Trailering with motor attached?

[Terry Dunn]

I planned to remove the outboard from the boat while trailering. However, 4 stroke outboards are more particular about which way they are layed down. So now, I am considering hanging the motor on the boat to drive to the lake.

What are the con's of pulling my boat to the lake with the outboard attached? Should the boat be strong enough for the load?

CS 20

Back of boat is 3.5 ft past the trailer bunk. 3/8" plywood on each side of transom for motor pad.

Motor weighs abot 60 lbs.

Closest lake I plan to visit is 4 miles.

Farthest lake I plan to visit is 1254 miles

[Frank Hagan]

There's always an issue with the amount of force that can assert on the transom. A lot of the small sailboat sailors have a motor mount fixed up near the trailer tongue that they mount the outboard to for transport. Less bouncing in that location.

[Tom Holder]

and of course someone might teef de motor off de back when you stop for a quick pit stop.

[Frank Hagan]

and of course someone might teef de motor off de back when you stop for a quick pit stop.

Practical Sailor just had an article on the best outboard locks. All of the metal ones were good enough to deter the casual thief. None would be sufficient for those truly dedicated to separating you from your outboard.

[Brent]

Terry, I was wondering about the process of horsing the 60 lb motor on and off the bracket. I suppose I could lift the 60 lbs, but controlling it sufficiently to get it on the bracket doesn't sound like much fun. I suppose doing it occassionaly would be ok, but I would hate to have to do that every time I went sailing.

I am all for permanently mounting the motor to the transom, but on my CS20 I would look hard at how the forces get transfered through the boat. Trailing with a load on the stern is going to be very stressful on the boat.

I think I might put a gusset on either side and perdendicular to the motor mount inside the lazarette to take some of the load off the transom to hull side joints. I would run those gussets from the hull all the way up transom to deck level so that the deformation of the transom is minimized when the boat motor bounces as the trailer goes over a bump.

These are my thoughts, but maybe there are some out here who have actually trailered with their motors in the stern. It would be good to here their perspective.

[capt jake]

However, 4 stroke outboards are more particular about which way they are layed down.

So why not just lay it down as the Mfg suggests?? Most Hondas have a bracket/stand built onto one side just for this purpose.

[Joe Nelson CS#35]

I dont think I would trust the transom as designed to carry a 60# motor while trailering. The forces of the hanging weight and hitting bumps in the road can really take a toll. I have done this with all kinds of boats before. Seems that the lighter they are the worse the problems are. It also depends on how your trailer is sprung. If it bounces at all...I would be more worried. If it is soft riding...the worry would be less. they also make "transom savers" that take some of the load off and tranfer it to the trailer.

I am leaning towards using something like a Seagull for my outboard. For infrequent use, I am not too worried about the ecological impact. You can stow it in a laz and stick it on the transom as you need it. Dry weight of a 3 hp is about 34#.

[Terry Dunn]

Thanks to everybody for the replies.

I did not feel comfortable trailering with the motor attached. So far I think there are more con's than the convience provided.

Most of the time when I go sailing at one of the local resevoirs, I won't even take the motor. Motors are not allowed. When I take the boat to a mountain lake, I will take the motor. That is a longer trip and I am convinced it is less risky to lay the motor down on it's side. The manufacturer ( Tohatsu) says "If the engine must be laid down be sure the tiller handle faces down ...". hopefully, I will remember that.

They have diagrams showing how not to carry or store the motor. That eleminates the way I have carried outboard motors in the past (2 strokes).

Mounting the motor on the transom is not a problem once I have it upright behind the boat while the boat is on the trailer ... this would be just prior to launch. Dragging it out of the van etc. will be a pain.

A mount at the front of the trailer sounds like a good idea. Do any of you know of one that is manufactured or is it a do-it-yourself deal?

Thanks!

[Scott Dufour]

Hey Ray,

I'm thinking I really like your take on using the electric motor. My question is about the batteries and their weight. Should I build two battery compartments about midships under the seats and run the wiring aft to the transom? Are the batteries heavy enough to make a difference if I put them in the wayback?

Scott

[Scott Dufour]

Sold! Thanks Ray.