Engine mount while trailering

Oct 21, 2015
73
Catalina 22 Lafayette, IN
I'd love to find a way to mount my engine to the trailer while traveling. I have seen the "motor mount" solutions up by the winch. For various reasons that won't work on my boat/trailer combination. Does anyone see any downsides to laying down the engine horizontally near the hitch end of the trailer? Possible on the spare tire, which is already mounter there. (I've attached a generic picture of how my spare tire is mounted....this isn't my boat though. There is more than enough room on my trailer for the motor to sit on top of the spare. I'd make a mount, pad it, and securely attach it.) Any problems with this approach?

Thanks
Mike
 

RussC

.
Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
2 stroke motor or 4? There are simple clamp on kits to locate the spare tire on the side of the frame, which makes a lot more room for a motor mount. the tung jack can go on the other side. .....
This was my solution:

P1040559.jpg P1040551.jpg
 
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May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Engines can be sensitive to being laid down on their side. Obviously a 4 stroke engine with a crankcase full of oil will not take kindly to such treatment. After many miles of boat trailering I found the engine rides best upright on its stern motor mount. A properly sized motor mount should be able to withstand with ease the forces imparted by the hitting of bumps in paved roads and the acceleration and deceleration forces. I would be afraid in a forward mounted engine that loose gravel and other road debri would pit the engine casing. If the weight of the engine behind the wheels axle causes sway trailering problems then the solution would be to balance the load.
 

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
Do you have a bumpy ride? Don't most people leave the motor on the boat?
 
Oct 21, 2015
73
Catalina 22 Lafayette, IN
Thanks for your responses. Its an old 2 stroke Mercury 102 CC (4hp?) motor. The boats never really been trailered, and like others leaving it on the transom (tied down) worries me. Maybe I shouldn't worry and just leave it tied down on the transom?
It about an 800 mile round trip. Probably US and state highways (non-interstate) as I'm pulling it (a Catalina 22) with an SUV and I don't want/need to push it or fight the interstate traffic.
Mike
 

RussC

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Sep 11, 2015
1,578
Merit 22- Oregon lakes
likely be fine on the transom mount, but I just never liked having it bounce around back there. + I needed the tongue weight on the trailer anyway.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
Just take the engine down if it makes you feel better and wrap it in a movers blanket and lay it inside the cabin sole for the trip. I believe transmission lever up. A two stroke engine will not have any problems.
 
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greg_m

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May 23, 2017
692
Catalina Jaguar 22 Simons Town
Just take the engine down if it makes you feel better and wrap it in a movers blanket and lay it inside the cabin sole for the trip. I believe transmission lever up. A two stroke engine will not have any problems.
Good idea, here in South Africa we have a special kind of other problem... the whole motor or parts would go missing soon as you not looking. Stowed inside, positioned over the axle to distribute the weight and secured so it does not slide around is what I do. We can't even leave the motor hanging on the stern mount at the marina moorings!
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
If you will simply tie the outboard motor bracket handle in the up position to something on the back of the boat, it will ride as many do it that way. The key is keeping the motor bracket from bouncing.
 
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Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
I leave my motor on the mount, just throw a ratchet strap around it, hooked to the stern pulpit. Cinch it just enough so there's no bounce.
 
Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
We can't even leave the motor hanging on the stern mount at the marina moorings!
Ugh.
In the late 90 when I was still working in broadcasting, we ran a story about a South African company who made a car mounted, side aimed, flamethrower type device, to prevent car jacking.
An acquaintance told us years ago, that they couldn't get insurance without rape gates in addition to the securoty measures they already had.

Electric fenced communities with armed guards, protection dogs. etc.

Hearing that it makes me wonder why the boat would even be there when you got back.
 

greg_m

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May 23, 2017
692
Catalina Jaguar 22 Simons Town
Ugh.
In the late 90 when I was still working in broadcasting, we ran a story about a South African company who made a car mounted, side aimed, flamethrower type device, to prevent car jacking.
An acquaintance told us years ago, that they couldn't get insurance without rape gates in addition to the securoty measures they already had.

Electric fenced communities with armed guards, protection dogs. etc.

Hearing that it makes me wonder why the boat would even be there when you got back.
the boat is to big to carry and most of them would not know what to do with it anyways... kind of not a heritage cultural thing!

By the way that anti car hijacking gas flame blaster was a totally awesome device and was banned... because it would have been so so effective! Go figure huh...

Anyways guys who read this, South Africa is still a fantastic country to visit and go on Safari or road tour. But just like every other country in the world there are places you just don't go and cities that have areas where you just don't go. Being a marine engineer most of my adult life spent traveling by ship to foreign countries/cities/ports and I've seen and experienced my fair share of unsavoury places but always found South Africa, Cape Town the best place to call home. Having said that I loved Portland, Oregon and New Orleans on the mighty Mississippi (hope I spelt it right) too! We don't got navigable rivers in Southern Africa.

Have a good day now.
 
Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
My suggestion is based on as a former dealer considered one of the largest trailerable dealers in the country now retired with a lot of experience why I suggested that. Now when you go above 10 hp that is the individual's choice as most transoms were rated up to 10 hp max in design.
 
Oct 21, 2015
73
Catalina 22 Lafayette, IN
My suggestion is based on as a former dealer considered one of the largest trailerable dealers in the country now retired with a lot of experience why I suggested that. Now when you go above 10 hp that is the individual's choice as most transoms were rated up to 10 hp max in design.
Gonna tie it up as you suggested and head up to Michigan this afternoon for a week of sailing. Thanks everyone!

Mike
 
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Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
most transoms were rated up to 10 hp max in design.
good rule of thumb to know. :)

My smaller 6hp is 33 lbs lighter than my previous outboard.
I figure if the transom survived the weight 15hp while tossing around on Lake Ontario..... going down the highway with a lighter motor will be perfectly fine as long as you dampen the bouncing.
FWIW, I've never seen locals to haul their motor another way (motorboat or sailboat)

As long as your mount is in good shape and attached securely, the real risk IMO is theft.

One other problem would damage due to debris. A cover for the motor would be a good idea.
 
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Mar 20, 2015
3,094
C&C 30 Mk1 Winnipeg
just like every other country in the world there are places you just don't go and cities that have areas where you just don't go.
Very true. The reality is usually different than perception. I've been in more than a few places for holidays, that people thought were "scary".
Neil Peart (drummer for "Rush" and author) related the story where his friends thought he would die if he drove his motorcycle through Mexico... Yet his friend's Mexican Mother-In-Law would always demand her daughter and son-in-law go to the church to pray before they went to the USA.. "USA Children shoot other children in schools !"
Yes Mexico has a serious drug gang problem, the USA is the home of school shootings and South Africa has a very bad murder and rape rate, but that doesn't mean you can't live there or visit safely.

Though.. there are still countries where there is no real risk at all.
 
Dec 5, 2011
550
Catalina Catalina 22 13632 Phenix City
I second Gene again on the outboard motor transportation question. I store my motor off the sailboat in my shop and only mount it before going to the lake. Mine has holes in the mounting handles so after tightening it down to the mount, I put a hefty Master lock through both handles so they can't be turned without either breaking the handles or cutting the lock off. After that, I use a small ratchet strap attached to the stern pulpit to jack up the motor a bit and take most of the weight off the mount. FWIW, that same strap is later used inside the cabin to hold the porta potty down while sailing.
 
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