Can a boat motor be too low in the water?

gtg

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Sep 12, 2019
103
Catalina, Hobbie 22, 16 Windycrest
The motor ran fine in my bucket during breaking, water level was just above the horizontal fin does the cooling output stream. Installed the motor, it s a long shaft. I believe the old motor was a regular shaft. The prop is deep in the water when lower the motor stand. It bubbles when it runs....
 

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Jan 11, 2014
11,319
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Are the bubbles from the exhaust? Many engines send the exhaust through the prop, this helps to quiet the engine.

On a sailboat, the deeper the prop, the better. It will be in clean water and less likely to come out of the water in waves.
 
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Dec 28, 2015
1,837
Laser, Hunter H30 Cherubini Tacoma
It is more exposed to following seas . If in salt water, more potential for corrosion. I would refer to the owners manual for any cooling issues but I wouldn’t think there would be any.
 
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Mikem

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Dec 20, 2009
820
Hunter 466 Bremerton
It is more exposed to following seas . If in salt water, more potential for corrosion. I would refer to the owners manual for any cooling issues but I wouldn’t think there would be any.
Be careful that the motor head itself does not get wet while heeling...in that instance a motor can be place too low. Especially if the motor is offset from centerline.
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,319
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
When sailing, raise the motor and tilt it, that will reduce the chances of submerging the engine head and it makes the boat more fun to sail.

Back in the day, I had a 22' boat with an outboard. When the engine was raised, it never came close to getting wet and I was out in some conditions that I probably shouldn't have been. I think submerging the engine is a pretty low probability event. I wouldn't worry too much about it.

If the boat is in salt water, be sure to flush it with freshwater. Tohatsu usually provides a flush kit which allows a hose to be connected to flush out the salt.
 
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May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
If the power head is under water the motor is too low. The cowling will hold back water and provide air for about 5 seconds.
 
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Apr 26, 2015
660
S2 26 Mid On Trailer
The 2 Tohatsu that I've owned bubbled at the joint between the extension and lower unit. I was concerned but Tohatsu said it was normal. There is not an exhaust gasket at that point.
 
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Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
It looks perfect to me. The reason you get along shaft is to get the prop deeper..... I don't see what your problem is.
 
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Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
If the power head is under water the motor is too low. The cowling will hold back water and provide air for about 5 seconds.
I had a motor submerged a couple of times on a very windy night. It kept on running as if nothing ever happened.

@gtg What exactly are you worried about with your setup? The bubbles?
 
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gtg

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Sep 12, 2019
103
Catalina, Hobbie 22, 16 Windycrest
As long as its peeing it's fine your not a planning boat
I guess I'm just used to ski boat motors. Ski boats motors dont dip that deep in the water and then the water parts around the fin next to the prop. My fin is way underwater by 6 inches. AND the dang thing is hard to steer is that an angle I should learn to like? The motor is more quite.
 
Jan 11, 2014
11,319
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
Learn to steer with your rudder, not your motor. I generally only turn my outboard in a tight spot or emergency
Yep. Steer with the rudder.

Also, there is usually an adjusting screw that controls the tension on the motor pivot. For a sail boat it should be tight because it is better to use the tiller to steer, even while motoring. Also, sailboats tend to carry their momentum much longer than power boats. Often you will find yourself taking the motor out of gear before you reach the dock and coasting in. Unlike a power boat, a sailboat steers with its rudder not the prop. Even with the motor in neutral you'll have lots of steerage.
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
Learning to steer with the rudder only is easier than one might think. A bit daunting at first but you'll get over it pretty quickly. Here's a a few little tips that may help as well:
-When going backwards your steering will be reversed. Even if your motor is in R your steering will not reverse until the boat has stopped and has started to move backwards
-When coming into the slip I'll often times put my motor in reverse with no throttle. This way I can instantly increase the throttle to come to a stop
-Going into forward or reverse for only a fraction of a second as needed is a good way to see the effect that your shifting actions had on the boat
-Don't be afraid to bail and start over. Always have a backup plan
-Not every docking will be perfect
-You can't go too slow
-Contrary to the last tip sometimes a bit of speed is needed to maintain steerage. For a while I was having issues docking. Everything was lined up nicely but I'd always end up mis aligned until I went into the slip faster
-Always test forward, reverse and throttle before docking. I've had motors die when docking, I've seen friend's motors die and another member here had the same thing happen recently. Most motors will die at idle. It couldnt hurt to check that too!
-I tend to go a bit faster into the slip when there's a crosswind. I find I'm less likely to be pushed sideways. Perhaps there's a better way that I'm not aware of
-Sometimes it's easier and more predictable to steer in reverse than forward. Most of us have far more experience driving front wheel steering cars than rear steering boats

I'm no expert and the marks on my boat prove it!
 
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Nov 9, 2012
2,500
Oday 192 Lake Nockamixon
Hey, GTG, I get it. I understand your concerns. When you're used to a planing hull, you want that lower unit only as far under water at speed as you need to get water flow for cooling. Any more, and you're introducing unnecessary drag which slows you down. But with a sailboat, it's all about drag and going slow! :biggrin:

Keeping it low while motoring is good, as noted, to keep the prop in the water with steep chop. As long as the power head stays out of the water, you're good to go. Definitely keep the adjustable mount up high with the motor out of the water when not in use. When I sail, I raise the mount and tilt the motor, so there's no chance the lower unit drags when heeling on that side. When I'm at the slip, I don't have to tilt the motor to clear the water, which is nice because I'm afraid if I tilt the motor so that it sticks out, some bozo's going to bounce off it some time...
 
Feb 5, 2009
255
Gloucester 20 Kanawha River, Winfield, WV
It bubbles when it runs....
Don't they all bubble?
What's it look like under way? I raised mine because I was dragging my mounting block through the water in the original position. This isn't a great photo, but you can kinda see what I did. The two fasteners below the mount are where the lower part of the mount was originally attached. I moved the bottom end up to the top holes, made new holes for the top, and put a new backing plate on the inside of the transom. It might be a little higher than it needs to be now, but I wanted to limit the number of holes I had to poke through my boat.
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