Motor Support for Trailering

[hardee]

Charlie, SOooooooo Soooorrrrrrryyy. Glad you got home first though.

Remember that down force. It is what keeps the props in the water, and the OB's in position when they really want to get up and out of there, if I understand right, when you want your boat to go backwards, or are spinning in place (with twins).

Harvey
SleepyC

[Two Bears]

Picking up on an earlier part of this discussion, it's my understanding that the reason for a "transom saver" is to save the transom. Early boats (rowboats) didn't have a strong transom designed to hold an outboard motor and trailering with a motor wobbling around stressed the transom over time, causing failure when stressed by too heavy seas or ?? The idea of the transom saver is to put the weight of the motor on the trailer instead of the boat. In any case, failure would occur after years of trailering. I assume most modern boats are built stronger to handle the stress, but why press your luck.

[Captains Cat]

Chuck, it's also a way to keep your engines high so you don't ground on low clearance spaces. In my case, I'm a little afraid of someone hitting me from behind, in that case, they would get the trailer instead of the engines. This thing sits pretty high on the trailer... The transom saver idea is fine except that I think the transom would get less stress with the engines in the full down position rather than tilted up where they would "bounce" on a bump and believe me this thing does!

Charlie

[Captains Cat]

[Tortuga]

I've had good success with the transom saver. It makes me feel better to have the support in place -- but you need to really crank the trailer straps tightly to be sure the boat and trailer move as one -- otherwise you'll be dragging the brace down the highway .

Matt

[Yellowstone]

Some thoughts and experiences on trailering the 22' with motor in different positions. When the motor is tilted forward with most of the motor over the well, the weight on the transom has shifted to its strongest
point. When the motor is in the down position, the weight now has a leverage factor added in. (one of you engineers can figure out the potential added forces involved) Of course the hydraulic cylinder is pretty robust, and in my experience capable of holding the engine at any angle within its range while traveling. I've heard of leaks occuring but have never experienced such.

I trailer with the engine raised enough to not bottom on abrupt dips. I also have SS Skeg protectors attached, and they have proven their worth countless times. An important variable is the suspension system of the boat trailer. All mine have been torsion suspension models, and I believe they reduce the shock and hence acceleration of the motor mass up and down and back and forth on the transom when bumps occur. The 22' transom is strong enough to handle any motor one would use IMO.

My large utility trailer has leaf springs, and it bounces constantly.

The value of having a torsion suspension trailer was hammered home this past week. I have my Mercury 115 EFI winterized by the closest marine dealer - forty miles away. Twenty miles are over a mountain pass and a winding and twisting road. Shortly after returning, I received a frantic call from the mechanic who did the servicing. His question. Was his favorite 10 MM socket wrench somewhere on my boat? I went outside for a look. Nothing in the cabin. Nothing in the cockpit, Nothing in the well. By chance I glanced at the lids over the lazerettes. There it was.

I had added plywood coverings attached by velcro to protect the fiberglass lids. Spar varnish was not that slippery, and the socket wrench including handle was rubber covered. Miraculously, it had not slid or rattled off the lid after 40 miles of highway with rough road signs every so often. I attribute this primarily to the torsion suspension of the trailer and radial tires.

When I returned to the phone with the good news, and two days later when I had a trip past the dealership and delivered the wrench to the fellow, I had a new friend. John