Changing motor
- Thread starter Pete145
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I also feel like an electric motor would make it extremely difficult to enforce the Rules of the Road. Respectively, a vessel under power must yield to a vessel under sail. If the vessel under electric power has its main up, then a vessel under sail that has less control in a tight situation wouldn't be able to tell.
I found it. It's an upside down black cone, aka triangle. There is also something about inland rules and 12m and under being exempt.
The obligation in that case would be on the motorsailor to make an early and clear move to avoid the other. In any case I don't think the electric motor would make that much worse than a standard inboard. From the perspective of a boat a couple hundred yards away you can't really tell if someone is sailing or motorsailor, unless they're just luffing their sails.
The rules have evolved and are maintained by captains based upon honor and respect for the safety of all at sea. Do the rules get broken? Yes.
Usually by pirates and less honorable persons. Yes by individuals attempting to gain an advantage over another.
The only push back to the rule breaker is to be observed and called out. Then in the past the captain has been censored and loss of right to captain a boat. In a race cheating is usually dealt with by disqualification.
To the Pirate, not sure that means much. To an honorable Captain that was everything.
How do you react when you hear on Channel 16 “Help My Boats on fire” and you are near by but in route to your slip and to meet friends. Do you turn about and cross the bay to offer assistance or speed up to the meet your friends?
Usually by pirates and less honorable persons. Yes by individuals attempting to gain an advantage over another.
The only push back to the rule breaker is to be observed and called out. Then in the past the captain has been censored and loss of right to captain a boat. In a race cheating is usually dealt with by disqualification.
To the Pirate, not sure that means much. To an honorable Captain that was everything.
How do you react when you hear on Channel 16 “Help My Boats on fire” and you are near by but in route to your slip and to meet friends. Do you turn about and cross the bay to offer assistance or speed up to the meet your friends?
About assisting others - I've seen others in need of assistance when sailing but I've always been too far away to help, but I can't even tell you how many people I have assisted while riding my PWC. The only time I ever rescued a sailor it was a young adult, on a Sunfish that had a hole in the hull. The guy didn't even have a life jacket with him. Took over 20 minuets to drag him back to the ramp. He was the only one that I ever felt owed me anything and he didn't even offer me a bottle of water, it was hot that day. Most folks are very grateful for the help and offer up a beer or some cash, I've never accepted it though.
This is thread drift!
This is thread drift!
Pete, your boat, your choice, but I personally think you are going to hate the feel of the tiller if you do this.
2 other points, I think you will hasten failure of your pintles or gudgeons ending in rudder failure (including likely sudden loss of rudder and engine). Also, when an outboard tilts, doesn't the engine move a good bit forward? It appears your design would not allow tilting....
Do let us know if you do it.
Dave in Tampa Bay
2 other points, I think you will hasten failure of your pintles or gudgeons ending in rudder failure (including likely sudden loss of rudder and engine). Also, when an outboard tilts, doesn't the engine move a good bit forward? It appears your design would not allow tilting....
Do let us know if you do it.
Dave in Tampa Bay
I think I have a good final design now. I will post my progress. The rudder is controlled with a cable and wheel and the motor won't tilt up, it is fixed in the water ( much like my current saildrive).
Well folks, after a winter of tinkering I have finally come out with my rudder mounted outboard motor (see photo). I will piece together a video shortly. I will be launching on Saturday so I'll have some sailing experiences the following week.
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Congrats Pete. It will likely work as a motor driven boat, I will be interested in how it works as a sail boat. I wonder about the size of the original rudder compared to your new rudder. I know my 15ft Montgomery had a bigger rudder than what is shown in your picture.
I await the big test with anticipation.
I await the big test with anticipation.
That's an awful lot of stress for a transom hung rudder. All of the weight and force from an outboard will be focused on just a few square inches where the gudgeon attaches to the transom and the attachment of those gudgeons to the rudder itself. If it's a foam cored rudder that's going to be a lot of time to reinforce it. I think it'd be ok for a backup trolling motor but not a 9.9 four stroke weighing in at over 100lbs.
My neighbor at the marina is in the process of doing this to his O'Day 28 now. He machined a massive mount and bought a shaft adapter to couple an air cooled harbor freight 4hp engine to the old lower end unit. The engine ran about $120. His plan is to use it as a backup.
I'm in the process of servicing my own saildrive right now and have found that most parts are available and working on the motor is pretty easy once you know it's quirks. This thing runs like a champ. Feel free to message me if you're interested in working on yours. If not, I may be interested in your old one
It is a lot of weight 87 lbs for the OB and there will be force applied to the transom. It looks like the SS Bar runs the full height of the transom and if the transom has a large backing plate inside, I suspect it will be ok. Only the owner will be able to decide if it is working or tearing the back of the boat apart.
I will launch this Saturday water level permitting. I will keep you all updated.
I did that on a previous boat. Connecting rod from motor to rudder, and another connection point on the transom. So I could lock the motor to the transom when sailing or to the rudder when I needed the maneuverability under power. The rod was made for fishing boats to connect the small trolling motor to the main motor or outdrive. I think I got it at WM but that was 30 something years ago. Wouldn't be hard to make your own though.
Interesting project. Im curious to hear how it works out. Seems like a very small rudder area, and a huge amount of unbalanced weight on the steering when healed over. I think under sail the steering feel will be seriously diminished. But really nice under power. Also, looks like awfully small bolts holding the entire assembly on when you go full reverse (or, run aground, or ding when loading on trailer).
(edit) The red bracket looks really well thought out. I was wondering how you would attach the motor to the rudder. How is the throttle and shifter controlled?
(edit) The red bracket looks really well thought out. I was wondering how you would attach the motor to the rudder. How is the throttle and shifter controlled?
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