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building an outboard motor well for a 30-foot sailboat

Discussion in ' Outboards ' started by CBTerry , Jun 9, 2017 .

  • outboard motor well
  • sailboat outboard motor

CBTerry

CBTerry Better, is the enemy of good enough.

Hello! I have a 30 foot Pearson Wanderer and a 15 horsepower Johnson sailmaster which I am trying to get married. It is an extra long shaft and I just received a 10 inch diameter four blade 5 inch pitch prop to push it about with. The decision I'm having trouble with is whether or not to have a vertical slide, which would require the building of a bit of a box on the aft deck, or to have the motor tilt. Having the motor tilt would require slotting the transom as well as the bottom of the boat and the motor would be exposed and that could cause problems. The box I'm not too worried about building because I will probably be adding a mizzen mast to make her into a yawl. Getting the control cables to articulate the 30 inches or so might be problematic but I have a couple quite long cables so I think I can pull this off. I would love to hear opinions regarding the motor tilting or the motor traveling vertically (or anything else, such as dark matter, which I still think is a bit of a sketchy idea). Getting the motor to travel vertically I can easily have a bomb door for smooth, quiet sailing.  

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Boat Design Net

Backyard Dory

Backyard boatbuilding and other adventures.

Backyard Dory

I’m getting old and can only row so far for so long. My two daughters, Samantha and Allie, haven’t ever rowed anywhere before. Because of this, we decided to cut a giant hole in the bottom of our beautiful boat so we can install a small outboard. This step of the build was certainly the most nerve-racking. We put so much effort into ensuring the boat was built tight and leak-free; what sane person would cut a giant hole in a perfectly good boat?!

Alas, we were determined to have outboard power for our dory. So we schemed a way to add a motor well. Before doing so, however, I scoured the internet for the best way to install a motor well, focusing on sizes, locations, depths, etc. It was obvious from my research there are two motor well camps: those that find them useful and those that don’t. During my searches, I came across side-mount outboards, which seemed like a good idea, but I was concerned because the waters where I’m going to use the boat will get relatively rough and I didn’t want to have a 40 pound outboard hanging over the side of the boat. I liked the idea of having the boat inboard the hull, on centerline, and easily reachable.

As such, I bought an outboard. I figure this 3.5 horsepower Tohatsu will be more than enough power, and it was just a few bucks more than the 2.5 horsepower and the same engine that just rev’s higher, so I splurged. At 40 pounds, I can easily move it around, so it seemed like a fitting choice. I wanted to have an outboard with a larger external fuel tank, but seeing as I won’t have to run it at full throttle, I imagine the small internal tank will last me long enough between refueling.

sailboat outboard motor well

The next decision was whether or not to build a motor well that allowed the outboard to kick up into the well. I toyed with the idea, but in the end, my dory just seemed too small to take up so much space with a kick-up outboard well, so I didn’t build it that way. Plus I figured my dory won’t go faster than about 4 or 5 knots, so even if I run into something submerged or hit a shallow bottom, I’m not going to break anything (other than maybe a plastic propeller that I can easily replace). So I kept the motor well simple: a squarish hole in the bottom of a perfectly good boat with raised sides that kept the water out and the outboard supported.

Having the outboard on hand really helped this process, and I pulled measurements directly from the motor as I progressed. The design plans I had did not have specific well measurements, so I was truly building from scratch at this point. Not a huge deal and it was easy to piece things together as I went along. This outboard spins 360 degrees, so I made sure that I took measurements with the outboard in a multitude of positions so that I had enough clearance to spin it in a full circle. That made for a little larger of a well than if I didn’t use a 360 degree spinning outboard (i.e. used one with reverse gear), but not too much larger.

I decided to put the outboard just behind the fourth frame of the boat. Aesthetically, it seemed like the best spot, so I went for it. Measuring carefully, I transcribed the dimensions I needed from the actual outboard onto pieces of plywood that would serve as the sides of the motor well. I decided to make the back of the motor well at an angle in order to minimize the amount of water that either splashes or plows its way up the backside of the well.

sailboat outboard motor well

Once the two plywood side pieces were cut, I sanded them as one unit so they were exactly the same. The last step for the sides was to make sure the bottom curvature of the boat, or rocker, was accurately transcribed onto the bottom edge of these side pieces. With the rocker roughly drawn to shape, I cut and sanded the bottom portion of these side pieces so that they conformed to the rocker on the bottom and sat level and plumb at the top.

sailboat outboard motor well

With the side pieces in position based on my end-to-end measurement of the outboard’s lower unit as it rotated through 360 degrees, I spaced the side pieces appropriately and drew the lines onto the bottom of the boat that marked the hull cut that would soon be the opening for the motor well.

I can tell you that I sat and stared at these lines for some time before I even plugged in my saw. Then I measured them again just to be sure. Then I broke out the saw. And then I measured them again!

sailboat outboard motor well

And the moment of truth was upon me. Time to cut a giant hole in the bottom of my perfectly good dory. I utilize a jigsaw and an oscillating saw to carefully cut along my markings. Drumroll please…

sailboat outboard motor well

With the drama of the hole being cut behind me, I pressed on with the installation of the motor well. Using spacer pieces of scrap lumber and several clamps, I positioned the motor well sides into place and made measurements for the front and the back pieces of the well. Once measured, I cut them out, sanding them to fit, and readied them for installation.

sailboat outboard motor well

With the front and back pieces ready to be installed, I applied them, one at a time, bedding each in a solid mix of thickened epoxy. Once the epoxy set, I removed the temporary bracing and the motor well was complete!

sailboat outboard motor well

I ended up adding a 2×4 to the front of the upper edge of the motor well so the outboard had a little more substance to bite into when I tightened down its mounting screws. You can see the addition in the pictures below when I test fit the outboard. It ended up fitting perfectly and I can only imagine the smile on my face finally having my mechanical oar in place! Yes, I did sit in the boat with the motor installed and made motorboat noises!

sailboat outboard motor well

With a finished motor well, it was time to finish the fiberglass work and then paint the inside of the boat ! Click each area to see how Elizabeth Lynn ends up!

4 thoughts on “Motor Well”

Hi Kevin, I have a client that wants a motor well in his Nova Scotian 4.9 Grand Banks Dory I came across you building blog and you have done it successfully, I will be fitting a Suzuki 2,5 Hp Is there any possibility for you to send me your dimensions and angles of your well. I enjoyed looking at your build you have some good techniques. Kind regards Paul

Doesn’t appear to have room to tilt up the prop!

Tom – you are correct! No room to tilt up the prop; I didn’t want to take up any more space than I had to inside the boat. My solution was to get an outboard that only weighs 40 lbs. If I need to move the motor, I simply unscrew the transom clamps and pull the motor out of the well and into the boat! Pretty easy and has worked well.

Paul – I’m not sure if you will ever check this again since it has been almost 2 years since your comment, but if so, please reach out again and let me know the best way to send you the information you requested!

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sailboat outboard motor well

20′ Banks Fishing Dory, USCG – Outboard Motor Well

Today I nearly worked all day calculating the outboard motor well. What is left to design and build is the removable tunnel baffle that will start at the bottom “V” of the motor well and come up to the bottom of the rear notch. This will force the prop wash to propel the boat naturally. The large notch cutouts on each side of the well will allow the motor to swivel to the port and starboard so the boat can be maneuvered with ease.

Atom Voyages

Voyaging around the World on the sailboat Atom

Adding a Tilt-up 9.8-hp Outboard Well to an Alberg 30

sailboat outboard motor well

This Alberg 30 has a 9.8hp motor installed in a tilt-up outboard well. The prop is well positioned forward and low so as not to suck air in choppy water and can be tilted up for drag-free sailing. The prop aperture has been filled for low drag and improved rudder efficiency.

The Alberg 30 is one of those rare boats that has the perfect shape and dimensions for building a tilt-up outboard well in the lazarette locker with minimal modifications required. I have installed motor wells on both early and late-model Alberg 30s using either a 9.8-hp motor or a 6-hp Tohatsu, both with extra-long shaft. A benefit of using the smaller motor is that it is 35 lbs lighter, less expensive, easier to transport, and the well construction is simpler. The downside is you have less power to motor through adverse conditions, more engine noise and vibration from a single cylinder motor, and more limited thrust in reverse.

The question always arises if 6-hp or even 9.8-hp is enough for a 30-foot sailboat. That depends on your expectations and what type of sailor you are. As with everything on a boat, you need to be aware of the limitations. Top speed in calm conditions for the 6-hp motor is 5.5 knots but that drops off quickly in headwinds above 15 knots, particularly if there is much fetch for waves to build up. You could use a 20-inch long-shaft rather than the 25-inch extra-long shaft but that is not ideal because it will further reduce your speed in strong headwinds and the prop will come out of the water and suck air more easily in rough waters.

The 9.8 pushes an A30 at 6 knots or slightly more if the bottom is clean. Because of the discrepancies between inboard and outboard rated effective thrust, the 9.8 has nearly as much effective power as a typical two-cylinder inboard engine without the problems of wasted space, oily bilges, and the need either to become a proficient diesel mechanic or to bring one to your boat from time to time.

I still get a thrill each time I hoist sails on my Pearson Triton and tilt the motor up for drag-free sailing. I can relax as I sail right over those fisherman’s traps without fear of fouling a propeller. You’ll also win more races by not dragging a prop.

sailboat outboard motor well

Alberg 30 with 9.8HP motorsailing in a near calm.

Getting started

Although I have installed 6-hp motors on both early and late-model Alberg 30s, here I describe fitting a 9.8-hp motor with an extra-long shaft to a 1968 model named Barbara J . The 6-hp outboard well is described in a separate set of instructions. Even though the bigger motor adds another 35 lbs and somewhat complicates the construction, many sailors prefer the extra power it provides to motor through more adverse conditions. I completed this project, with much appreciated assistance from my wife, while the boat sat on a trailer behind our house, but I have done other outboard wells while the boats were still in the water. With the boat in the water you have to shift weight forward to raise the waterline at the stern counter a safe distance for cutting through the hull and will need to climb into a dinghy at certain points. In any case, you need to haul out the boat at some point if you want to remove and seal the prop and close off its aperture to give less turbulence and best performance under sail.

If you have the skills it is possible to build the well with only these instructions and attached dimensioned sketches, but it will be easier and faster, with less chance of mistakes by using my full-size paper patterns kit. Email me for price ($88 as of July 2021) and availability. If you feel you are not up to the task, you might find someone like myself locally who is experienced in boat repairs that you can hire to assist you.

1. Once you have gathered your tools and materials listed below, cut out the paper patterns. Some of the patterns will be easier and more accurate to work with if you trace the paper to cardboard—you can determine that as you go.

2. Having removed the broken inboard engine and all of its accessories, begin by enlarging the lazarette hatch opening to 26 x 31.25 inches (see sketch) using a circular saw and Sawzall.

sailboat outboard motor well

 Set aside the original hatch hinges to reuse with the new hatch. With that improved access now it’s easy to remove all the hardware attached to the afterdeck, including the mainsheet traveler and backstay chain plate. You may have old vents that should be removed and the holes in the deck glassed closed. This is also a good time to replace the original marginal 6-inch stern mooring cleats with 10-inch Herreshoff cleats. You can plug or remove and fiberglass over the old engine exhaust thru-hull fitting and cut away any hull liner on the newer version A30.

sailboat outboard motor well

Cutting enlarged access to the lazarette.

3. Cut out the chain plate knee with a Sawzall and a metal cutting disc on an angle grinder. Then grind the inside locker surfaces with a 36-grit pad on the angle grinder to prepare the surface for epoxy and fiberglass. At this point patch the forward lazarette bulkhead with plywood and fiberglass where needed so that it is watertight from the bilge and side cockpit lockers. This ensures that in heavy weather the free-flooding area of the well does not allow water to enter other areas of the boat. If you are working with the boat in the water, doing this patch first will prevent the boat from sinking if waves come while the boat is at its mooring with the prop shaft hole cut in the hull.

4. To locate the correct slot location on the hull and transom for the motor shaft (or midsection) to pass through and then tilt up out of the water for storage or when under sail, clamp the motor to some sturdy surface such as a 2×10 clamped to the boat trailer frame or house porch rail and built a hull and transom mock-up around it of wood, cardboard, and plastic panels held by duct tape (see photo). Tilt the motor up and down and swivel side to side to simulate the correct slot shape in hull and transom. Once the motor is removed from the jig, lay the paper pattern of the hull cutout into the jig to confirm the optimum size and adjust the fit as needed, or otherwise transfer that shape to construction paper. Lay the paper pattern against the hull’s centerline to mark for cutting. By comparing the mock-up to the lazarette, confirm that the forward end of the hull hole should be 16 inches aft of the lazarette bulkhead. The thick fiberglass was tough work to cut, but I was able to get through it with a combination of angle grinder and Sawzall. No turning back now!

sailboat outboard motor well

Forming a mock-up of hull and transom.

sailboat outboard motor well

Motor mount jig and paper hull cutout pattern in place to mark for cutting hull.

In order to check the fit of the motor in the boat, I built a temporary jig out of plywood, lumber, and pieces of aluminum angle screwed into the hull and forward bulkhead and made some final trimming of the slot so that the motor could swivel and tilt up. But you can skip that step and wait to fit the motor until after you fiberglass the vertical side panels in and then dry-fit the motor mount board to them. Through experience building and using other outboard wells on similar boats I found that the best compromise to keep the prop well below the waterline but not have the motor head too close to the water was achieved with the height of the jig at 8 1/2 inches. Use the pattern labeled “motor mount” to make this piece.

At close to 100 lbs, the motor is awkward for even two people to wrestle in and out of the well so you may want to use a boom vang tackle to make it easy. On boats that are in the water, I extend the boom by lashing the whisker pole to it and attach the vang under that. The motor is easier to insert into the well if you first remove the prop. The prop is reattached by tilting the motor up and leaning over the transom.

Putting it all together

5. Measuring out from the centerline, place your cardboard patterns of the two longitudinal bulkheads according to the sketch, make corrections to the patterns by trimming or adding masking tape, and then trace them onto ½-inch marine plywood. Set at 26 inches apart to clear the motor when turned for side thrust, these panels serve as the inboard sides of the sealed lockers on top of which the two portable gas tanks sit. The panels are temporarily located in place by 3/4-inch stainless self-tapping screws going partway into the hull fiberglass and by wood .75 x 1.25-inch pine cleats screwed inside to the forward bulkhead. You can also use standard nominal 1×2 lumber which is .75 x 1.5 or rip them down on a table saw.

sailboat outboard motor well

Test fitting the panels for the gas tank shelves and forward buoyancy chamber.

6. Fit the tops of the gas can shelves using the same method of cardboard patterns transferred to ½-inch plywood. Place the shelve tops 1.25-inch below the tops of the vertical bulkheads and angled down a few degrees forward and inboard to permit draining of any water to the lower part of the motor well through slots cut into the retaining lip. The shelves need to be at least 12.5 inches below the deck to allow clearance for inserting the 3.1 gal. gas tanks. The forward and inboard ends of these shelves are held in position by more wood cleats. Because the tops of the gas tank shelves are too large to fit past the vertical bulkheads, once the insides of the plywood are sealed in two coats of epoxy resin the tops are placed inside and clamped up out of the way until the vertical panels are glassed in. Then they are lowered into position and glassed in as well.

7. On my first outboard wells I glassed in each component before moving on to cutting and fitting the next panels, but it is faster if you dry fit most of the panels and then fiberglass them all at the same time as long as you allow extra clearance at the joints for fiberglass. Before applying the fiberglass, I brush epoxy resin on the surfaces and then apply epoxy thickened with colloidal silica by squeezing it out of the cut corner of a Ziploc freezer bag. Smooth the fillet with a rounded plastic spreader. The fiberglass layers go on more smoothly if done directly on top before the fillets harden.

Although they are considerably more expensive, high density fiberglass-reinforced polyurethane panels such as Coosa 20 or Baltek Airex PXc can be used instead of plywood in any areas. Cut, shape, fasten, and fiberglass over them as when using plywood, but without the need to add extra coats of epoxy and fiberglass just for waterproofing. Lighter foam boards such as 5 lb density Divinycell or Core-cell can be used to save weight but will require slightly more fiberglass and resin to obtain the stiffness required. Since even marine plywood is vulnerable to rot if it becomes waterlogged, be careful to apply at least two coats of epoxy resin to the inside of sealed locker panels, paying close attention to sides and edges and cover all exposed surfaces with fiberglass cloth. Areas that are joined to the hull are glassed in using at least three layers consisting of 2-, 4-, and 6-inch wide fiberglass tape. The motor mount board takes a lot of strain and vibration, so it receives five layers of cloth.

8. After the gas tank shelves are glassed in, insert the 1.25-inch laminated plywood transverse motor mount board as shown in the sketch and as confirmed by a line marked on the hull from the jig position and secure with screws. The 9-inch-high board was cut down ½-inch in the center as an indent to prevent the motor from vibrating out of position. Then set the motor back in to ensure adequate clearances and to get accurate measurements for the height of the lid and hatch framing. If the motor is blocked at the transom from fully tilting up, make adjustments to the motor mount board or hull cutout. If motor will not tilt high enough to engage its tilt lock mechanism, you can either shim it if this doesn’t place the shaft more than a couple degrees from vertical or by raising the top of the hull slot using a hole saw. If using a hole saw, first drill a hole in a small piece of plywood and clamp it in place as a guide for drilling the slot higher. You may have to tweak the fit again after fiberglass is finished.

The 6-hp motor only needs the framing to be 3 1/2 inches high but the larger 9.8 requires 8 inches of clearance above deck level. Instead of making the framing awkwardly tall, make it 3 inches high and then add a 5-inch raised center section of lid by laminating fiberglass and a ¼-inch plywood core inside a plastic storage bin of the correct size. If a suitable plastic bin is not available then fit 1/4” plywood panels, angled slightly out at the bases, secure with tape on one side and fiberglass the other side. Then remove the tape and glass the other side and glass the box to the lid.

I found that the motor throttle handle protruded above the motor head in the tilted-up position, so I cut one inch off the end of the handle in order to keep the hatch as low profile as possible. If you cut the rubber portion 1.5” from the end and then cut the aluminum handle at 1” you can save the rubber cap and fit it to the shortened handle using weatherstrip adhesive. After this test fit, remove the motor and glass in the motor mount.

sailboat outboard motor well

The locker lid with cut-out is test fit around the motor.

sailboat outboard motor well

Using a plastic storage bin as a mold for the raised center portion of motor lid.

9. The hatch support flange, or sill, consists of four pieces of ¾ x 3-inch plywood stood on edge, or you can use solid lumber. First dry-fit the two side pieces using screws from underneath.  Then set the end pieces in place, trace the deck camber on their bottom edges, cut them to fit, radius the edges, and glass all pieces inside and out. The aft sill received an additional outside framing of 1.5-inch height. That double thickness helps stiffen the deck, but to add even more support for the area that was cut out for the enlarged hatch, add a layer of ½-inch plywood under the aft center of the deck. When the teak trim is added to the lid the doubled framing gives a flush surface for installing the hinges between teak and sill. Just make sure that you leave some clearance under the taffrail flange to reach fasteners for the new external chain plate, mooring chocks, or other deck hardware.

10. With the motor in the tilted-up position, use a cardboard pattern to make two ½-inch plywood sliding boards to fit around the motor shaft and cover the transom slot. They each have a horizontal slot and a pair of 5/16-inch by 2 ½-inch flat head stainless steel machine screws countersunk from the outside of the transom and epoxied in place. Two knobs on the inside tighten to lock the boards in the open or closed position. The lower portion of the nearly circular hole in the hull is too wide to seal with sliding doors, so it gets covered by a plywood hull plug held by a wooden cleat forward and secured aft by two metal tangs on the sliding boards. The idea is not to make the hole watertight—that would be impractical—but to reduce the amount of surging water that enters when sailing in large seas and to allow the water that does enter to drain back out. The 6-hp motor has a smaller lower cowling, so the hull and transom slot is narrower and can be covered with a set of longer cover boards.

sailboat outboard motor well

The two upper sliding cover boards and lower hull plug being sealed in epoxy resin.

11. Remove the motor one last time to construct a third buoyancy chamber between the motor mount board and the forward bulkhead. The ½-inch plywood panel is angled down to drain aft and just low enough so that the motor tension handles could be turned. Once it is glassed in place, drill 1-inch holes into the corners to allow any water that splashes over the motor mount board to drain into the motor well and back into the sea. Then add several coats of epoxy to holes to waterproof them. The plywood panel also adds significant strength to the high vibration loads on the motor mount board.

12. Cut out the ¾-inch plywood hatch lid and glue and screw strips of 3/4 x 1.5-inch teak hatch trim (or your choice of wood to be varnished or painted) to all edges. Glue the upper portion of the hatch sill board to the forward end of the hatch lid as in photo. Epoxy seal both sides of plywood. Optionally, add a thin layer of fiberglass to the top for longer lasting waterproofness against future gouges in wood but I haven’t bothered with that yet and haven’t seen any problem. Dry-fit hinges and latch.

sailboat outboard motor well

Side view of the completed motor well with cover boards in place.

Finishing details

13. Add eye straps and wooden cleats to the shelves to secure the gas tanks. Place gas cans on shelves at forward ends and mark for locations of ¾ x 1 x 10-inch pine cleats to hold cans from sliding outboard or aft. Remove gas cans and epoxy wood cleats in place. 

14. To have future access to the sealed lockers under the gas tank shelves I fit 6-inch screw-out deck plates in the lower vertical bulkhead accessed from the cockpit side lockers. Since you no longer need access to the aft end of an inboard engine, an obvious future project would be to make the cockpit lockers watertight. Aside from protecting these areas from accidental flooding, sealing them off from the bilge means that you can more safely store fuel, including spare cans of gas for the outboard motor.

15. After sanding and fairing some of the rough fiberglass joints in the inside of the well, coat with any primer and paint but I prefer to just give it two coats of Interprotect 2000E epoxy barrier coat and leave it at that. Then sand, fair, prime and paint the afterdeck and outside modification areas with a two-part polyurethane. On the horizontal surfaces either add nonskid grit or KiwiGrip. Now or later you can repaint the entire deck nonskid for a better match.

16. The wiring from the motor’s electric start and alternator, as well as for the stern light and any solar panels, is run through a hole high in the forward bulkhead and sealed with caulking. If you are concerned about chafing you can run the wires through a cable clam, but I consider that unnecessary. A bilge pump outlet hose can be similarly run through the bulkhead with caulking to prevent leaks into the cockpit side lockers.

17. Now that the original backstay chain plate knee has been removed, fabricated a beefier replacement external chain plate from 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 12-inch stainless or bronze flat bar bent to fit over the taffrail. Keep in mind the motor lid only needs to open about 45 degrees. When you need more clearance for installing or removing the motor, the lid is removed by pulling out the hinge pins.

18. With the mainsheet traveler gone, add three-point end-of-boom sheeting tackle as seen in the materials list below.

19. Attach a tether and eye straps to prevent the hull hole plug below the sliding boards from being lost overboard during insertion or removal.

20. Add a latch for the front of the lid, rubber gasket under it, and the lid support spring. Warn all crew that the hatch lid is heavy and the spring could collapse at any time from vibration or an inadvertent bump so hands must never be allowed to rest on the frame when the lid is open or it could come down and break bones.

sailboat outboard motor well

The 9.8-hp extra-long shaft Nissan installed in the completed well. New mainsheet tackle and 10-inch mooring cleats.

21. The motor is bolted to the mount to prevent it from vibrating out of position. Since these holes are in a wet area near the water, drill the holes oversize to ½-inch, inject thickened epoxy with a syringe, and then drill them for ¼-inch bolts.

22. The wiring from the motor’s electric starter and alternator, as well as for the stern light and two pole-mount solar panels, was run through a hole high in the forward bulkhead and sealed with caulking. If you are concerned about chafing you can run the wires through a cable clam, but I considered that unnecessary. A bilge pump outlet hose can be similarly run through the bulkhead with caulking to prevent leaks into the cockpit side lockers.

23. Although optional, it makes sense to fill in the prop aperture in the hull and rudder. This increases the boat’s performance by reducing drag and makes the rudder more effective. The aperture can be filled using foam board or laminated plywood, fiberglassed, and faired.

Performance

The 9.8 Alberg 30 outboard well has been sea trialed on numerous short passages offshore along the coast of Georgia and Florida as well as on a round-trip to the Bahamas. The performance was even better than expected, with the motor easily handling moderate waves and headwinds in ocean inlets. During a day of strong wind against tide in an inlet, the prop did briefly come out of the water a few times but not enough to force the boat to turn back. Another great feature is that these long keeled boats can be made to turn in their own length when swiveling the motor for side thrust—something that an inboard engine can never do.

In 2016, on another Alberg 30, I made a passage from Connecticut to Brunswick, GA with a 6-hp motor in a similar outboard well. We used the motor in a variety of conditions, including motorsailing 200 miles of the ICW from Norfolk, VA, to Beaufort, NC. A useful technique when encountering headwinds on any relatively underpowered sailboat is to reef the main, sheet it in tight, and motorsail in zig-zags some 20 degrees either side of the wind. With the mainsail adding drive and a steadying effect, the motor can supply enough thrust to push the boat forward at a surprisingly effective rate. On that trip we found that we averaged 10 miles per gallon at nearly full throttle. We carried extra gas cans that extended our range to 150 miles, which is more than most of us need to carry. Since there was plenty of space, the owner of Barbara J has added two more 3.1-gal gas tanks to make a total of over 12 gallons. When one tank is empty, or nearly so, we snap the fuel line onto another tank and carry on.

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A video of this project can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnQU1c2qx4c

Project time and costs: approx. 90–100 hours for one person with a second person assisting as needed. This project should not be attempted until you have practiced your skills on less complex boat repairs. The motor we used was purchased second-hand for $1,100 and the other materials cost about another $1,100. Even if you purchase the motor new, the cost, excluding your labor, is significantly less than that of a new diesel engine. Even so, I don’t necessarily recommend this modification just to save money since you might be able to rebuild or buy a replacement used diesel for similar cost and less labor. But if you appreciate the simple functionality of the outboard motor solution, then the relative low cost is a bonus.

Tools: Drill with bits and countersink bit 4 1/2-inch angle grinder with metal cutting discs to cut fiberglass; backing pad and 36-grit discs for shaping Jig saw Reciprocating saw (Sawzall) Circular saw or table saw with 60 tooth carbide tipped blade 5-inch orbital sander with 80, 120 grit paper Router with ¼ and 3/8-inch round-over bits 3/8-inch forstner bit for bungs in teak hatch lid trim 1-inch and 2 ½-inch hole saws Standard tool kit (hammer, wrenches, screwdrivers, etc)

Materials: (unless otherwise specified, many of these parts are sourced locally or from various online sources such as Amazon and Ebay) Optional: Set of full-size paper patterns. Email me for price ($88 as of August 2021) and availability. New or used Nissan or Tohatsu 9.8-hp outboard motor (2021 model MFS9.8BSPROEFUL) and two 3.1 gal. gas tanks (your local dealer, or onlineoutboards.com or try this link: https://onlineoutboards.com/collections/tohatsu-9-8-hp-outboards/products/2021-tohatsu-9-8-hp-mfs9-8bsproeful-outboard-motor ) Scrap cardboard to trace panel patterns. (If my patterns aren’t available to you then make a mounting jig to attach motor for measuring overall dimensions and tilting angles.) Three 1 gal kits of your choice of epoxy resin and hardener, colloidal silica such as West System 406, and thickener to make a fairing compound like West Systems 407 (uscomposites.com, West Marine, etc). One 4’x8’ sheet ½” plywood (use marine ply from your supplier).  Ensure you seal all sides and edges of plywood with several coats of epoxy resin and epoxy barrier coat and cover with fiberglass cloth.) One 4’x4’ half sheet of ¾” plywood (your lumber supply). Plywood construction is easier and less expensive but if you want to save weight and eliminate any chance of water intrusion into plywood you can use 5 lb density Divinycell, Core-cell or Coosa covered in fiberglass cloth. You need to have experience using foam cores though because the core does not hold fasteners on its own and more fiberglass needs to be used so alternate construction methods beyond the scope of these instructions need to be worked out. (fibreglast.com) Approx 4 yds. x 48″ medium weight (10oz) fiberglass cloth and at least one 10 yd roll each of 2”, 4” and 6” wide fiberglass tape. Add more fiberglass if using Divinycell or Core-cell foam sheet instead of plywood. (uscomposites.com, fibreglast.com, etc). Three 3/4 x 1 x 8-foot pine or hardwood lumber Two qts Interprotect 2000E white barrier coat 2-part primer and paint as needed for repainting afterdeck One qt KiwiGrip or other nonskid paint One 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 8-foot teak hatch trim Assorted lengths between 1 and 2-inch long #10 flat head stainless sheet metal screws One stainless plate 1/4 x 1 1/2 x 12-inch for new external backstay chain plate One Moonlite Marine 0115 Big Hatch Holder spring (defender.com) Two 5/16 x 2 ½-inch flathead machine screws and four stainless washers Two 5/16-inch plastic knobs with threaded hole (mcmaster.com #5993K84). Chromed brass latch Four stainless eye straps and webbing with buckles or 1/4″ line to secure gas cans. 1/4 x ¾ x 6-foot rubber gasket 3M Black Super Weatherstrip Adhesive West Marine Multi-caulk sealant or similar Dust masks, gloves, goggles Acetone, alcohol, rags, and paper towels 2 and 3-inch chip brushes and fiberglass roller Mainsheet tackle from Garhauer— One MS-SJ swivel jam with deck mount with 30-14US block with becket One 30-19US single block with swivel standup deck plate One 30-17US double block with adjustable shackle for end of boom

—————————————————————————

Well, it's the morning of April 15th, 2007 and the sun is shining. Although a mite chilly outside now the temp is supposed to rise into spring-time range in just a few hours. A beautiful morning and I am thoughly "bummed-out."

I was supposed to be running in a marathon this morning but a knee injury has kept me side-lined.

So I guess I will write another column and later will work on my self-designed kayak I have been building. I have a cup of hot coffee handy, have the Destin (Florida) Pass webcam open on another screen, and have a subject to address with this column.

A few years ago I decided to build a sailboat. My experience with sailboats at that time was severly limited so I selected what I felt was the simplest and most practical sailboat design that I could find: a Jim Michalak AF3 . It was certainly simple and easy to build , but after overnighting on it a few times I decided that I really should have built something a little bigger, such as an AF2 or a Normsboat , but the basic concept of the boat was a good choice. After a few years I sold the AF3 and at some point will build a slightly bigger boat in the future.

Although some of Jim Michalak's sailboat designs such as the Normsboat and the Mayfly 16 , for example, feature mounting arragements for a small outboard motor, the AF3 did not. Being an inexperienced sailor, I felt the need for the "security blanket" of an outboard so I had to devise the mounting arrangmeents on my own. After picking over my collection of outboard motors I finally decided on (2) that I felt would be suitable for the AF3. The first was a 1945 Neptune 2hp while the other was a 1949 Gale 1.5 hp. Both engines were already in running condition and neither engine was so "collectable" or valuable that a dunking during a capsize was result in a major finacial hit. The Neptune, in fact, had a damaged crankshaft and I felt it's time was limited anyway, so it became the primary engine for the AF3.

The usual mounting arrangment for outboards that Jim shows in his plans is a motor "well" between the transom and the "lazarette" compartment. I considered incorporating such a well into the AF3, but this would have greatly reduced the size of the lazarette compartment, and the bouyancy of this compartment was key to the "self-rescueing" aspect of the the AF3 design. I decided that a bracket mounting of some sort would be best.

Most of you will be familar with the adjusting motor brackets so often seen on production sailboats. These brackets lift the outboard clear of the water when the motor is not in use, and lower the outboard when it is to be run. These brackets are readily available but they do cost money and they are a bit big and bulky for a boat as small as the AF3, which has a very small transom. Someone had given me a fixed bracket, one that does not adjust up or down, and I decided to use that bracket with some modifications. I could also have constructed a fixed bracket from wood, with long bolts passing all the way from the transon to the motor mounting board.

Jim M usually suggests mounting the rudder off-center to one side, and mounting the outboard off-center to the other side, on boats with narrow transoms. Being a traditionalist, I wanted my rudder mounted on the centerline, with the outboard off to one side, which was going to complicate matters. With only half of a very narrow transom to work with the total width of the bracket had to be minimized.

One of the attributes of the (2) outboards that I selected was very narrow transon clamp spacing, meaning the the engines required a minimum of width of area upon which to be clamped. The motor bracket that I used consisted of (2) cast aluminum arms with a wood motor mounting board bolted to them. I removed and discarded the wood board and replaced it with another board witch I laminated from plywood. This new board was much narrower than the original board and in fact was just barely wide enough for the small motors to clamp to. Many other small motors, especially modern ones, would not clamp to such a narrow board.

Deciding exactly where to mount the bracket was another concern. If the bracket was mounted too close to the centerline of the boat, the propeller would hit the rudder when the rudder was hard-over. The further away from the centerline the bracket was, the more likely the motor would get dunked in a capsize to that side.

Another concern was how high to mount the bracket. The AF3 has a lot of "rocker" to its bottom. A lot of rocker and the small size of the boat means that a person moving forward or aft is going to cause a large change in the trim of the boat. In other words, If I walked forward into the cabin "slot," the bow was going to go down and the stern up. If I went to the rear of the cockpit, the bow would rise and the stern would drop. Both of the motors that I intended to use were so-called "short shaft" engines, meaning that they were intended for planing boats with transoms about 15 inches tall. Since the AF3's hull is not a planing hull, this measurement is not particularly useful. Here is what is important: When I walked forward and the stern rose, I did not want the propeller or the cooling water intake of the motor to come out of the water, When I went aft and the stern fell, I did not want to submerge the powerhead of the engine. Finally, I needed to be certain that there was enough clearance between the outboard and the transom so that the motor could be tilted-up, and so that the starter rope could be pulled. An outboard mounted on a bracket very low on a transom often can not be tilted-up, and often requires a "vertical pull" starter rope.

The final concern was structural. The AF3's transon was not designed to take the weight or thrust of even a small outboard motor. As I also intended to use foot holds on the rudder for reboarding the boat, I built the transom much heavier than designed. I used 1/2 inch plywood instead of 1/4 inch, and I increased the size of the framing a bit.

The waterlines on Jim's plans are usually marked, and utilizing a straightedge laid across the drawings I made a guess as to the vertical position of the outboard. I used the straight edge to simulate stern-up and stern-down conditions, keeping the center of the straight edge on the marked waterline at the center of the boat. Not being a naval architect, I had to guess just how far the stern would rise or fall with the weight of one or two people, but at least I had the range of motion fairly established.

There are computer programs available that can predict the results of just such a shift in the longitudinal center of gravity, for you "geeky" guys who want a more precise prediction. .

Next, I clamped the motor to the bracket (not yet fastened to the boat) to establish the position of the bracket when the motor was at the correct height. With the motor still clampled to the loose bracket, the motor was tilted-up in order to estimate the clearance between the transom and the motor.

Taking measurements from the transom and rudder, It was apparent that even with the narrowed bracket there still was not enough space to one side of the rudder to mount the outboard without the propeller hitting the rudder when the rudder was put over more than about 30 degrees. I did not want to install rudder stops limiting the swing of the rudder to that side so I decided that I would just have to be carefull when motoring not to swing the rudder too much to that side. In practice this was not too much of a problem. although the rudder blade did show the signs of occasional "rudder-propeller interface."

Once the desired position of the motor bracket was decided upon, I drilled one hole and bolted the bracket to the boat with one bolt and mounted the outboard to double-check the clearances. Since all seemed well I drilled the additonal (3) bolts and bedded and bolted the bracket on. While everything looked good with the boat on the "hard," I could not truly check the vertical clearance of the motor until the boat was launched.

The first time on the water revealed that I had postioned the motor about as idealy as possible. Walking all the way forward in the slot raised the stern to the point where the outboard's propeller and water intake were just barely in the water. Sitting at the very stern still left the powerhead a comfortable distance above the waterline, and the motor could be tilted-up to just clear the water before the motor powerhead hit the transom, limiting the amount of tilt.

Another concern in the installation was keeping the sheet from becoming entageled in the outboard, a common problem. I also needed a way to store the struck mast on the boat where it would not be in the way of rowing or other activities. My solution to these problems was not so successful. I incorporated a mast crutch into the motor bracket mounting. The crutch was not removable, and the sheet was routed through a metal ring on top of the mast crutch. Although the crutch was very handy for storing the mast, the sheet not only still became entagled in the outboard, it was also become entangled in the crutch.

A much better arrangement would have been to mount the rudder off to one side, so that the motor could be moved more to the center where it wouild have been much better protected from submergence during a capsize. The propeller and rudder would have both benefited from the increase distance between the two. Don't know if this would have helped the sheet situation but it could not have been any worse..

In the end, I probably could have gotten by without the outboard motor at all. I had the oar ports and oar locks that Jim shows on the plans, and used the boat a few times on a lake where gasoline motors where not allowed, and once rowed the boat a couple miles when the old Neptune overheated. The boat was surpisingly easy to row.

And I am a little bit better sailor now.

Happy Motor'n

click here for a list of Columns by Max Wawrzyniak

The Dory Shop

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada | (902) 640-3005 | [email protected]

  • Outfitting /
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sailboat outboard motor well

Traditional tip-up motor well

The traditional arrangement for adding power by outboard, the tip-up well is a long rectangular box fitted to the bottom of the boat, on which a small horsepower outboard can be hung and into which the prop and shaft can be swung up, safely out of the way when you wish to beach or trailer your boat.

sailboat outboard motor well

Custom-built upright motor well

Since cutting a hole in the bottom of a boat does reduce a dory's freeboard - that is, the boat above the waterline - and installing the old-fashioned tip- up well also takes up a certain amount of interior space, there are those who prefer to keep the footprint of their well as small as possible. For these folks, we offer what we call an upright well, custom-built to accommodate the specifications of their particular outboard. The one downside is that in this arrangement, the motor must be physically lifted or otherwise raised out of the well for the boat to be beached or trailered; it can't be tipped up. We’re happy to discuss which option suits you best.

Inboard engines

The most authentic way to power our larger dories is via an inboard engine. While the cost and availability of outboards has made this less common in recent years, we remain keen to assist clients with this arrangement in mind. Whether you're thinking of an authentic gas engine like the Make and Breaks manufactured under the brand names Atlantic and Acadia here in Nova Scotia, a nice little diesel unit or one of the new electric motors, we're happy to assist.

How to Calculate Outboard Motor Size for Sailboats

It seems so complex to pick the right engine size for your sailboat. I was done with complex calculations and tried to make it easier here.

How to pick the right outboard motor size for your sailboat? To get the right amount of horsepower needed to efficiently propel a sailboat, divide the displacement of the boat (in lb) by 550. You need approximately 1 HP per 550 lb of displacement or 4 HP per 2200 lb. Most sailboats don't need a motor with more than 30 HP.

In this article, I'm talking about small outboard engines for sailboats. We're talking about displacement hulls here, so in other words: keel boats. They need more power than flat bottoms.

But they're not powerboats - so it's not our mission to go fast. It's our mission to get decent speed, good control over the boat, and the best possible fuel efficiency. Without breaking the bank of course.

Sunset in calm waters from a boat with small outboard motor

On this page:

How to pick the right motor size, other factors that are important for size, why is the right motor size important, is there a max hp for sailboats, in conclusion, related questions.

Sailboats need way smaller engines than powerboats. That's great news (unless your ultimate goal is speed), because it's cheaper to buy, cheaper to drive, and cheaper to maintain.

The amount of power you need is related to the hull displacement of your boat.

I like to use the simple formula:

HP = displacement (lb) / 550

So 1 HP for every 550 lb displacement, and 4 hp per 2200 lb.

Here, HP is the amount of horsepower you need to reach the maximum hull speed. This is in optimal conditions. So you have smooth water, no windage, a clean and polished hull, and so on.

If you want to get it absolutely right, you also need to correct for propellor size. And of course, a lot of other factors come into play (more on that later). But generally, these engine sizes will work with the following weights:

That sounds about right to me. But remember that these are all rough estimates: I just try to give you a ballpark figure. There is no one formula to get an exact number. The hull design, sailing conditions, and your personal preference are all very important.

If you're serious about getting a new engine, I definitely recommend to get advice from an expert . But you know, salespeople always recommend the Turbo version. Remember that you don't have to overpower a sailboat. Usually you don't need anything over 30 HP. So at least you now know what will work on average.

What is hull displacement?

  • Hull displacement is the weight of the boat, or the amount of water the boat displaces.
  • Maximum hull displacement is the weight of the boat when it's fully loaded, including crew.

The weight of the boat is the same as its displacement, because the weight of any object is exactly equal to the weight of the water it displaces (aka: pushes aside). This is called Archimedes Principle.

The weight slightly differs in saltwater from freshwater, because saltwater is heavier. In saltwater, the boat gets a bit lighter. So in theory you can use a smaller engine for a bluewater boat, but in practice this is offset by the stronger current and wind.

How to find the displacement of your boat?

Most manufacturers simply give you the displacement of your boat. If you can't find any data, because, for example, you own an old boat, you can weigh your boat on a truck scale. You can also haul it out and measure it (which is painstaking work).**

Tip: if you're gonna weigh your boat, simply drive it onto a truck scale, and retract the weight of the trailer from the total weight.

Of course, it's not so simple. This formula gives a rough estimate. But for me this was way clearer than all that black magic that I get when I ask people what size engine I should get.

Let's look at the things this formula doesn't take into account.

2-strokes are more powerful than 4-strokes. Two-stroke engines fire once every revolution and four-strokes fire once every other revolution. This makes the 2-stroke twice as powerful. They provide more torque at a higher RPM. But they also wear more quickly. The 4-stroke will last you a lot longer, and its also more fuel efficient.

The right propellor size is just as important as having enough horsepower. With a smaller prop diameter, it has to work harder to generate the same propulsion as a larger diameter. But you can't just go larger always. The prop affects the RPM of your engine, and you have to get in the right range (more on this later). You also have to check the maximum diameter that fits your boat.

Diesels have more torque, because the compression rate is higher than that of gasoline engines. So if you consider a diesel, you can do with less HPs.

High windage hulls (multihulls) need a bit more. A multihull (or larger hull in general) suffers from more friction because of the larger surface. So the engine needs to work a little harder.

If you sail longer distances under power , or against the wind it's a good idea to get a larger engine (but not too large). This helps you to save on fuel since you have lower RPM. Especially if you sail offshore or on open sea. The engine needs to work harder due to stronger wind and current.

If you're just sailing in and out of the marina under power, you may need less HP.

Smooth hull designs need less HPs than bulky hull designs, like the classic wooden clippers and crabbers for example.

It matters to get the right size outboard motor for a couple of reasons.

First of all: smaller engines are cheaper, so you save money on buying the engine.

Secondly: smaller engines use a lot less fuel, so you save money on using the engine.

Thirdly: smaller engines are cheaper to maintain: so you save money on maintenance.

So why not get the smallest engine and get the best fuel economy? There are a couple of advantages to getting a (slightly) bigger engine:

  • More power means more control (easier to stop the boat, in case you need to)
  • Finding the sweet spot might actually reduce fuel consumption

The sweet spot

To perform optimally, an engine should get up to speed. The problem with an overpowered boat is that the engine won't rev up to 80 - 90% of the RPM. This kills fuel efficiency and also the cooling system won't operate optimally.

  • The optimal cruising RPM of the engine is about 85-95% of the maximal RPM
  • You should reach cruising RPM at hull speed, so your engine should be at about 90% RPM

The propeller size is very important for the RPM. If your prop diameter is too wide, the engine can't get up to speed and struggles to build power. Bad for fuel economy, bad for the engine, and bad for performance.

On the other hand, if your prop is too small, you don't make use of the engine's full power.

If you struggle to get to high RPM, your prop is too large. If your engine is constantly in the red, you're underpropped.

So don't go too big on the prop, but also don't go too small. The easiest way to get it right is to check the engines manual and see what the manufacturer recommends.

You can definitely go too big on a sailboats engine. An overpowered yacht doesn't make any sense. True, it can look cool, but it can't feel cool. Every displacement hull has a maximum hull speed. That means that it cannot go any faster than the max speed. So if your engine can cruise at that speed, it's not getting any better.

The problem with displacement hulls is that they displace the water, or in other words: they push the water in front of them. They cannot move any faster than they can push away the water. And because the resistance increases as speed increases, there's an absolute, physical speed limit for each keelboat.

That's why powerboats have to get out of the water to reach top speed.

Fun fact: the longer your boat, the higher the hull speed. Want to know the maximum hull speed for your boat? You can find it in this article .

So, you can't go faster than your maximum hull speed, so a 50+HP engine is kind of ridiculous. Bear in mind that a large engine also has the following disadvantages:

First of all: larger engines are more expensive, so you spend more money when buying the engine.

Secondly: larger engines use a lot more fuel, so you spend more money when using the engine.

Thirdly: larger engines are more expensive to maintain: so you spend more money on maintenance.

Also, if your engine is too big, it doesn't reach the optimal cruising RPM, so your fuel economy also gets really bad FAST.

I suggest getting the smallest possible engine that gets you to maximum hull speed while it's at roughly 90% of the RPM. As long as it gives you enough control and good handling, it will get you there. If you give up on going fast, you can actually get really good fuel economy and your engine will last you probably 20 years.

If you want to go fast, a sailboat is not the right one for you. You should instead get a powerboat.

I'm just kidding. Read my 13 Reasons Why Sailing is Better Than Powerboating here .

Do sailboats have motors? Most sailboats are power assisted boats, which means they have a small auxiliary engine to cruise in light air. When a sailboat is sailing under engine power, it is considered a motorboat and it doesn't have right of way.

Thanks for answering my questions.

Taylor Bishop

Thanks for explaining how you can figure out what size you need for an outboard motor. You mentioned that you should find the displacement by weigh a boat on a truck scale. I’m interesting to learn if you need to regularly weigh it in case the hull displacement could change or if it will always be consistent.

Shawn Buckles

Hi MitI, you’re welcome, my pleasure.

Hi Taylor, my pleasure.

You don’t need to weigh your boat regularly, as the hull displacement will stay consistent. You could literally see the hull displacement as the amount of space your hull takes up in the water. So as long as you don’t make any major changes to the hull shape or ballast of your boat, you should see no differences in displacement.

Roger S Johnson

How do you measure for shaft size, most outboard motors are for flat bottom and say measure to the bottom of the boat, most sailboats tapper to the aft. Where do you measure for a tapered bottom sail boat?

Will a 5 horse Honda 4 stroke be ok for a 25 foot Pearson Commander sail boat. Thanks for your time Luke

I think it would be Luke.

Great post, thanks for the info. A naive question from a soon-to-be sailor: I’m considering buying a 28 ft sailboat, with 2500 kg (ca. 5500 lbs) displacement. The engine is in pretty good condition, but is old and the original one (from 1977!), so I am also thinking of an alternative scenario in which it fails. I know that in my area replacing an inboard engine will cost double the price I’m putting down for the boat, and since I’m on a budget, that simply won’t be an option and outboards seem to be cheaper. So the question is: is it possible to put an outboard engine on all boats? Is there some factor that would make it impossible to mount an outboard engine on the boat? Thanks!

Garth Powelson

What is minimum length that a sailboat can go without an outboard. Does a 29’ “require by law” to have engine?

Hello Mr. Buckles, Thanks for the informative article. I’m looking to get the smallest possible outboard for my 1.5 ton displacement fiberglass monohull Hood 23’ sloop. Can I get away with a 4HP?!? What size prop would I need?!? (I’m only going to use it when there is NO wind, and, if I can stay 4HP or below, I am not required to register my vessel—which is pretty cool, so here’s hoping!)

Thanks again, Ship

Hi, I’ve got a older Pearson 39’ . I’m looking to remove the old 40 ho westerbeke and go electric. Unsure of what hp is going to be needed?

emilio h javier

i am purchasing a catalina 22 ft. i have in mind a 4 HP motor. what would be the length of the shaft.

I am considering buying a 25 ft sailboat with a 7200 lb displacement. The boats top speed is listed at 7knots per hour but the diesel motor does not work. The owner has a 9.9hp outboard that can be purchased with the boat. Is 9.9hp enough to power the boat to at least 5 to 6 knots per hour? Thanks. Rick

What weight outboard would be too much for a 20’ Santana, displacement 1,350 lbs? I don’t want too much weight at the back. I want the boat to be seaworthy.

I have not seen this amount of BS in years :) I’m not a marine engineer, yet physicist & avation engineer. You even can’t tell the difference between mass of the vessel and diplacement :D Fcking genius.

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Transom Brackets For Small Outboards: Fulton Rates Best

In our test of eight transom-mounted brackets, the fulton was the easiest to operate. garelick's model for motors up to 20 hp earns runner-up honors, and omc's unit deserves consideration..

sailboat outboard motor well

The most common form of auxiliary propulsion for small sailboats is the outboard motor. On some boats, it is mounted in a well forward of the transom. Such arrangements conceal and protect the motor but may not allow it to be tilted up to get the prop out of the water when sailing. More common, perhaps is the mounting of a bracket on the transom. These generally have two positions—up and down—for lowering the motor’s prop into the water, and raising it. Brackets should be strong, durable, and, most importantly, easy to operate without having to hang out over the transom.

Transom Brackets For Small Outboards: Fulton Rates Best

What Was Tested We rounded up eight brackets from five manufacturers—Fulton, Garelick, Triangle, Minn Kota and Outboard Motor Corp. (OMC). Prices ranged from $95 to $380. All are manually operated, except for the electrically powered Minn Kota.

Early on we discovered that your choice depends not only on the outboard’s horsepower and weight but also on whether it’s a two- or four-stroke. We understood why weight and horsepower make a difference but weren’t sure why a four-stroke would require a special, and subsequently more expensive, bracket.

“It’s the increased torque and thrust of a four-stroke,” said Jayson Klade, a Fulton Industries technical representative. The four-stroke’s greater force imposes more stress on the bracket; therefore it needs to be stronger than a bracket for a two-stroke.

How We Tested The main criteria for evaluation was ease of use, but also considered was the ease of assembly and mounting, quality of materials, price and instructions. We noted how sturdy each bracket was by shaking the motor from side to side and fore and aft while placing the bracket in several positions—a “wiggle test,” if you will. We also measured the range of motion, or vertical distance, of each.

To test, we collaborated with our sister publication, Powerboat Reports, whose editor owns a 21′ walkaround with a large outboard; his interest was mounting a small backup “kicker.”We had a local machine shop weld up a stainless steel plate that could be bolted to his boat’s transom and used to mount the brackets.

Three motors were used—a 2000 Nissan 5-hp four-stroke, a 1980’s-era 9.9-hp Mercury two-stroke and a 1970’s 15-hp Evinrude. We hauled the boat, mounted each bracket and tried all three outboards on each one.

What Was Found The three Garelick models, the four-stroke Fulton model and the OMC bracket included 3″ bolts; the other Fulton bracket came with 2-1/4″ bolts, too short for the 2-1/2″ thick transom. This was annoying as no one likes to interrupt a project with a trip to the hardware store.

Minn Kota and Triangle included no hardware.

Instructions that came with most of the brackets were fairly good, advising where to mount them so the outboard could perform properly. Minn Kota failed to offer this information, and the Triangle came with no directions.

All but one bracket—the two-stroke Fulton—offered clearance between the motor and the bracket handle when tilted. Most used some sort of spring as its primary lifting and lowering mechanism. All except the Triangle and Minn Kota included raised strips of polypropylene or stainless steel on the mounting boards to prevent the motor from sliding off.

We were surprised that OMC and Garelick’s instructions advised that the motor be taken off before trail-ering the boat. We figured the brackets would face much more stress at sea than rolling down the highway. But representatives from both companies told us otherwise. A bump in the road can cause more damage than a large wave, they said.

“The G-forces are greater on the road,” said Dean Devore, OMC director of product development.

Only one bracket, the four-stroke Garelick, came with a safety harness to prevent the motor from sinking to the bottom if it came off the bracket.

All Fulton and Garelick models offered at least four levels to adjust outboard trim. Two of the three Garelicks—the up-to-8 hp and up-to-20 hp models—included flange-type brackets that allow you to convert the unit from a negative transom setup (an angle greater than 90°) to a positive transom (an angle less than 90°, seen mostly on sailboats). But the conversion involves swapping the brackets, reversing their position and adjusting the springs. Each of the five adjustment holes represents a 7° increment.

With most of the coil-spring models, you must be very careful while operating the bracket when it is not mounted on the boat. The force of the springs is so great that you could seriously injure yourself if you trigger the release with a finger or hand inside the mechanism. Garelick’s instructions provide several warnings; Fulton’s instructions do not.

Fulton: Two-strokes up to 10 hp We found this model extremely difficult to raise, so much so that we had to put our left knee on top of the transom and our right foot in the motor well to gain enough leverage to move it. The difficulty stems from the unit’s lack of springs and the fact that you must simultaneously push the one-arm lever aft and up, which is very awkward. Lowering the unit wasn’t much easier.

Fulton representative Jayson Klade said the company recognizes this problem and may discontinue this model because of it. He said he has had calls from older owners who have had trouble moving a 2-hp outboard on this bracket.

Transom Brackets For Small Outboards: Fulton Rates Best

The unit itself is solidly built, with an anodized aluminum bracket and a polypropylene mounting board. However, the bolts used to secure this board to the bracket were rusted. We suggest replacing them with stainless steel.

This was the only bracket that presented clearance problems. The Evinrude 15’s steering arm hit the bracket’s lever handle, and the Mercury’s choke smacked it when the motor was tilted.

Bottom Line: Not recommended, mainly due to the difficulty we encountered raising and lowering the unit.

Fulton: Two- and Four-strokes up to 30 hp This model, also anodized aluminum, was much easier to operate than its little brother, due to its four springs, 1-3/4″ wider stance and larger, two-arm lever. With all three engines, we needed only one hand to operate it.

However, we found two drawbacks. First, installation requires shimming (placing a 1″- to 2″-thick block of wood or aluminum between it and the transom) if mounted below the rubrail and on a flat transom, such as ours. Without a shim, the lever handle will hit the transom. In addition, shimming may require longer mounting bolts. Second, the springs obstruct eight of the 12 mounting holes, making installation more difficult. (Use a long screwdriver to bend the spring ends out of the way.) Fulton recognizes this design flaw and is working on it, said Klade.

Bottom Line: Recommended. The easiest to operate.

Garelick: Two-strokes up to 8 hp The body of this unit is stainless steel. Its four torsion springs helped us lift and lower it easily. You can also lessen the spring tension by cutting up to three of the four springs if lowering the bracket is too difficult due to the use of a light motor.

Click here to view the Transom Brackets Value Guide.

Our main complaint with this bracket was the sloppy play (fore and aft) in the up position encountered during the wiggle test. Even with its locking mechanism engaged, the bracket afforded too much play.

Bottom Line: Easy to use but its sloppy play is a drawback.

Garelick: Two-strokes to 20 hp This is essentially the same bracket as the smaller Garelick, except its longer body gives greater vertical travel, and it includes eight springs instead of four. We encountered no wobbling and found it to be even easier to operate than the smaller Garelick.

Bottom Line: Recommended. Only the Fulton four-stroke model is easier to operate.

Garelick: Two- and Four-strokes up to 30 hp This model is well-made and the only one equipped with two locks and a safety harness. Unfortunately, we had great difficulty lowering all three outboards.

The motors were not heavy enough to overcome the unit’s spring-loaded tension. Garelick says it becomes easier after you get the feel for it. We never did. The company does not advise cutting the springs on this model, so we have little confidence that it will work with motors up to 15 hp. We’d only use it for heavier motors, such as those from 20 to 30 hp.

We also discovered that this unit requires shimming to be installed on a boat with a flat transom. (Like the small Fulton, we were only able to mount it because the stainless steel plate acted as a shim.) The directions do point this out: “Add a 1″ shim if the release handle is at or below the rubrail or the top of the transom.” But some of the diagrams show a successful mounting on a flat transom. This is misleading and confusing to the installer.

Note: Garelick listed the wrong telephone number in the directions. The correct number is listed at the end of this story.

Bottom Line: Recommended only for use with engines from 20 hp to 30 hp.

OMC: Two- and Four-strokes up to 15 hp Unlike the Fulton and Garelick brackets, this model operates with a gas-filled cylinder. It was easy to operate, accomplished by moving a small lever with a red handle to positions marked “raise” or “lower.” To lower, simply jerk the motor up slightly and push down; to raise, push down on the motor, and the lift unlocks and rises. However, unlike most of the others, the OMC does not have multiple positions for engine trim—only two, up and down.

“We’ve found that most people only use one level anyway,” said OM’s Devore. “Rarely do they want to change settings.” For $380, the most expensive motor lift in our group, the consumer might prefer this option. (The device’s shock alone costs about $100, according to Devore.)

Like Garelick, OMC warns against trailer travel with the engine on the boat. It goes a step further, though, advising the owner to attach a rope to the engine in “choppy water,” suggesting to us that the manufacturer is not very confident of its product. “Perhaps that could be worded better; we are just being overly cautious,” said Devore.

OMC recently introduced a larger bracket made of die-cast aluminum (the model we tested is a combination of die-cast and stamped aluminum) for outboard motors up to 125 pounds that retails for $380.

Bottom Line: Works very well, but price is a drawback.

Triangle: Up to 10 hp This unit came without hardware or directions. Its wooden mounting board is susceptible to rotting because raw wood is exposed on the inside of its four mounting holes. In addition, we couldn’t safely attach the 9.9-hp Mercury because the 7″-wide mounting board was too narrow. The circular pads of the engine’s bolts hung off the plate. With no directions, we weren’t sure whether this bracket could hold four-stroke engines. We called Triangle, and a representative ruled them out.

Another concern is the spring on this stainless steel unit; it failed to hold the weight of the Nissan and Mercury motors. We discovered this abruptly when the Nissan came crashing down after we had released the locking mechanism. Needless to say, we believe that this bracket needs a stronger spring.

Bottom Line: Not recommended, due to its weak spring, very narrow and unprotected wooden mounting board.

Minn Kota: Two- and Four-strokes up to 20 hp This was the only electrically powered (12V) bracket tested. We found installation easy, the directions simple and the motor, which turns a jack screw to raise and lower the mounting board, worked effectively.

Even though this unit is listed in the West Marine catalog, it is not intended for saltwater use, which explains the steel components (only the mounting board is anodized aluminum). Minn Kota may come out with a saltwater version in 2002, said spokesman Dave Golladay.

We thought the electrical connections were inadequate (for salt- or freshwater use), especially the two spade connectors that attach to the unit’s motor. They are directly exposed to the water.

The silicone meant to protect the motor’s housing was sloppily applied, hanging off and failing to cover certain spots.

The Minn Kota flunked our wiggle test. The two arms attached to the jack screw don’t offer enough support. We would attach a third arm—there’s room.

The jack screw is a potential problem, too, because it sticks out when the unit is up, leaving it open to be struck by the corner of a dock or other solid structure. Golladay said, “These are all very good points. We’re trying to enhance that product line. Our primary focus is trolling motors.”

Bottom Line: Not recommended. An automatic bracket is a great idea, and one we’d like to see developed, but the Minn Kota’s subpar materials and construction make it difficult to recommend.

Conclusion The Fulton four-stroke bracket is our top choice for any size outboard. It does require some shimming, but its solid construction and ease of use place it ahead of the pack.

Our runner-up, the Garelick (up to 20 hp) was extremely easy to use, and it’s $60 less than the Fulton. But it’s limited to two-stroke engines, which leads us to this point: Because four-strokes are becoming more popular, it does not make sense for manufacturers to continue producing brackets for two-stroke use only. We think it only confuses the consumer. (For instance, we’ve received reader letters asking why some motor lifts are restricted to two-stroke motors.)

Case in point: A 5-hp four-stroke does not produce as much torque as a 20-hp two-stroke, and yet the Garelick (up to 20 hp) restricts all four-strokes.

The OMC bracket was also impressive, but you have to be willing to pay. The smallest Garelick worked well, but its failure in the wobble test is a concern.

We don’t think you should consider the other models because they had, in our opinion, too many flaws.

Contacts- Fulton Performance Products, Inc., 50 Indianhead Drive, P.O. Box 8, Mosinee, WI 54455; 715/693-1700. Garelick, PO Box 8, 644 2nd St., St. Paul Park, MN 55071; 651/459-9795. Minn Kota, Johnson Outdoors, 706 Holly Lane, Mankato, MN 56001; 800/227-6433. OMC, 3225 Prairie Ave., Beloit, WI 53511; 847/689-5630. Triangle, Inc., 51 Fernwood Lane, Roslyn, NY 11576; 516/365-8143.

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM AUTHOR

i have a 19 foot sail boat with a 5 hp nissan ob. the Garelic a bracket MN 10470 (not sure of MN). The main issue is the grommets spacers corrode within 2 seasons . I sail in salt/brackish water. I complained and they gave me a discount on another one they said better modle. It did the same thing. Not sure what to get now that I purchaesed a 6 hp Tahatsu that is heavier 55lbs.

Anyone know where I can buy a gas cyclinder for the OMC bracket

Darrell, what about short shaft vs long shaft outboards? Can I use my short shaft 15 Hp Evinrude on a sailboat with a bracket?

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Islander 21 Motor Well

There are a few names for a Transom Well, Motor Well, Inboard Outboard Well, Engine Mount Well, and I’m sure there are others.  I wanted to post a few more pictures of the engine mount well in my Islander 21′ sailboat for the folks at the Facebook Islander Sailboat Owners group .

Here’s my old 1967 Johnson 6hp outboard in the engine mount well:

EngineMountWell-1967Johnson6hp-IslanderSailboatInfo

Here’s my Dad working around the new 2014 Suzuki 6hp outboard in action in the motor well.  The echo of the motor in the empty cabin below decks can be a bit loud, and the tiller doesn’t rest nicely, but (especially solo) it’s much easier to manhandle the outboard in the cockpit rather than out over the stern:

EngineMountWell-2014Suzuki6hp-IslanderSailboatInfo

The well from the top shows its rectangular shape:

EngineMountWell-Top-IslanderSailboatInfo

I didn’t measure too carefully, but it seems the bottom tapers in a bit:

EngineMountWell-BottomLip-IslanderSailboatInfo

This is a picture looking straight up from below, I like it because of the blues and whites.  Also notice the lip all the way around where the bottom plate must have fit:

EngineMountWell-Bottom-IslanderSailboatInfo

My buddy Jon was stomping on the top plate to keep the chop from splashing into the cockpit, and has his right hand out the back on the outboard tiller handle when the engine was on the transom outboard motor mount.  Notice the top plate has small hole next to the cleat / handle.  I think a bolt went down and attached to the bottom plate to hold it in place there, and perhaps a previous owner unbolted it at the wrong time and lost the bottom plate:

EngineMountWell-TopCover-IslanderSailboatInfo

Here’s a fantastic article on how to create an outboard motor well http://www.atomvoyages.com/articles/improvement-projects/249-outboard-1.html

And there’s a lively discussion here on the pros and cons of the motor well http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?148251-Outboard-motor-wells

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2 thoughts on “Islander 21 Motor Well”

Back in the late 1970s I had an Islander 21. It came with a fitted fiberglass “bucket” to fill the outboard well when it wasn’t in use. I wasn’t crazy about the 2-stroke exhaust from the Johnson 6 long shaft outboard, which flowed up from the well, filled the cockpit, and eventually flowed over the edge. Maybe my outboard was especially smokey! While living in Saratoga Springs, I had Scarano Boat Works install a Volvo Penta Sail Drive in the boat where the outboard well was. The engine was a Honda 10 HP outboard powerhead mated to a through-hull lower unit. It worked very well indeed and was a wonderful change- it had a proper engine single-lever control for forward-reverse and speed. The prop was right in front of the rudder and gave great control. It was a sweet rig.

Thanks for sharing that Earl, that sounds amazing! If you ever dig up any old photos please let me know.

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The Best Outboard Motor for a Sailboat

best-outboard-motor-for-a-sailboat

Last Updated by

Daniel Wade

June 15, 2022

The technology of sailing has remained mostly unchanged for centuries. Since learning to harness the power of wind, sailors have been transiting the world’s oceans, expanding trade routes and exploring new cultures. Although nothing more than a renewable natural resource and a single sail is needed to move a sailboat along the water, there are times when it’s important (and in our modern age, convenient) to leverage off a motor to get you where you need to go.

Like any unique piece of equipment in the world of sailing, outboard motors come in a variety of sizes with features and options to fit any owner’s needs. But of course, one size doesn’t fit all. Every boat is different – even those that come off the production line at the same time – and every owner is looking for something specific when it comes to their sailboat. From the purpose of owning the boat (blue water sailing vs. racing) to the location and impact on maintenance (cold weather vs. tropical weather), an outboard motor is just one of the many elements that will define a sailboat’s function and performance.

Whether you’re a new owner, or a veteran sailor, it’s important to know the basic components of any outboard motor . You should also have an idea of what you want your outboard motor to do for your size and model sailboat.

Table of contents

Outboard Motor Size

A larger boat doesn’t necessarily mean a larger motor. Although there are different ratings for different classes of boats, a small power plant can be more effective than a larger one. Conversely, an outboard motor can easily overpower a small boat and create unsafe conditions at high speeds. Guidelines and requirements differ between motorboats and sailboats. And while there is some overlap, these considerations apply directly to sailboats.

Engine power has to do with how much water a boat displaces. For sailboats, smaller is better. If you’re a bit of a math geek, the exact formula is 4 horsepower for every 2200lb of weight. Coupled with a propeller size, which can be determined using a propeller calculator , you’ll get a rough estimate to use as a guideline to start shopping. This is a good first step, since size is essentially a fixed variable. Though it’s worth noting for those who are buying a sailboat directly from the manufacturer, that actual weight will increase after delivery – once all other rigging and outfitting has been completed.

Physical size of your outboard motor is an important consideration and is directly related to the design of your sailboat. An outboard motor is made up of three parts from top to bottom:

  • The Powerhead – Houses the engine. The bulbous part of the motor.
  • The Midsection – Houses the exhaust system. Varies in length and design.
  • The Lower Unit – Propellers attach to the gearbox. Submerged when operational.

Shaft length is an important design element and should be considered when purchasing a motor. A shaft that is too short will obviously prevent the propeller from being submerged in water, while a shaft that is too long will extend the propellers too far. Not only will it decrease the efficiency of your engine, it will create unnecessary drag. Know your transom length when looking at different models.

When an outboard motor is not being used, it should be stowed in its upright position. Some of the larger motors have an automated switch that will raise it out of the water, but some must be secured manually. Make sure everyone who sails with you is capable of lifting and securing the motor out of the water in case of an emergency.

Outboard Motor Power

Any kind of motor installed on a sailboat (inboard or outboard) should be viewed as a tool to help with maneuvering. Although there are some very skilled sailors out there who can sail into their slip without the aid of a motor, many harbors have restrictions that either don’t allow for the use of full sails, or there simply isn’t enough room to maneuver. A motor with both forward and reverse gears helps tremendously with docking.

While there is no exact correlation between boat length and total weight, the following is a rough guideline:

  • 1-4 HP for boats up to 20’ (approximately 1000-2000lbs)
  • 4-18 HP for boats between 20-30’ (approximately 2,000-10,000lbs)
  • 18-34 HP for boats between 30-40’ (10,000lbs or more)

There are some things to consider when deciding how much horsepower you need or want. Location and the type of conditions you expect you’ll be sailing in is one of the biggest factors. Heavy seas and high winds typically associated with open ocean sailing will put more strain on your engine, and in some cases overpower it, whereas an engine that is heavier than needed will add unnecessary weight when racing. If you plan on motoring for long distances, consider purchasing an engine that will stand up to a lot of use.

Less HP is required for:

  • Boat Design – Single hull boats made out of fiberglass require less power.
  • 2-Stroke Engines – This is due to an overall lighter weight engine and higher torque.
  • Diesel Engines – Diesel delivers more torque because the rate of compression is greater.
  • Bigger Propellers – More surface area means more water displacement.
  • Location – Motoring on lakes and rivers requires less power than open ocean.
  • Distance – A smaller engine is suitable for shorter distances.

More HP is required for:

  • Boat Design – Catamarans and heavier boats (regardless of size) require more power.
  • 4-Stroke Engine – Engine weight and an extra step of compression yields less power.
  • Gas Engines – The rate of compression for gas engines is much lower than diesel.
  • Smaller Propeller – A smaller propeller displaces less water.
  • Location – Open ocean, with tides and currents, will strain a smaller engine.
  • Distance – Cover more distance when wind conditions are poor requires a larger engine.

Outboard Motor Cost

There is no way to quantify how much you will pay for any given motor. But there are several costs associated with owning an outboard motor that are definitely worth considering when making your purchase.

Certainly, a lager, more-powerful engine is going to be costlier than a smaller engine with lower horsepower. But as mentioned earlier, size is not necessarily a guarantee of performance and efficiency. At the same time, there’s only so much you can get out of an engine before you exceed its capability. Larger engines tend to help with resale value should you choose to sell your boat at some point, but a boat outfitted with right motor to begin with will always perform better than a motor that’s large just for the sake of it.

Factor in maintenance costs and fuel when looking at models. You want to run your engine at around 90% of its max RPMs to balance proper fuel usage and with wear and tear. Making a few calls to marine mechanics to inquire about an engine you’re interested in will give you a lot of information a sales person won’t be able to give you. The good news about outboard motors is that most of them are portable, which means you won’t have the added cost of either paying a mechanic to come to you, or having to get your boat to the yard, which usually requires help from a very good friend willing to spend all day driving and sailing back and forth.

Owning a boat requires constant care and maintenance, so a little knowledge goes a long way. While an outboard motor is not required for sailing, it’s a convenient addition that can greatly increase your enjoyment out on the water. Being patient and spending time researching engines will not only help you make the correct purchase but will help you take advantage of a great deal when it presents itself. Whether you sail the Caribbean, or race off the coast of California in a catamaran, there is an outboard motor that’s just right for you.

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I've personally had thousands of questions about sailing and sailboats over the years. As I learn and experience sailing, and the community, I share the answers that work and make sense to me, here on Life of Sailing.

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Outboard Motor Mount recommendation?

  • Thread starter bmccormick
  • Start date Feb 5, 2020
  • Oday Owner Forums
  • Day Sailers

Hi, am replacing my older, flimsy aluminum motor mount and 5 hp pull start Honda outboard with a new mount and a larger / heavier 8 hp electric start outboard. I have looked hard for a suitable mount for this heavier motor and found a Catalina Direct 3 spring or a Panther Marine tech mount that look adequate. Any advice? Long or extra long shaft motor? Thanks!  

Get the longest shaft available. Mount a sturdy backing plate to the new motor mount and make sure it is rated in excess for the weight of the engine.  

Thanks, Benny, I appreciate it. Long shaft and a robust installation. I am interested in specific brands of mounts, manual versus electrical lift mechanisms (not trim), needed setback from the transom, etc. Thanks!  

JoeWhite

Find out how much your new engine weights and get a mount that can handle 150% of this weight Also find out the height of travel if it will lift it out of water. Always remove the engine when trailering. Haro  

sail sfbay

bmccormick said: I have looked hard for a suitable mount for this heavier motor ..............Any advice? Click to expand

www.westmarine.com

Stern Rail Outboard Motor Mount for 1

www.westmarine.com

bmccormick said: Hi, am replacing my older, flimsy aluminum motor mount and 5 hp pull start Honda outboard with a new mount and a larger / heavier 8 hp electric start outboard. I have looked hard for a suitable mount for this heavier motor and found a Catalina Direct 3 spring or a Panther Marine tech mount that look adequate. Any advice? Long or extra long shaft motor? Thanks! Click to expand

Hi Mike, this is very helpful, thanks. Last question....my current transom mounted motor bracket is attached to a plastic "slanting box?" which tilts the mount away from the top of the transom for more setback for the motor tiller. It is about 4" thick / deep at the top, tapering to zero at the bottom, and 5 1/4" wide. The CD mount is 1 " wider so I may need a new one. Do you know if these are commercially available and if so, where? Thanks.  

bmccormick said: Hi Mike, this is very helpful, thanks. Last question....my current transom mounted motor bracket is attached to a plastic "slanting box?" which tilts the mount away from the top of the transom for more setback for the motor tiller. It is about 4" thick / deep at the top, tapering to zero at the bottom, and 5 1/4" wide. The CD mount is 1 " wider so I may need a new one. Do you know if these are commercially available and if so, where? Thanks. Click to expand

DrJudyB

The mounting bracket from CD is manufactured by Garhauermarine.com . They sell them Directly to the public, although they are not listed on their website. You can call them for more information.  

Brian S

Sage Marine uses only the Garhauer Marine (Catalina Direct) mounts. Although Garelick, the original supplier of "2 stroke" mounts for O'day has since updated and made new mounts for 4 strokes, from what I've seen and discussed with the former production manager of Sage Marine, if I decided to replace my mount, I would only go for the Garhauer mount. It is very well built and smooth working. Because it is available with different spring configurations, it can hold the weight of almost any small outboard for a sailboat. I'll also second the notion that you should go for the longest shaft motor you can get, which is usually a 25" shaft, often found on "Sail Pro" model motors. The other usual sizes are 15", and so called "long shaft" at 20", but for a sailboat where you want to keep the prop in the water and driving at all times in steep, rough seas, the 25" shaft is recommended.  

Thank you! I went with a 25" Honda 8 HP4 stroke and a Catalina Direct 3 spring with backing rails.  

I was wondering how this combination of motor and mount worked out. I have a catalina 22 and I am considering the same set-up. Not sure if I need 3 spring or 2 spring mount. Thanks  

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Pearson 26 Ariel thoughts

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Hi all, just joined the forum last week and beginning my search for my first sailboat. Right now I found a freshwater 26 Ariel with a newer (at least 2013 as this was the first year the motor was produced) 9.9 evinrude 4 stroke, no trailer, has all rigging and ready to sail, not sure of the sails age, has new head system, and good bottom paint. I was originally leaning toward buying a marina repo or something of the likes and fixing it up, but i found this that I could trade a car and bike for which is about 5k in value, is that a fair price? NADA had it valued at 6 but I don't necessarily believe what it says. I read this is referred to as a "great boat for its time" how will it hold up today? My budget isn't super high, and I do want something thats at least a 26. I'm still planning to go check out what some marina's have available this next weekend, just wanting to see if this would be a good option as well. Thanks all!  

Barquito

I have a Bristol 27, which is almost a sister-ship to the Ariel. All the Alberg boats of this size are very similar to each other. They tend to be tender for about 15-20 degrees, then stiffen up. I liked mine. If you have a choice, get a boat with an inboard engine. Outboard engines are hard to keep in the water in a big chop. Having it in a well helps some. The value of any boat depends a lot more on condition than it does on age, or who made the boat. If it is, indeed, in sail-away condition $5k seems reasonable. I think there is another one for sale in Chicago (Nautical Donations, where I got mine) for around $3500.  

CalebD

If it is a Person Ariel it is likely from the 1960's era as my Tartan 27' is (1967). I happen to be quite fond of the look of those older designs; very salty or shippy looking. Boats of this age often can have issues with soft decks from Balsa core being wet for years and/or Chainplate issues. Walk all over the decks checking for soft spots and inspect where the chain plates enter the cabin and how they are secured/anchored. If you see any discoloring around the chainplates inside the cabin then they may need re-doing. 5K sounds like the top price for this boat (to me) unless it is in pristine condition (which is pretty much guaranteed it is not because of it's ~ 50 years). I'd offer $3.5K for it to start the negotiating if it passes your inspection. Look closely at the sails. If they are not stiff at all it will cost at least $2K to get new ones. Everything that may need to be fixed should be a bargaining chip for you. Good luck.  

Jeff_H

I know the Ariel's quite well. They were not great boats when new. Build quality was mediocre and they really were not great sailors. I often use them as an example of how boat designs of a given era could vary very widely in sailing ability and construction quality by comparing the Ariel to the Tartan 27, which was a better built and better sailing boat in all ways. The Tartan 27 is a roomer boat with a lot more storage and much more useful interior layout. The Tartan is much faster and more seaworthy, and has a much nicer motion. The Tartan 27 can be adjusted to steer herself where as the Ariel does not track well at all and so is more tiring and less fun to steer. You can buy both for around the same price, which all other things being equal makes the Tartan a much better choice in all ways. I also agree with the others, that if this boat is in really nice shape, an outboard (rather than inboard) Ariel is worth maybe $3,000-$3500, but if the interior is past its 'use by date', and/or sails are shot, dubious standing rigging, sun rotted running rigging, and/or the engine is dormant, and so on, this boat could easily have a negative financial value. But more to the point, boats are pretty common in this segment of the market. You can often get them for nearly free or at a minimal price. The costs to put a poorly maintained one into shape will be similar and make the purchase price seem like a bargain, whether the design was a good one and the boat well constructed, or the boat was trash to begin with. Because of that, if you are going to take on one of these old girls, at least try to get one that began life as the best design, best constructed boat that you can find, which getting to the point means, you should be able to do much better than an Ariel. Jeff  

I haven't seen the boat yet, going to look this week and can post some pictures of it. Im not really interested in this one unless it is in pristine condition which I'm lead to believe its atleast in above average. About the inboard...When would I be using my motor in chop is my other question?? I genuinely do not know since I am new, I had never thought about this, I'd only been thinking about entering the channel into the harbor and docking, this could bring about a really good point, I'd prefer to find something with a diesel inboard as it is, I like diesel fuel a lot. I had an inflatable achillies that constantly porpoised in any type of chop above idle speed, had a short shaft and needed a long shaft, it was an incredibly irritating problem so I see where it would not be preferred.  

I think Jeff got it right... good advice. Would disagree with Barguito's comment regarding the importance of an inboard on an Ariel or any boat that size but there are plenty who would agree I am sure. Having said that I know Erie can work up a vicious short sea if someone across the way in Canada sneezes so he may have a point. I could also see a greater need in areas where there is a strong tidal influence. Another consideration might be be that on an Ariel the convenience of an inboard might be compromised by a lack of space to properly tend to a diesel. On my Columbia Challenger I had an aft outboard well in a lazarette that was modified to allow the engine to be tilted up out of the water. It was an 8 hp long shaft and it would come out in a good chop but I VERY seldom used it in those conditions. Only ever needed it to get out of the marina and that only because the fairway heading out was wind on the nose and a little too tight for easy short tacking. Always sailed it back into the slip. One of the great virtues of having a smaller, easily maneuverd boat.  

mstern

You can count on there being chop even on the calmest days; wakes from other passing boats will bring even a long-shaft outboard's prop out of the water. On my boat, the outboard prop cavitates when I make a very sharp turn. That being said, outboard engines have their advantages: they are cheaper and easier to maintain or replace, they provide a lot of bang for the buck, and in some instances (when mounted on the transom) allow for amazing maneuverability. On the Ariel in general: Like all Alberg boats, they are very pretty. Not particularly good sailers, but very nice to look at. However, I always thought the Ariel was an inferior model: not as big as the Triton, but not so much smaller as to gain much of the advantages of being smaller than the Triton (less maintenance, lower costs). In my mind, just a smaller, more cramped version of the Triton. However, the Commander version of the Ariel hull makes sense to me. Chopping off most of the cramped cabin (which no one today would use for much cruising anyway) in favor of a really big cockpit makes the Commander well suited for daysailing. You still have all of the issues of the boats being about 50 years old at this point and not a great sailer to begin with, but at least you will be comfortable and looking fine while going slowly! Unless the boat has been painted, don't expect much in the way of finish; the gelcoat is most likely shot by now. It's a good bet that the ports leak, the deck hardware needs rebedding the sails are baggy, the deck has delaminated and the rigging needs replacement. However, there's always a chance that you will find that rarity where the owner has taken care of all of those things for you. Good luck!  

Lazerbrains

I have sailed an Ariel, and unlike Jeff, I found it to be well built and tracked very well as is typical of a long keeled boat. I also disagree about the inboard motor being better on the Ariel. An outboard in a well is much nicer for a long keel small boat like this - it has the advantage of being able to be turned in the well acting as a "stern thruster", and makes backing out of a slip a simple matter which is otherwise difficult with long keels. In a well, the outboard is low enough that it shouldn't cavitate, and is more than enough to power a small sailboat. Furthermore, maintainence of an outboard is much simpler than on a 45 yo inboard, and in the extreme, repowering is simple and relatively inexpensive - truly one of the benefits of a having a smaller sailboat - at 30' upward you are stuck with an inboard.  

Could you tell me more about your experience? How did it handle the water? I've had 4 boats with outboards, I love them for the simplicity and cheapness, but I do see where there'd be a benefit of an inboard, for instance, (and possibly most notable for me) no one is at risk of getting hit on my prop at the beach which is something I've always really worried about with a big outboard hanging off the back of any boat.  

I am not 100% certain that I would recommend an Ariel with an inboard vs an outboard as being more preferable, but Ariels with inboards are more valuable since the factory inboard is a particularly reliable engine with comparatively inexpensive parts, and the factory installed outboard (in an outboard well) pretty much eliminates the majority of advantages cited by Lazerbrains. The outboard well on an Ariel made access to the outboard very inconvenient, limits the size of the engine, and there was almost no ability to rotate the engine to assist with steering. An outboard in a well tends to remain in the water more than a transom bracket hung outboard, especially when motor-sailing. But in the case of the Ariel, especially outboard versions which have the added weight of an outboard and its tank that far aft, Ariels tend to be particularly prone to pitching, and so will lift the propeller close enough to the surface to cause them to race when in a steep chop or powerboat wake. The biggest problem with outboards in a well, is the the fact that they cannot be tilted up out of the water. This leaves the dilemma of either leaving them in the water and living with the increased drag of the lower unit and a shorter engine life, or else removing them when you come in or making a long passage. Removing the considerably heavier four-stroke outboards that are currently popular is not a reasonable option. But using the smaller lighter (typically 4 hp or less) two-stroke engines that this boat was designed for, limits the functionality of the engine since those engines typically lacked starter motors or generators. And all of that said, Ariels are a really poor choice for a venue which is known for a short chop. Jeff  

Ajax_MD

Completely agree with Ajax_MD re: transom hung outboards. I don't care for that configuration one bit - difficult if not dangerous to try to get to the motor controls, and the motor easily cavitates. Inboard in a well with a long shaft on a 26 foot - I love that configuration. As for the "increased drag" of leaving an inboard in the well - on my current boat I have measured speed with engine in and out of well, and the difference in speed is 1/4 knot according to my instruments. On an inboard, unless you have a folding prop you will get 1/2 knot speed loss, as was proven by Yachting Monthly's tests last year. Also, Jeff is incorrect about fitment of a modern 4 stroke in the Ariel well. In the boat I sailed on, we had a Tohatsu 6hp long shaft 4 stroke. Great motor for the Ariel, kept the boat at hull speed, did not cavitate in the chop, and was easy to rotate (and access) in the motor well. I have the same motor in my own boat, and at 55 pounds, it is easy to lift out of the well when you need to. If you get one, make sure to get the high thrust prop if it doesn't already have it.  

Lazerbrains said: Completely agree with Ajax_MD re: transom hung outboards. I don't care for that configuration one bit difficult if not dangerous to try to get to the motor controls, and the motor easily cavitates. Click to expand...

Thank you all for the advice on inboard vs. Outboard especially. I decided not to move forward with the boat. Wasn't worth the trade in my opinion, and the boat wasn't that clean. I'm checking some more out this weekend, I'm going to make a separate thead and post some pics of everything I find.  

Sorry, you are correct. The overhangs have nothing to do with it. Short waterline, combined with the wrong, short wave period, CAN still grind you to a halt. The fineness of the entry and the displacement ratio will just make it less painful. There's only so much slicing that's going to happen. A longer, heavier boat of similar numbers might do better.  

BillBadAss said: Hi all, just joined the forum last week and beginning my search for my first sailboat. ...just wanting to see if this would be a good option as well. Thanks all! Click to expand...

How is it possible to compare to drastically different hull designs while pushing both boats exactly the same?  

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IMAGES

  1. The Improved Outboard Well

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  2. The Improved Outboard Well

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  3. Pearson Triton Osprey Refit Part 1

    sailboat outboard motor well

  4. outboard well

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  5. The Improved Outboard Well

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  6. Building an outboard well in a 14ft rowing and sailing boat

    sailboat outboard motor well

VIDEO

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  2. Scott Atwater 3.6 hp, Stored for 50+ years Starts, runs, spits water

  3. How To Start a Tomos4 Outboard Motor

  4. Yamaha Malta outboard motor mounted on sailboat Alo Mikkkel 26

  5. Overpowering A Boat!

  6. new plan for the outboard motor

COMMENTS

  1. The Improved Outboard Well

    Replacing an inboard engine with a tilt-upoutboard in a custom-built well. Atom's extra-long-shaft outboard motor places the shaft nearly as low as the original prop in its aperture. My 28-foot Pearson Triton, Atom, has undergone several extensive refits during our 40 years and two circumnavigations together.

  2. Transom hung vs well hung outboards

    Yankee Condore 21 Halifax. Aug 28, 2012. #1. Hiee all, Recently I've been mussing with the idea of getting rid of the transom bracket for the outboard and fabricating a well inside the aft locker and mounting the OB there. It would me centered on the keel line, that 100#s or so would be moved forward inside the boat about 2 feet and the prop ...

  3. Outboard in well

    Lazerbrains. 929 posts · Joined 2015. #15 · Nov 15, 2017. I had a small boat similar to yours with a motor in the well. Short story is that I loved it. For a small boat a 5hp outboard should have no problems getting you to speed, and is much easier to maintain (or replace) than an inboard.

  4. building an outboard motor well for a 30-foot sailboat

    Having the motor tilt would require slotting the transom as well as the bottom of the boat and the motor would be exposed and that could cause problems. The box I'm not too worried about building because I will probably be adding a mizzen mast to make her into a yawl. Getting the control cables to articulate the 30 inches or so might be ...

  5. Motor Well

    With the side pieces in position based on my end-to-end measurement of the outboard's lower unit as it rotated through 360 degrees, I spaced the side pieces appropriately and drew the lines onto the bottom of the boat that marked the hull cut that would soon be the opening for the motor well.

  6. Pearson Triton Osprey Refit Part 1

    Part 1 - Step-by-step description of installing an enclosed tilt-up outboard well on a 28' Pearson Triton sailboat.

  7. 20′ Banks Fishing Dory, USCG

    20′ Banks Fishing Dory, USCG - Outboard Motor Well. Today I nearly worked all day calculating the outboard motor well. What is left to design and build is the removable tunnel baffle that will start at the bottom "V" of the motor well and come up to the bottom of the rear notch. This will force the prop wash to propel the boat naturally.

  8. Adding a Tilt-up 9.8-hp Outboard Well to an Alberg 30

    Getting started. Although I have installed 6-hp motors on both early and late-model Alberg 30s, here I describe fitting a 9.8-hp motor with an extra-long shaft to a 1968 model named Barbara J.The 6-hp outboard well is described in a separate set of instructions.

  9. Duckworks Magazine

    Obsolete Outboards. by Max Wawrzyniak - St Louis, Missouri - USA. Fitting a Sailboat with an Outboard Motor. When the Boat was never Intended. to Have an Outboard Motor. Well, it's the morning of April 15th, 2007 and the sun is shining. Although a mite chilly outside now the temp is supposed to rise into spring-time range in just a few hours.

  10. Well Mounted Outboard

    Another problem with outboard motors for sailboats is that the correct prop pitch is hard to find. You want a 6" inch pitch, while most have 8 to 9" which makes the engine labor. ... #21 · Dec 21, 2008. My previous boat (Bristol 24) had an outboard well. The boat was much more attractive with the outboard hidden. The well also kept it hidden ...

  11. Motorization

    Traditional tip-up motor well. The traditional arrangement for adding power by outboard, the tip-up well is a long rectangular box fitted to the bottom of the boat, on which a small horsepower outboard can be hung and into which the prop and shaft can be swung up, safely out of the way when you wish to beach or trailer your boat.

  12. How to Calculate Outboard Motor Size for Sailboats

    To get the right amount of horsepower needed to efficiently propel a sailboat, divide the displacement of the boat (in lb) by 550. You need approximately 1 HP per 550 lb of displacement or 4 HP per 2200 lb. Most sailboats don't need a motor with more than 30 HP. In this article, I'm talking about small outboard engines for sailboats.

  13. Transom Brackets For Small Outboards: Fulton Rates Best

    The most common form of auxiliary propulsion for small sailboats is the outboard motor. On some boats, it is mounted in a well forward of the transom. Such arrangements conceal and protect the motor but may not allow it to be tilted up to get the prop out of the water when sailing. More common, perhaps is the mounting of a bracket on the transom.

  14. Islander 21 Motor Well

    There are a few names for a Transom Well, Motor Well, Inboard Outboard Well, Engine Mount Well, and I'm sure there are others. ... While living in Saratoga Springs, I had Scarano Boat Works install a Volvo Penta Sail Drive in the boat where the outboard well was. The engine was a Honda 10 HP outboard powerhead mated to a through-hull lower unit.

  15. PDF Transom and motorwell details

    The transom of an outboard powered boat is subject to high stress including torsion loads. Please pay ... In our boats, we will integrate parts like the motor well, sole and deck in the structure to build a stronger and stiffer boat. In some cases, just like the transom, the motorwell bulkhead is bonded to the hull with more layers than the ...

  16. Outboard motor wells

    05-23-2012, 06:43 PM. Re: Outboard motor wells. There are a couple good reasons to use a well on an outboard skiff. If none of the situations where they provide advantages apply to you, then you are better off without it. 1) working or fishing boats where gear needs to be handled around the stern.

  17. The Best Outboard Motor for a Sailboat

    4-18 HP for boats between 20-30' (approximately 2,000-10,000lbs) 18-34 HP for boats between 30-40' (10,000lbs or more) There are some things to consider when deciding how much horsepower you need or want. Location and the type of conditions you expect you'll be sailing in is one of the biggest factors.

  18. Outboard Motor Mount recommendation?

    It is very well built and smooth working. Because it is available with different spring configurations, it can hold the weight of almost any small outboard for a sailboat. I'll also second the notion that you should go for the longest shaft motor you can get, which is usually a 25" shaft, often found on "Sail Pro" model motors.

  19. Sailing Advantage Sailboat Electric Outboard Motors

    35 feet 7.9 knots (9.1mph) With an electric outboard motor, or any kind of auxiliary motor, boat speed depends on the hull type, waterline length, and total displacement weight (including passengers, food, and baggage), as well as the motor thrust. Speed factors also include the waves, current, and wind, relative to your heading.

  20. Pearson 26 Ariel thoughts

    Pearson 26 Ariel thoughts. Hi all, just joined the forum last week and beginning my search for my first sailboat. Right now I found a freshwater 26 Ariel with a newer (at least 2013 as this was the first year the motor was produced) 9.9 evinrude 4 stroke, no trailer, has all rigging and ready to sail, not sure of the sails age, has new head ...