are you supposed to have engine down all time when boat is in use ? Not being funny or rude - but he also is only talking a small outboard ... and most transom lifting brackets are designed for up to 10Hp in the small sizes ...

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

Sorry, forgot to say, would be on a Westerly Centaur, so 26 foot LOA and pretty heavy.

From what you've said, a 2.5hp would be too little power... but completely pointless?
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

2.5hp would move you along in flat water, assist you geting on and off the mooring and could even get you a couple of knots at sea in the right conditions. I have often thought of making a removable bracket for my mooring ladder to do just this sort of thing. I personally would not want to spoil the look of the boat with a thumping great bracket; you could get the same sort of effect by lashing the dinghy alonside.
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

It's not a bad idea in principle ... but I think I would soon get fed up with the bracket there .. I moved my Merc from a brcaket to a cockpit well I cut myself ... No I don't advise doing this to a Centaur !!

As said - a dinghy alongside will provide good results ... and engine would be probably deeper in water as the bracket normally needs a long shaft engine ... a dinghy short shaft.

Dinghy to be about midships or just slightly aft .. you sett engine ahead or slightly turned out a couple of degrees to offset being on one side of boat ... you then steer on mother boat ... when approcahing berth etc. - someone in dinghy to kill engine at right moment.
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

I have used a 2hp outboard on such a bracket to push a T24 along. Wouldn't go against wind & tide together, but gives manouvrability at least. Also used a 2hp on the dinghy towing alongside a Contessa 26 - much more effective once it got some weigh on.

I too would advocate the Tohatsu 3.5hp 2 stroke. Maybe you could also look at sliding/lifting type mounts as they don't have to rely on the engines tilt mechanism. I saw a lovely variant on the Folboat displayed at SBS - comes up, over the transom and the engine lies on the after deck!

Ideally an auxiliary outboard would be a long shaft, whereas the tender requires a standard shaft. The other problem with outboards as auxiliaries, is that the prop pitch supplied is not suited to the lower speed of the parent vessel. Regardless of the nominal power available the hull will only go up to hull speed and then the prop cavitates if you open up further. On the plus side, operating at small throttle settings makes the outboard far more frugal with fuel.

But yes - give it some thought and choose the best arrangement for you. For myself, I carry the outboard on the pushpit and often reflect that if I needed to use it, I have no way of mounting it as an auxiliary. Pumping up the rub-a dub and towing alongside is effective but slow to deploy!
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

In my youth and inboard engine un afordable I covered many miles with a dinghy (Hard and rubber) and outboard (4hp) strapped alongside our 27 footer. In a breeze you could head directly into the wind, a few degrees either side and she would be blown off course and below force 1 would give enough speed to give the sails drive.
As for transom mounted outboards lets say I have had disappointing results!
However most brackets are designed to carry outboards either in or out of the water and if stragegically placed and the wave motion not to severe they will work well
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

I was recently relieved to have my Yamaha Malta dingy outboard as a auxillary when my Mercury 4hp sailpower refused to start.

The boat is a Vivacity 24 and has lifting bracket in a cutout section of transom. This makes it fairly easy to switch engines at sea.

Not sure of the hp of the malta, (maybe someone can tell me) I was told it was 4hp when I bought it with a dinghy but all I see for sale are 3hp.

But it managed to push us along at 4kts on the flat water. (I would think the Vivacity is a simarly heaviely built boat to the Centuar)

The problem came when there was any tide and chop, the short shaft comes out of the water too often, and it looks difficult to mount a bracket in a way that would solve that without put the engine at risk of swamping.
Due to the slow progress of the day we missed the tide pass Cowes and came to a standstill in to the wind, 1.5kts of tide, and chop, so carried on sailing, was worried about having to get into Portsmouth against nearly 2kts of tide, but by that time traffic had calmed down, water relitavly flat, and fellow forumite Jobs-a-good-un alongside ready to throw lines eased the situation, but we just managed 2kts across the ground through the entrance.
So very glad of the Yamaha but would want anything smaller.

So I guess a 4hp might get you out of trouble, but only in reasonable seas- if were just an auxillary to the boat a long shaft would be more benificial.
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

As a guide I have covered about 30 miles cross channel in My Pioneer 9 at about 2 knots in flat water using a 2.5 HP engine. keeping the prop in the water is the biggest problem. As for fitting the bracket I would go for a slidding track type one which has a longer range of travel and use a thick ply backing plate inside the transom.

Yoda
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

- but he also is only talking a small outboard -

That was the reason for my comment. My Toshiba 3.5 has a pin that is 6 mm diameter at most, could be less. I often think when it is on the tender that its strength is only just adequate. I am assuming that a bigger engine designed for propulsion of a yacht has a more substantial mechanism for supporting it in the lifted position.
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

Any recommendations on where to get a sliding track type mount?

I can only find the articulated hinging ones. :?
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

But if he fits a proper transom mount - he won't need to tilt the engine putting more strain on the pivot pin ..... especially if its a small job.
And lets be honest - what difference is there to as I have mounted on the pushpit pad or as he wants on a transom mount ? They both suffer similar buffeting and shocks while boat is working ...
 
Re: Transom Outboard Bracket for Outboard Storage and Aux Engine?

Sliding mounts ... fitted to Alacrity and other small boats ... some Silhouettes had them.

Basically two metal bars with Z shape to allow a L shaped plate to sit behind each side ...

If an Alacrity owner can photo their slide mount for the guy - that would be fantastic ... unfortunately I sold my Alacrity many years ago and can't help on this..... except by this poor shot where you need to look carefully ...

nijoylaunch.jpg
 
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