Why not put a 9.9 outboard on my 320?

[Ted10028]

It would have the following advantages:
1) extreme control in reverse
2) steering control if main steering lost,
3) alternative if Yanmar has mechanical , electrical, cooling problem,
4) alternative if no gas,
5) alternative if dead batteries.
6) extreme control in forward.
7) far cheaper and more versatile than stern thruster.

as I think about it I remember that I once knew a guy with a 50 foot boat who used a small outboard in forward to get into tight marina spaces.

 

[jssailem]

Sounds like a great idea.

For you and all the ideas you’ve identified.

 

[BarryL]

Hi,

How would you mount it? How would you control it? Would you be able to control the steering wheel and manipulate the outboard?

For me personally, it doesn't make much sense. Now you need to carry two different kinds of fuels. I don't think an outboard would provide more control than the existing yanmar and rudder. In any sort of sea state I think the outboard prop would be coming out of the water.

Barry

 

[dlochner]

This topic comes up frequently for various boats that were designed for an inboard. A search of the archives and a reading of the informed posts by experienced and knowledgeable sailors will yield near unanimous agreement that is a poor idea.

 

[DArcy]

While I generally disdain adding an outboard on the back of a boat designed for an inboard, I was at a boat show recently and was aboard a Tiara 43 which has two massive 600 HP outboards on it, and they have a 48 footer which has 3 600 HP outboards. The world is changing, outboards are becoming more common place on bigger and bigger boats.

If you plan on sailing anywhere but very protected waters, don't do it. Even in protected waters, you have a very nice looking boat, why would you want to uglify it by adding an outboard? This would be akin to putting truck nuts on a Mercedes.

 

[Calif. Ted]

You should add 2 for balance and double redundancy, think of all the fancy steering tricks with 2.

 

[Ted10028]

Hi,

How would you mount it? How would you control it? Would you be able to control the steering wheel and manipulate the outboard?

For me personally, it doesn't make much sense. Now you need to carry two different kinds of fuels. I don't think an outboard would provide more control than the existing yanmar and rudder. In any sort of sea state I think the outboard prop would be coming out of the water.

Barry

I would mount it off the transom with a motor mount that hopefully would swing down past the swim platform. I will control the direction remotely or with a tiller handle that would turn the motor around 180°, added control would be extreme I think because I could turn the propeller 90° so it would be perpendicular to the length of the boat, it would mostly be for marina use but you are right it would probably come out of the water often out in the open waves.

 

[Ted10028]

This topic comes up frequently for various boats that were designed for an inboard. A search of the archives and a reading of the informed posts by experienced and knowledgeable sailors will yield near unanimous agreement that is a poor idea.

can you tell us the reasons it is a poor idea? Thanks

 

[Ted10028]

While I generally disdain adding an outboard on the back of a boat designed for an inboard, I was at a boat show recently and was aboard a Tiara 43 which has two massive 600 HP outboards on it, and they have a 48 footer which has 3 600 HP outboards. The world is changing, outboards are becoming more common place on bigger and bigger boats.

If you plan on sailing anywhere but very protected waters, don't do it. Even in protected waters, you have a very nice looking boat, why would you want to uglify it by adding an outboard? This would be akin to putting truck nuts on a Mercedes.

View attachment 224092

for one I am finding backing my boat up in a marina in a very tight space is next to impossible which stands to reason given that water pressure against the rudder is probably one percent of what it is when the boat is going forward.

 

[DArcy]

In any kind of a seaway the outboard will alternate between having the prop out of the water and being dunked under the water.

It will be difficult to control the direction and speed of the outboard at the same time as turning the wheel. Expecting greater maneuverability is optimistic. You have a very maneuverable and agile boat. I would practice backing it up in an open space before modifying the boat in any way. When I got my current boat I went out on a flat calm day and practiced backing it near a buoy. If you are still interested in improving tight space maneuvering after spending some time practicing, get a bow thruster. That would be MUCH more effective than an outboard.

 

[dlochner]

can you tell us the reasons it is a poor idea? Thanks

They are well documented in the archives. No need for me to do your research.

 

[Calif. Ted]

for one I am finding backing my boat up in a marina in a very tight space is next to impossible which stands to reason given that water pressure against the rudder is probably one percent of what it is when the boat is going forward.

Who taught you? I've taught a number of people how to back and maneuver in tight spaces. Usually only takes a half day to learn to back to starboard, do pivot turns in a narrow fairway, bring the boat to a stop while walking the stern in the direction desired, etc. Another half day of practice and most people are pretty proficient. I did my training on a 45' boat, so smaller boats are like driving my wife's CRV instead of my F150.
Find someone to teach you, you don't need another auxiliary engine but to learn the use of the one you have.
How many people does it take to dock or undock most boats? One

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

You most likely have an outboard on your dinghy. Why not rig up a temporary mount for the OB engine in the event that your Yanmar should fail ?
As far as maneuvering in tight spaces, get another instructor. The first one sounds like he wasn't that good from the get go.

 

[Ted10028]

In any kind of a seaway the outboard will alternate between having the prop out of the water and being dunked under the water.

It will be difficult to control the direction and speed of the outboard at the same time as turning the wheel. Expecting greater maneuverability is optimistic. You have a very maneuverable and agile boat. I would practice backing it up in an open space before modifying the boat in any way. When I got my current boat I went out on a flat calm day and practiced backing it near a buoy. If you are still interested in improving tight space maneuvering after spending some time practicing, get a bow thruster. That would be MUCH more effective than an outboard.

I would be using it in the marina mostly for maneuvering in very tight spaces so I could turn the propeller 90° perpendicular to the line of the boat. it should make a standing turn fairly easy

 

[dlochner]

The manuever is a back and fill. Go take some lessons from a good sailing instructor, you'll learn how to sail, learn how to maneuver the boat under power, and learn to dock. You ain't gonna learn it from a bunch of old guys on the internet.

 

[kappykaplan]

I would be using it in the marina mostly for maneuvering in very tight spaces so I could turn the propeller 90° perpendicular to the line of the boat. it should make a standing turn fairly easy

Get a bow thruster, as DArcy recommended. Personally, I would practice, practice, practice. Learn how your boat behaves. Learn how to use prop walk to your advantage. Learn how to pivot the boat while moving astern. Practice, practice, practice. None of us learned small boat handling skills overnight.

 

[Project_Mayhem]

@Ted10028 This was discussed a few weeks ago and started by you. Why are we discussing it again in a separate thread?

Should I put a 9.9 HP outboard on my 32' Catalina?

My Yanmar 3GM30 has 4000 hours ( 20 years old) on it. I'm thinking with an outboard too I'd have a lot of security, both in terms of propulsion and steering, plus the outboard could double as a dingy motor if I ever get a dingy solid enough for it. Any thoughts? Thanks!

forums.sailboatowners.com

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

I have a question - why ask questions and then either ignore or argue with those who take the time to respond?

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Perhaps if we could get a few pictures of the exterior of @Ted10028 's Yanmar 2GM20F (I'm guessing) we might be better informed to offer an opinion as to whether a backup outboard is worth the additional effort.

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

If your boat had an externally hung rudder and tiller steering then it could work quite nicely IF you could also attach a linkage between the steering tiller and the outboard‘s tiller handle. Otherwise, it would have all the disadvantages cited by other posters with no advantages for close-in handling, which was cited as a motivation behind the idea.