Inboard to Outboard?

[Woody5]

I see a lot of older 30+ ft sailboats here in Florida with an out board mounted to a bracket. Is that a viable solution for an older boat with an ailing inboard engine?

[Calif.Ted]

Viable ??? Maybe if the boat isn't worth repairing/replacing the inboard engine.

[valhalla360]

They can be made to sort of work in calm conditions. Problem is once you get even modest wave action, expect the prop to keep popping out of the water.

Now, if the boat was designed to be outboard powered, that's a different matter. We had a small catamaran that was outboard powered and it was a great option but that was always the intended propulsion when under power.

[thomm225]

I'd say 27' or so max for an outboard on a bracket. Although James Baldwin of Atomvoyages website has put 6 hp outboards on 28'- 30' sailboats in the well though (Alberg 30, Triton 28)

I have used mine, a Mercury 5hp 4 stroke w/25" extra long shaft) in some pretty rough conditions over the last 11 years

Get the bracket low and get the extra long 25" shaft. My outboard will stay in the water in some pretty lump seas. see video

The outboard replaced a 10 HP Bukh diesel. The 5 hp outboard pushes the boat at minimum a well as the 10 HP diesel did. Up to 5 knots in calm water

Good news is if it's rough it's usually windy so you can sail. In the video I am just getting some leverage for the last 15 mile sail home and getting around some anchored tankers

I have also motored the 20 miles across the lower bay with my 5 hp outboard

Photo of Robin Lee Graham shows the outboard he used as his many auxiliary engine to sail 3/4 the way around the world. That boat was 24' though

In cloudline video the wind had been completely calm until this cloudline came by. I had been motoring so just left the outboard down and running as it passed over but unfurled the jib

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ri0c5GnZ1I8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jz9x5oRthfk

[thomm225]

On calm water

Btw my outboard has it's own integral/onboard tank and can be connected to an external tank for distance motoring.

Usually I just use the 40 ounce integral tank though to come and go from the dock.

I also have no controls to the outboard to get in the way and clutter up the cockpit.

The outboard weighs about 58 lbs so its easy to remove by hand for maintenance etc

Cost of a new one about $1650

Also the boat is on autopilot in all the outboard videos

My boat, a Bristol 27, displaced 6600 lbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpZhq35etcw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNl2tPRC-Tw

[Don C L]

I have a 29’ with an outboard because my hull has no aperture and provision for the inboard. It is a viable option, but the functionality depends on the transom and overhang. Most boats with an outboard mounted on the transom experience a good deal trouble with cavitation motoring Into swells and may only be good for getting into and out of a harbor. An extra long shaft may be needed to make it work but it can be a bit of a hassle to reach over the stern to tilt the engine up. I am fortunate in my case in that the transom does not have much overhang and the hoist is able to lift the engine straight up out of the water without tilting. My system works fine and I rarely have a cavitation problem, but I recommend anyone who has a problematic diesel to fix the inboard rather than switch to an outboard. For anyone who is committed to switching to an outboard I suggest going to “Catalina Direct” and find the mount with the longest arms to lift the engine as high as possible.

[Jammer]

Originally Posted by Woody5

I see a lot of older 30+ ft sailboats here in Florida with an out board mounted to a bracket. Is that a viable solution for an older boat with an ailing inboard engine?

That depends on your goals.

[GrowleyMonster]

Originally Posted by Woody5

I see a lot of older 30+ ft sailboats here in Florida with an out board mounted to a bracket. Is that a viable solution for an older boat with an ailing inboard engine?

Depends. Every boat, every owner/skipper, every area, are different. Usually as you get over 30', an outboat becomes less and less practical. If you motor a lot, it is less practical than if you only motor for docking. An outboard is great as a backup device, to either an EP system with a too small battery, or an inboard that is on its last legs. If you have a $1k boat with a dead Atomic 4 in her, certainly a $1500 new outboard or a $600 used one is something to consider, especially if you are severely budget constrained. When your outboard gives up the ghost, easy enough to just buy a new one. Pulling the old inboard frees up a lot of space. Because an outboard in reverse gives you reasonably good steerage, for docking it has a significant maneuverability advantage.

The evil side of outboards is with longer boats, the stern lifts higher and the prop will break the surface when the boat is pitching. It is not as efficient as an inboard engine, generally. It can be taken out of action when it gets pooped, because it has an electrical ignition system. Nearly all of them run on gasoline, which is not as safe as diesel. The outboard tiller can be all but useless because the motor must be mounted low enough to keep the prop in the water. Outboard engines under 10hp usually do not have an alternator. Outboards are easily stolen.

Every boat decision is a compromise. You have to pick the propulsion method that is right for you and your boat.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by GrowleyMonster

Depends. Every boat, every owner/skipper, every area, are different. Usually as you get over 30', an outboat becomes less and less practical. If you motor a lot, it is less practical than if you only motor for docking. An outboard is great as a backup device, to either an EP system with a too small battery, or an inboard that is on its last legs. If you have a $1k boat with a dead Atomic 4 in her, certainly a $1500 new outboard or a $600 used one is something to consider, especially if you are severely budget constrained. When your outboard gives up the ghost, easy enough to just buy a new one. Pulling the old inboard frees up a lot of space. Because an outboard in reverse gives you reasonably good steerage, for docking it has a significant maneuverability advantage.

The evil side of outboards is with longer boats, the stern lifts higher and the prop will break the surface when the boat is pitching. It is not as efficient as an inboard engine, generally. It can be taken out of action when it gets pooped, because it has an electrical ignition system. Nearly all of them run on gasoline, which is not as safe as diesel. The outboard tiller can be all but useless because the motor must be mounted low enough to keep the prop in the water. Outboard engines under 10hp usually do not have an alternator. Outboards are easily stolen.

Every boat decision is a compromise. You have to pick the propulsion method that is right for you and your boat.

My outboard is mounted about as low as possible, and I can also use the outboard's tiller if necessary.

The answer to that is an adjustable bracket. The tiller though is usually only needed for docking so my bracket is adjusted to the up position or second notch down at that time.

As far as an alternator, it really isn't needed plus you would have the wiring to deal with which clutters up the cockpit. Pull start works fine and solar can power all your other electronics to include inverter, autopilot, computers, lights, and so on

My outboard usually has no external connections unless I hook up the external tank for distance motoring or motor sailing

Also since it weighs 58 lbs it's easy to remove whenever necessary by hand.

The outboard on my boat is a 5 HP 4 stroke.

James Baldwin of Atomvoyages is using 6 HP-9.9 HP Outboards on 28'-30' boats.

He installs them is the well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo28OJYOqrY

[campbdon]

Hi, I am presently installing an outboard bracket for my Northern 29. The reason I'm doing this is because of extensive attempts to get the 1976 A4 working, at best it does so unreliably. I want an outboard to provide redundancy (peace of mind). Anyway the question I have is on the installation of the bracket. The transom is raked low to high from aft forward, therefore I have built a wedge (kiln dried 2" thick walnut) to provide the vertical surface to attach the bracket (panther 416) to. The recommended method to secure the bracket to the transom (in my case wedge then transom) is with 5/16" SS bolts. It will be difficult for me to do this so I'm wondering if instead I used 4 (or more) lag bolts/screws, or hanger bolts (screwed portion screwed into the wood and the threaded portion through the bracket eyes and secured with doubled up nuts or nylock nuts. I's appreciate any feedback on this method of bracket attachement. BTW the walnut block is attached to the transom using lenghts of 5/16" thick aluminum angle bolted to backing plates inside the transom. Thanks!

[thomm225]

So I have had two brackets.

Both secured with SS bolts and nuts.

The wedge helps but the adjustment on the bracket is the main think that keeps the plate/mounting board at vertical.

Also as you can see in the photos, I added a couple 2 X 4 sections to extend the motor out further so I could tilt it up and out of the water.

When I installed the second bracket, I painted the 2 X 4 blocks.

I also replaced the hand adjustable knobs wheels with Teflon nuts as they would vibrate off after a while

[campbdon]

Thanks. My transom slopes opposite of yours which I think is worse as the default/preferred transom angle for outboards (on mainly fishing boats) is 10-15 degrees raked as yours.

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by campbdon

Thanks. My transom slopes opposite of yours which I think is worse as the default/preferred transom angle for outboards (on mainly fishing boats) is 10-15 degrees raked as yours.

Actually, I believe my bracket was setup for a transom like yours.

I had to reverse it to use it on my boat.

See the instructions that came with your bracket

Okay looks like your bracket has no adjustment like mine

Yours (the 416?) is stronger but you'll have to built the wedge perfectly to get a good vertical on your mounting board

[thomm225]

The key to good outboard performance is always the depth.

The bracket I have plus the 25" extra long shaft allows the 5 HP 4 stoke to work in most conditions where you might need to motor.

It will not however get you off a lee shore in heavy weather so you either have to sail off or depend on your anchor until things calm down some and just take the beating you and your boat are sure to get from the wind and waves

Photo from 2015.

[MicHughV]

Besides the many performance issues listed above, outboards are gas guzzlers..be aware of that....run time on a 5-6 gallon tank will be measured in a few hours.
Filling up the tank again, from another container on a moving boat will be tricky.
Remember, you'll be dealing with gasoline, not diesel.

It's really a two person job...one person on the wheel/tiller....the other on the engine throttle/gearshift controls....can be done by one person off course, but tricky...

Outboards are best used on relatively calm waters.....with little wave action to lift the prop out of the water....even with an extended shaft.....

Have realistic expectations on what propulsion power a small outboard can provide.

Lastly, outboards have dismal performance in reverse. Learn to understand exactly what to expect from your outboard in reverse when time comes to dock, etc.