Outboard motor & bracket

[David Rowe]

Hello Fellow Wayfarers,

New member to this site, so sorry if this has been asked before.

We have just bought a Mk2 (9007) & wish to add an outboard & bracket for cruising purposes.

We are looking to buy a Suzuki DF2.5 4 stroke but need help on the bracket arrangement.

Do we go with transom bracket, extended bracket or extended lifting bracket ????

What do most of you with outboards have, pros & cons of each.

Thanks in advance

[Bob Harland]

Hi David,

this is probably the most useful post on this topic;

http://wayfarer.org.uk/forum/topic/what-kind-of-outboard-bracket/#post-25518

We cruise a lot but manage without an outboard – I understand normal practice is to put the outboard on the bracket at the start of your cruise and leave it there sailing or motoring. It should be clear of the mainsheet and avoids the problem of stowing it in the boat. I guess this is the type you refer to as  an extended bracket.

There are a couple of videos with cruising boats with outboards which you may find useful;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBVh8ADLIok

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_a_jnZDMmc&feature=youtu.be

Fitting the bracket on the transom will require a plywood pad inside the rear tank to strengthen the GRP.

There is some good advice in the Wayfarer book on outboards; http://wayfarer.org.uk/ukwa-shop/

Hope that helps

bob

[Tim McEwan]

I have a further question.  A long shaft or short shaft on the outboard?  I am about to buy one and just need to check.

Thanks

Tim

[Bob Harland]

There should not be any need for a long shaft outboard. The trim of the boat can be adjusted by the crew shifting their weight aft if that is required.

hope that helps

[Tim McEwan]

Thanks

 

 

[Jon S]

Apologies if this has already been answered elsewhere, but what are the pros and cons of mounting the outboard to port or to starboard? I have a 2.2hp Honda with the tiller and controls to port. Most cruising boats I have seen have the outboard mounted to port, which seems counterintuitive as the outboard controls are then well away from the centre line of the boat. Is there a reason for this (less chance of fouling the mainsheet)?

Thanks in advance!

Jon Spray

W7207

[Dave Barker]

Ours is mounted to starboard, simply because it was that way when we bought the boat! You could justify either option, but the chances are that some controls will be more accessible one way and some the other, but there is no obvious “correct” option which deals with all eventualities.

In our case the least accessible control is the fuel shut-off valve, which is at the back of the engine on the starboard side of the starboard-mounted engine (so at the extreme left, looking backwards). Even so, it’s quite manageable.

[Jon S]

Okay, I answered my own question! Found the details in the excellent “Wayfarer Book”. As I thought, the reason for having the outboard tiller way out to port is to avoid snagging the mainsheet. I knew I’d seen it somewhere!

 

[Dave Barker]

The thing is, you may want to use the throttle arm for its primary purpose, and out of the way isn’t necessarily helpful in that case.

Also, you can fold it back out of the way when you’re not using it (at least you can on Yamaha and Suzuki 2.5 motors).

Don’t believe everything you read – even in the Wayfarer Book. Weigh up the pros and cons and then decide based on your own priorities.

[Jon S]

And many thanks for your response Dave! The main reason is to know which side of the transom to mount the outboard is because I have a new boat name I want to put on the transom today and want to make sure I am not going to cover it up with an outboard bracket!

 

[Tim Jeanneret]

I have the Suzuki 2.5 mounted on Fram (Woody, W807) on a removable extended bracket well out on the Port side. This makes some controls easy to see (fuel shut off, Neutral/drive selector lever), but the little catch that is flipped to swing the outboard up is hidden and fiddly to find on the Port side. The throttle arm is fairly easy to manage even though it’s out on the port side. I usually steer with my rudder rather than the outboard arm anyway. So I agree with Dave that there’s no obvious side to mount it (at least with the Suzuki)

I have the short shaft and it’s fine – just have to remember to sit aft to keep it well underwater. But I had to take care when setting the height of the bracket – low enough to keep the business end submerged, high enough that the outboard casing doesn’t foul the transom when flipped up, sensible position for the bolts into the aft buoyancy tank…

I have avoided mainsheet snagging by removing my old transom mainsheet track and attaching the mainsheet to a bridle some way forward of the transom. This is fixed to eye-bolts through the carlins either side (ie through the inside face of the strips of wood between the aft deck and the side decks), just aft of the rear hatch cover. Seems to work well, although it does occasionally get caught on my tiller when the mainsheet’s slack.

 

[Jon S]

Many thanks Tim! I have a MK2 composite, short shaft honda 2.2hp and a removable stainless bracket I got from Ralph a couple of years ago but have yet to fit. Will play around with the height as you suggest before getting the drill out. Am also planning to reinforce behind the transom with some epoxied marine ply as necessary.

[Tim Jeanneret]

Yes, my bracket’s one of Ralph’s too. Lovely piece of work! I actually trimmed the wooden pad a little top and bottom once I saw how my outboard clamped on, to lower the engine further into the water (when I’d removed my mainsheet track and cleaned up the top of the transom I had extra clearance above the transom) and to reduce the profile of the pad below where it bolts to the steelwork, so it drags in the water less often when heeled over to port. And obviously because I had too much time on my hands over the winter…

[Anonymous]

My Mk 4 had the pad already on the starboard side when I bought it but I have a couple of reasons for preferring the port side.

1.   I am right handed so with the engine on the starboard side locked quite tight (I prefer to steer with the rudder and seldom pivot the engine) it is easier to start using my right hand, keeping my weight on the centre line of the boat.

2.   In most (perhaps all) engines I have driven the throttle twists anti clockwise to accelerate.  I find it easier to sit to the starboard side of the boat and have my left hand on the throttle and tiller in my right.  It somehow feels right to drop my wrist to throttle up.  When I have driven a rubber dinghy sitting to port of the engine on the other hand, it felt thoroughly wrong to lift my wrist to do the same thing. Maybe that’s just my preference though.

[Anonymous]

Woah! Correction!

Under 1.  Above I meant to say with the motor on the port side it is easier to start right handed.  Sorry, I was facing backwards in my mind…

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