My closest sailing waters are the Severn estuary. With the second highest tidal range and possibly the highest navigable tidal range. Not least of all for this reason I want to attach an additional outboard to the transom. This would also allow me to easily transfer said engine to the tender. Have any of you guys fitted one of these brackets and have you had any placement/fitting issues or problems with them fouling the rudders when they're up? I intend to get a 10-15hp engine because of the potential need to punch a 7kn current (and it'll be awesome fun on the tender!) but what is the minimum size outboard which will push the Mac along satisfactorily?
Sat, 19/03/2016 - 6:36pm
#1
james.brine
Auxiliary outboard bracket
Hi James,
How did you get on with this?
I'm looking to mount my Suzuki DF 2.5 tender outboard somewhere, having tendered from shore to mooring.
Doesn't look like there's room to mount in an operational position amongst engine prop and rudders. Also there don't seem to be suitable vertical stanchions on the pushpit for a temporary storage bracket.
What do folk do?
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
Hi James and Mike,
My 26M came fitted with an auxiliary outboard stowage mounting on the port pushpit horizontal rail. I have never utilised it because my 6hp Evinrude is too heavy to manhandle easily from water level. The outboard was originally fitted to our previous boat (Evolution 19) and we never had any adverse current problems. On the Evolution the outboard bracket had a spring balanced mechanism which in the 'up' position locked the outboard well clear of the water and rudder. Similar items can be found illustrated on the 'outboard brackets' page of the 2015 Force 4 Chandlery catalogue. I hope this may be helpful.
Navigation is a series of plots. In fog the plot thickens...
Many thanks Nick, I had a look at the up/down brackets you mentioned which would appear to fit (just) between the outboard and port rudder on the 26M. Hard to see whether the outboard attached to it would foul the rudder or the main outboard though.
With my 2.5hp tender o/b I'm guessing it's power would be too small to be much use in the event of main engine failure.
Having said that it might be worth trying.
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
I'd be impressed if a 2.5 did much to move a Mac and I'm guessing but unless the 2.5 is a long leg it might be difficult to mount it so the prop was below the line of the hull in clear water anyway.
Not to sure I'd like to lift 40 to 50kg of a 10 to 15hp on and off a tender too often either.
I work on the principle that main engine failure = demasting and the outboard is just a back up.
Dave Newton Sailbadthesinner
Good points Dave, I'll just go for a push pit storage bracket.
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
Hi Mike. I have managed to mount a sprung assisted/counterbalanced mount on the starboard side to hold a 15hp Mercury for back up and an extremely fun tender/dinghy. It took a lot of careful eye-balling and checking over and over before drilling (I hate drilling holes in boats!) but it is possible to find a position which clears the rudders (as long as you make sure they are right up). I got on my back in the rear berth and drilled a 4" access hole (broke my heart) in the port pillar just forward of the rear trim panel. Incidentally: I bought some black acrylic circles to cover the holes after I finished to stay in keeping with the styling of the boat (looks good in my opinion). I then copied the engine bracket mounting holes on two 4mm stainless plates and after removing all the polystyrene chunks, dislocated my arm to get to the back of the bolts while a friend pushed the bolts through the holes and whizzed them up(using plenty of sikaflex of course). I now have a bracket that allows me (in the down position) to power the boat and even change gear (the Mercury/mariners have the gear change on the tiller handle) with a tiller extension. In the up position, tilted forward, the engine (a short shaft) just clears the water and finally, although heavy, it is not impossible to remove whilst afloat onto the dinghy or to bring inside the boat from the transom. I plan to fit davitts for carrying the dingy at a later date, one of which I will use to assist loading the engine on the dinghy. One final word on this is: choose the side you fit wisely. I tend to come alongside any jetty or pontoon on the port side (don't ask me why, it's just my preference). Hence, I can still step ashore from the transom on the port side and most importantly Spring off. This of course becomes impossible with an engine hanging of the back. Also consider simply driving away from a pontoon as you cannot turn as quickly without your overhanging engine sparking down the pontoon! So much to think about but I'm happy with my setup.
I had a metalworking friend of a friend make up a bracket which is mounted on the starboard transom just above the waterline. It doesn't foul the rudder when it is raised. A second part then slots into that to mount the auxiliary outboard when (if) required, with the rudder down. The outboard lives on a mount on the starboard pushpit and is easily lowered onto the bracket (or into a dinghy). I can get 2.5knots from my 2.5hp outboard.
James and Dennis it would be nice to have some pictures of your work
Stay Safe
Mike Macerella 26X
Macerlla
1996 26x
Many thanks James and Dennis, it's good to know it can be done, and yes just a pic or two of the finished job, maybe in the up and down position, would be so helpful for those of us thinking about it.
I know what you mean about the dislocated arm James. I crept into my v-birth for the first time this afternoon and removed the expanded polystyrene to get an idea of how easy it would be to swap out my bow cleats - I thought motor mechanics was testing; I definitely need longer arms:)
MacGregor 26M 2009 - Sky's the Limit - Suzuki DF50
I will post some pics soon but she's afloat in Hayle at the mo and I can't really get to the stern to take a decent shot. I'll get to it eventually tho. J
Pages