How to store four stroke o/board below on passage?

[LBW399]

Hi, anyone got any tips how to store one of these down below if you don't want it clipped on your stern-rail on passage.

I am thinking of building its own 'down below bracket', but then i am thinking of gimballing it somehow, so that no matter what tack, the oil won't be seeping inside it where it shouldn't.

It's a 6hp Tohatsu four stroke 'SailPro'.

Building a secure, gimballed bracket down below, for a four stroke outboard motor - am I mad? Anyone ever tried this?

Storing the outboard securley down below also has obvious advantages when it comes to thieves when I am off the boat while in port.

Thanks in advance

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Kiwi399

.....
It's a 6hp Tohatsu four stroke 'SailPro'.

Building a secure, gimballed bracket down below, for a four stroke outboard motor - am I mad? Anyone ever tried this?

....

Thanks in advance

Not mad if you have the room below, have the time / money / know how to do it otherwise - crackers

How big is the "mother ship"?

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by Wotname

Not mad if you have the room below, have the time / money / know how to do it otherwise - crackers

How big is the "mother ship"?

23 feet. I don't have a lot of room to play with so need to be smart about it. I do have a place up for'ard that might be suitable.

Cheers

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Kiwi399

23 feet. I don't have a lot of room to play with so need to be smart about it. I do have a place up for'ard that might be suitable.

Cheers

OK then, you are crackers .

I have only owned big boats (in comparison), 30'; 28'; 31' and there is no way I would ever been able to fit a 6 hp O/B below. But maybe (probably) you are smarter than me so maybe you do have a suitable spot.

What is the advantage, apart from security in port / at anchor?

Yes, I get it is better protected from weather and can be gimballed but these motors are designed to be OUTboard and thus outside in the weather and rolling around.

Surely there are significant downsides - well at least there would be significant downsides in my boat; least of all lugging the thing up and down the companionway and so on.

Any way, good luck with the project and let us know how it turns out.

[Wotname]

Oh, just realized, this is probably your main engine. I was thinking it was for the dink.
Not sure if this alters how/what I think about the idea though.

[captain465]

Not a good idea to store ANY gasoline powered engines below.

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by captain465

Not a good idea to store ANY gasoline powered engines below.

Thanks for your reply.
Well, its an outboard with a separate fuel tank, so not like it will be a combustible threat if that is what you are meaning.
The 3 gallon fuel tank will be stored in a vented locker on deck when not in use.

I stand to be corrected, but I thought it would be reasonably common to store your outboard down below at times, not all the time, but at times on long coastal or offshore passages. I guess I am speaking to the under 28 foot club here that don't have an inboard and have an outboard as the main auxillary.

[Snore]

I don't think storage is the only issue. I just got back from a fun day sail. Seas were 3-5 occasional bigger wave just for kicks.

What would happen if you were ending a trip and having to mount an outboard in 3-5 or higher seas. Could you easily do that? How would you ensure you don't loose the engine?

Just some things to ponder as part of the project.

[Adelie]

If the engine uses an external tank disconnect the fuel line when you are ready to stow it and let it run until it dies of fuel starvation. Read you manual about how to store it lying down, probably with forward/handle side up. Store fuel can on deck or on a locker that vents overboard.

If it has an internal fuel tank get a different motor or learn to live with the engine chained to a hard point on be boat.

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by Adelie

If the engine uses an external tank disconnect the fuel line when you are ready to stow it and let it run until it dies of fuel starvation. Read you manual about how to store it lying down, probably with forward/handle side up. Store fuel can on deck or on a locker that vents overboard.

If it has an internal fuel tank get a different motor or learn to live with the engine chained to a hard point on be boat.

Thanks for the tips.

The fuel tank is external only.

I have a locker on deck that vents overboard, which will be an ideal place to store the fuel.

[ontherocks83]

What's the reason you don't want to leave it mounted on passages? Just trying to figure out your train of thought. Obviously to each their own but just thinking about the difficulty of moving it back and forth especially while underway and the risk of dropping it overboard when trying to remount it in heavy seas would be enough to deter me.

[brownoarsman]

I've been on many boats that keep two strokes and four strokes (both with internal gas tanks) in the hanging lockers inside and don't seem to have had a problem with the arrangement. The hanging locker has a rod that rolls out, and the outboard is tied to this rod with a rope bridle. I assume the bit of swing in the bridle keeps the motor relatively upright (gravity, yay!), and the outboard is prevented from banging out of the locker by the well below (you have to angle the motor to get it in there). If you have hanging lockers, and they're big enough, maybe you don't have to build anything. The outboards in this arrangement only go up to, I think, 5 hp, so yours may be a bit too big to work ...

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by brownoarsman

I've been on many boats that keep two strokes and four strokes (both with internal gas tanks) in the hanging lockers inside and don't seem to have had a problem with the arrangement. The hanging locker has a rod that rolls out, and the outboard is tied to this rod with a rope bridle. I assume the bit of swing in the bridle keeps the motor relatively upright (gravity, yay!), and the outboard is prevented from banging out of the locker by the well below (you have to angle the motor to get it in there). If you have hanging lockers, and they're big enough, maybe you don't have to build anything. The outboards in this arrangement only go up to, I think, 5 hp, so yours may be a bit too big to work ...

I think I just have the locker you talk of, which was originally a hanging locker which could be converted back to that and modified as you suggest to secure the outboard as you describe. You are a fine man and thanks for the tip!

[LBW399]

Originally Posted by ontherocks83

What's the reason you don't want to leave it mounted on passages? Just trying to figure out your train of thought. Obviously to each their own but just thinking about the difficulty of moving it back and forth especially while underway and the risk of dropping it overboard when trying to remount it in heavy seas would be enough to deter me.

Don't like the idea of that thing hanging off the back of my boat in big following seas.

Cheers.

[brownoarsman]

Hope it helps! If it bangs around a bit, often we'll put an old, sun-damaged, already ripped square flotation cushion down in the well of the locker to cushion the prop and foot. Or you could just surround it in rags or something, I'm sure.

To be honest, I kind of see this as better than leaving the OB on the bracket if the concern is oil leaking from a tipped 4-stroke motor. A motor on an external pad will heel just as much as the boat it's on, whereas one on this type of bridle may keep more of a plumb line. Though, of course, with the limited space inside the locker, you'd only be keeping it more upright by a couple of degrees.