wieght of outboards and transum strengthening

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Malcolm & Darlene

I was wondering on the weight of outboard motors such as the 4 stroke 9.9's a lot people are using..I have a merc 20 that is 124 pounds,I assume the 9.9's are close to this,,I don't need the hp..but it's paid for and has remote steering,starting and alternator for charging,,I want to beef the transum for the weight in hopes that I don't have to remove this motor for trailering ,,if possible,,also I would love to have a wheel steering,,,I have a lot of fiberglass repair to do after the storm Ernesto beat my boat up, so some of these mods could be done during this time,P.S.iron keels rule,,,lol.....
 
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J. Barrett

Not just the transom

It's not just the weight on the transom that is an issue. Keep in mind that anything aft of the axle takes weight off of the tongue. I'm looking at welding a mount on the trailer tongue to carry my 9.9 Honda over the road. I'm guessing it is 110 lbs or so. I can heft it on by myself but it is easier with help. Especially as I have a bad knee and can't really carry it. I've never been really happy with the weight of this motor on my transom as it just doesn't seem all that sturdy. One of the winter projects will involve replacing the interior motor mount reinforcing board with a new, larger one. Depending on how I can get in there, bigger is better to spread the load. To make the motor easier to remove I installed a plug made for a quick disconnect for a winch. I got it from WARN and it simply connects the battery cables where they come through the transom. It's a simple plug that only goes one way so you can't reverse polarity. Makes it alot easier than unbolting cables from the motor. Even with a beefed up transom I'd be wary of the tongue weight with the motor mounted. -John
 
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Cap'n Karl

Battery Cable Plug

J. Barrett: I would really like to see some photos of that Warn "plug" if you happen to have some available. Sounds like something I want to consider for my V2-24. Thanks and Happy Sails... Cap'n Karl Whidbey Island
 
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Malcolm & Darlene

tounge weight

The tougne weight is not an issue here,,I have movement of 1-1/2ft front to aft.if needed,also this is a tamdun trailer with a max load of 6000 lbs,, I plan to convert to wheel steering and full remove start and ect,and anything to have full cockpit controls for solo sailing,being new to this sailing bizz,,I can use all the help I can get,,Thank you in advance,,also looking forward to some "old" mac gatherings in the spring,,,stay tuned for planned events,,Malcolm,
 
Apr 30, 2006
610
Macgregor 26s Kemah, TX
Wheel Steering

My two cents' worth: Improvements are great, but sometimes simpler is better. I've sailed boats with wheels and tillers. On a small boat, a tiller gives you a much better feel for the boat, as well as more responsiveness. It's also a lot simpler to maintain and repair. Finally, when you're at anchor or docked, you can lift the tiller out of the way. The pedestal that supports the wheel is always in the way, especially on a small boat.
 
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bruce

trans beef

i bolted a piece of 2x2 angle to the motor mount bolts and added a brace forward to the verticle between the cockpit floor and the seat, took a lot of flex out of the trans.
 
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J. Barrett

Not a bad idea

Bruce, Not a bad idea. That would transfer some of the torsional load into the floor structure along its longitudinal axis. What I had planned was simply adding a larger plate to the inside of the transom to spread the load, mainly toward the top of the transom. I'm not sure yet how I plan to get in there. I usually bribe my son but he's geting expensive. I had also though about installing an inspection port so I could simply reach in. Then I could simply tie a line to the replacement panel and pull it back from the cabin to where I could reach in and grab it. If I add a plate and the brace you describe that would really stiffen it up. -John
 
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