UP orDown

tightline · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 3:51 pm Post subject: UP orDown

I just got my first new boat, a c-dory 22 angler with two 40's. With the help of Les and Ray (Mr Fisherman) I am sure I have the right boat to fit my needs. I have a question? When trailering the boat from place to place do you have the engines Up or Down.

Otter-BelleHavenMarina · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 4:35 pm Post subject:

Up with the lock in place. Would be interested to hear if others do it differently.

C-Hawk · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 4:40 pm Post subject:

Yes-- up in the locked position. The motors are balanced to be trailered in the up position. In the up position you are carrying the weight over the stern, in the down position you are carrying all the weight behind the stern and creating a lot of un-needed stress on the stern.

Chuck S · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:30 pm Post subject:

Strange advice...

The Honda 40/50 operator's manual specifically states to "leave the engine in the normal operating position if possible." (Page 81 of my manual.) On the same page is notes that if you don't have ground clearance and have to tilt the engine that you need to use a motor support bar (commercially available) or remove the engine from the boat.

But what do those engineers at Honda know... Rolling Eyes

-- Chuck

Pat Anderson · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 6:37 pm Post subject:

We always travel with the engines DOWN...

Levity · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 8:16 pm Post subject:

Up and locked. The Honda 90 manual reads the same as the 40/50 manual.
Levity's Michael

Chuck S · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 8:33 pm Post subject:

So you basically ignore the manual? Shocked

But just this part of the manual, right? Cool

-- Chuck

Alyssa Jean · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 8:50 pm Post subject:

I always leave them down. Only time I have them up is if I am loading on the ferry and it is a low tide and I am concerned about the ramp angle.

B~C · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 9:07 pm Post subject:

And here I thought this thread was going to be about cruising options on the Columbia river...Congratulations on the new boat...I usually stick the plug on the outside and travel with the motors up & locked.
Pat A..I thought you usually traveled with the motors wide open Smile

Otter-BelleHavenMarina · Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 11:10 am Post subject:

Now I am curious. Did not expect practices to be so evenly divided among responders.

Jeff Messmer, what do the engineers at C-Dory think about best way to travel on the road? I would think there would be less stress on the transom with the weight of the motor above it, but maybe that doesn't take into account stress created by shifting vectors of force when accelerating, braking, going over bumps, etc.

Let's say we can all agree that where ground clearance, a low trailer, a sharply angled ramp, etc demands it, you gotta keep the engine up. Let's also assume that removing the engine (!) is NOT an option. So leaving those situations aside, what's the better position when traveling on open road as far as engine and transom are concerned?

Patrout · Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 2:38 pm Post subject:

Just wondering... what are the chances that the stress from traveling with the engines in the up position takes awhile, say 4 or 5 years, to show up as little cracks in the transom?

Is this what those things called "transom savers" are used for?

Pat

Captains Cat · Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 6:23 pm Post subject:

Not sure if the stress is significant with the up position while traveling. I would think that the support brackets would spread whatever there is more evenly across the whole transom.

That having been said, I keep our twin Honda 45's in the up position but give them a little down pressure on the locks so they're not floating above the mechanical supports. I don't use external support brackets.

Charlie

Blueback · Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 7:41 pm Post subject: Up or Down

Fishtales said the motors are balanced to place the weight over the transom in the up position. In engineering terms this would be stating that the centre of gravity (CG) on its vertical axis moves through the transom plane. That is a bold statement given the rotation that takes place moving to the up position which moves the weight of the leg into a torsional vector force further aft of the transom. You might want to check this out a little further. Yes part of the weight of the power head moves in but in doing so the weight of the leg, which is longer (more torsional distance from the CG) moves aft. I would not be convinced of any mathematical capacity to balance, quite the contrary. Thats the reason for the strut support in the up position.
Old Blue

El and Bill · Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:43 pm Post subject:

Down. We have a one-inch wooden dowell that we slide into place just before the engines are in full down position. This takes up some of the road shock. Seems to us that engines up puts a torque on the transom, since so much of the weight is hanging out (and flexible) over the aft end of the boat (as Blueback stated). Anyway, we've done many a mile on the highway with them down, riding on a rod of wood, and never had a problem.

Guest · Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 10:10 pm Post subject: UP or Down

EL & Bill
Could you post a picture of your dowel inserts in the down position?

Thanks
Bill & Elfie
TOPKICK

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