Putting a hole in the transom

[Jorob]

Hi all,

Have been working on my first boat - a Leisure 17. Have been weighing up outboard options, and although 4 or 5hp is generally advised, I have read countless tales online of people needing a bit more oomph when caught in a gale and being blown the wrong way.
Have spoken with a couple of boat mechanics, and they boat (separately) recommended a Tohatsu 6hp Sail Pro. This has 50/50 emphasis on forward and reverse. The trade off - it is an external fuel tank, which means fuel lines.

Does anyone have experience of running fuel lines through the transom? What is best practice/equipment/hardware to use?

For context, I'll mostly be sailing on south/southwest coast of Ireland. I don't plan on using the outboard for everything, but maneuverability when picking young family up from a pier, reliability when those winds blow up out of nowhere etc, I want to make sure I have the right one. Should I ignore the advice and just push ahead with a standard 6hp?

Cheers,
John

 

[Joe]

+

Hi all,

Have been working on my first boat - a Leisure 17. Have been weighing up outboard options, and although 4 or 5hp is generally advised, I have read countless tales online of people needing a bit more oomph when caught in a gale and being blown the wrong way.
Have spoken with a couple of boat mechanics, and they boat (separately) recommended a Tohatsu 6hp Sail Pro. This has 50/50 emphasis on forward and reverse. The trade off - it is an external fuel tank, which means fuel lines.

Does anyone have experience of running fuel lines through the transom? What is best practice/equipment/hardware to use?

For context, I'll mostly be sailing on south/southwest coast of Ireland. I don't plan on using the outboard for everything, but maneuverability when picking young family up from a pier, reliability when those winds blow up out of nowhere etc, I want to make sure I have the right one. Should I ignore the advice and just push ahead with a standard 6hp?

Cheers,
John

You don't need to drill holes for the fuel lines. But even if you decide you need the hole. it's easy to find a grommet that'll fit. You would not put the hole down near the water line anyway, but the grommet will certainly placate your fears. The fuel line is just a rubber, two chambered hose (fuel and air vent) that has easy lock fittings on either end. Super easy to disconnect. Trust me, once you get it installed and running you'll forget all about that issue.
The things you mention are actually reasons you want the SailPro.... it's got the hi thrust prop, which gives you more torque, more desireable because it gives you the extra power without cavitating. Which is what happens when you use a regular pitched prop and take it over the boats max speed limitation. The external fuel tank is a plus. First of all, it'll be larger than the internal version, but the big advantage is making it easier to fill (you can take it to the gas station) especially if you want to add extra fuel while you're out on the water... never know? My SailPro came with a 3 gal portable tank, fuel line with primer bulb and easy changing filter. Finally, the motor is equipped with an alternator that will allow you install a battery to run lights and instruments. Go for it!

 

[Jorob]

Hi Joe,

Thank for the response. The reliability is definitely something that I'm after, and the peace of mind that goes with it.

The rear locker where the tank would be stored is shown below. My worry about just running the fuel line like in the image (from Google) is that the outboard will suffer from fuel starvation if the line is pinched. On my boat there isn't an obvious point for the line to pass through.