Can someone tell me whats going on with this old motor mount?

[Carl Wonderful]

Scott, it's STILL two separate issues. Sure, he can leave it down while he's sailing when he is ON his boat. Leaving it down, even in fresh water, when he is not there is simply not a good idea, because whatever is in the water IS going to attach itself to the motor lower end. I sailed our C22 in Clear Lake (real name, no pun) on weekends, and when we left Sunday late afternoon, we always raised the engine, as did all of the rest of the boaters there and it was up until we came back the following Saturday. Algae is more than a nuisance.
Sorry we tend to disagree on this, too, and still.

Curious how much of an issue algae is on an outboard... Does it really cause problems? I would assume the prop cleans itself off well enough as it runs. Is the issue just some algae drag from the other parts of the outboard that are under water?

I do pull it up when I have a good wind day for sailing. Looking back and seeing and hearing the motor dragging is a bummer. But I have to be sure to wedge that metal bar in there or else I'm on the transom with both legs out pushing with all my might just to get that bar those 2 inches out so it will fold down again. I'm sure I'll get a new mount soon...but at least it works and I know its quirks and how to sweet talk it down.

 

[pgandw]

Carl

The vent is a 4" stainless steel flat dome model ordered from Defender (so I could step on it without breaking it). There is detectable air movement (barely) in the V-berth most of the time. My Mariner does not have a forward hatch. Previous owner had installed the solar vent, vents near the transom in the cockpit seat back, and vents in plexiglass hatch boards, for a trip to Key West. I have screened all these vents because of wasps, hornets, and spiders in North Carolina.

If my health lets me resume overnight cruising, I will probably use a clamp-on battery powered fan clamped to the mast post for a little more cooling in the cabin. Longer term would be installation of a 12V electrical system for lights, fan, CPAP. Right now, everything uses independent batteries.

Fred W
Stuart (ODay) Mariner 19 Sweet P

 

[Carl Wonderful]

Carl

The vent is a 4" stainless steel flat dome model ordered from Defender (so I could step on it without breaking it). There is detectable air movement (barely) in the V-berth most of the time. My Mariner does not have a forward hatch. Previous owner had installed the solar vent, vents near the transom in the cockpit seat back, and vents in plexiglass hatch boards, for a trip to Key West. I have screened all these vents because of wasps, hornets, and spiders in North Carolina.

If my health lets me resume overnight cruising, I will probably use a clamp-on battery powered fan clamped to the mast post for a little more cooling in the cabin. Longer term would be installation of a 12V electrical system for lights, fan, CPAP. Right now, everything uses independent batteries.

Fred W
Stuart (ODay) Mariner 19 Sweet P

I was curious about leaving some fans on when I'm not at the boat. I got a 100 watt panel and a 100 ah "LiTime" lithium battery. Is it dangerous to leave the power on while not there?

I was wondering if I could wire up one of those main electric shut off switches so #1 is main power with all my stuff and "#2" would be just a fan on that circuit? Is that safer and/or a good idea?

 

[Davidasailor26]

I was curious about leaving some fans on when I'm not at the boat. I got a 100 watt panel and a 100 ah "LiTime" lithium battery. Is it dangerous to leave the power on while not there?

I was wondering if I could wire up one of those main electric shut off switches so #1 is main power with all my stuff and "#2" would be just a fan on that circuit? Is that safer and/or a good idea?

As long as you wire the fan with the right kind and size of wire, well crimped on the ends and appropriately fused at the battery, the risk should be minimal. You will also want a solar controller to properly charge the battery from the solar panel.

 

[Carl Wonderful]

As long as you wire the fan with the right kind and size of wire, well crimped on the ends and appropriately fused at the battery, the risk should be minimal. You will also want a solar controller to properly charge the battery from the solar panel.

Yes, I have a nice MPPT Victron 100/20 Controller.

If all is wired properly and fused, do people leave their whole systems on while they are not there? OR does it make sense to do like what I was thinking and make a separate circuit with just the fans on it?

 

[Davidasailor26]

If all is wired properly and fused, do people leave their whole systems on while they are not there? OR does it make sense to do like what I was thinking and make a separate circuit with just the fans on it?

I think most people leave power at least to the panel, and just turn off most or all of the switches there when away. I know that’s how I have always done it on two different boats anyway.

 

[Stu Jackson]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
If all is wired properly and fused, do people leave their whole systems on while they are not there? OR does it make sense to do like what I was thinking and make a separate circuit with just the fans on it?

I think most people leave power at least to the panel, and just turn off most or all of the switches there when away. I know that’s how I have always done it on two different boats anyway.

And for yet another skipper heard from, that'd be me , I always left the boat with the power switch OFF. There was nothing that I needed to have running when I wasn't there. Of course, the bilge pump was wired directly to the house bank and properly fused. Others leave it on to power their refrigerators. I always chose to bring new cold beers with me or simply wait the half hour it took to cool down my fridge and the drinks. Patience - we're sailors, right?

Look, Carl, it's not about what makes sense regarding the electrical system, but it IS what one desires or requires (want vs. needs) to operate from the electrical power source (your batteries). This requires, as David said in #24, a properly and safely installed power system. Once that is done, your boat, your choice to leave it on. Or not. Do you turn your main breaker off when you leave your house?

 

[Carl Wonderful]

And for yet another skipper heard from, that'd be me , I always left the boat with the power switch OFF. There was nothing that I needed to have running when I wasn't there. Of course, the bilge pump was wired directly to the house bank and properly fused. Others leave it on to power their refrigerators. I always chose to bring new cold beers with me or simply wait the half hour it took to cool down my fridge and the drinks. Patience - we're sailors, right?

Look, Carl, it's not about what makes sense regarding the electrical system, but it IS what one desires or requires (want vs. needs) to operate from the electrical power source (your batteries). This requires, as David said in #24, a properly and safely installed power system. Once that is done, your boat, your choice to leave it on. Or not. Do you turn your main breaker off when you leave your house?

gotcha gotcha. I understand. Just want to be sure I'm being safe. Better safe than sorry right.

So for the bilge pump...you just have the bilge wires running straight from your positive battery terminal, to a fuse, and then to the bilge and back to the negative batter terminal?... And then you have your other main circuits also coming and going from the negative and positive terminals of the battery? Is this correct... or do I have it wrong? Maybe I'll just do that with my fans.

To answer your question... we actually do turn our breakers off when we leave our camp, but not our house.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Yes, Carl, that is correct. On larger boats with multiple circuits, some skippers have designated some circuits as their "Always On Bus" for the bilge pump and other selected uses. The negatives all are the same, so they all run to the engine, unless you have an outboard.

So for the bilge pump...you just have the bilge wires running straight from your positive battery terminal, to a fuse, and then to the bilge and back to the negative batter terminal?... And then you have your other main circuits also coming and going from the negative and positive terminals of the battery? Is this correct... or do I have it wrong? Maybe I'll just do that with my fans.

 

[colemj]

Your last picture and description finally made this make sense to me.

It seems that if the motor is on the mount, you just need to pull back on the top of the motor, and that arm will kick out and allow it to lower.

Sort of how one lowers a tilted outboard - pull forward on it until the catch releases.

Mark

 

[Carl Wonderful]

Your last picture and description finally made this make sense to me.

It seems that if the motor is on the mount, you just need to pull back on the top of the motor, and that arm will kick out and allow it to lower.

Sort of how one lowers a tilted outboard - pull forward on it until the catch releases.

Mark

Actually.....That is what you think it would do, lol. And what I would hope it would do. But you actually have to pull out hard as all heck on JUST THE BOTTOM horizontal white bar....to make room for the top one to not bind up on it...then you can push back on the motor and lower it. That's why I was so baffled. Just kept looking at the thing and couldn't figure out why it wasn't moving at all. It made me feel dumb, lol. But its just a dumb design/setup. so there, ya dumb mount!! So its the dumb one. But like i mentioned if I jam that bar in there then I can sort of push the bar with my two feet over the transom, then push the motor back/down which is the best this setup can do with this. weird. But I guess it does work at least.