Inboard Or Outboard?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by ArmyChief

IDK, I was just thinking it may be more difficult...just trying to understand Pro's & Con's

Maybe more difficult if you're adding outboards to an existing boat. But if you're designing a boat with outboards in mind, it's easy enough to mount them well forward of the transom. On the insides of the hulls gives plenty of separation to allow manoeuvring as normal.

On this page, (Scroll down a bit) you can see how I mounted mine. It works well, but there are other options.:

SV "Somewhere" - Page 8 - DIY Yachts

[ArmyChief]

I gotta tell you...that is a FANTASTIC job !

Can people buy a ready made version

This is a Electro-Power Cat? (No sails)?

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by ArmyChief

I gotta tell you...that is a FANTASTIC job !

Can people buy a ready made version

This is a Electro-Power Cat? (No sails)?

Thanks! Not selling for a while yet, sorry.

Um, no it's a sailboat, but he rig didn't go on 'till after it was launched.

Motors are Honda 20 outboards.

[tomfl]

Originally Posted by EllisElectric

I believe a mechanism could be design and built on the outer sides of each hull, balanced fore and aft to raise and lower long shaft outboards. Can anyone else picture this setup and comment on pitfalls or advantages?

Wonder what type of fenders would be used?

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by EllisElectric

I believe a mechanism could be design and built on the outer sides of each hull, balanced fore and aft to raise and lower long shaft outboards. Can anyone else picture this setup and comment on pitfalls or advantages?

You will notice no one is doing this and it's not without good reason. Some of the early steam ships did this. They put paddle wheels middle of the boat on the outside.

Problems I can see right off the top of my head:
- In a beam sea, the upwind engine is likely to get regularly dunked.
- In a docking situaiton gone wrong, the first thing to get crunched is the engine.

[EllisElectric]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

You will notice no one is doing this and it's not without good reason. Some of the early steam ships did this. They put paddle wheels middle of the boat on the outside.

Problems I can see right off the top of my head:
- In a beam sea, the upwind engine is likely to get regularly dunked.
- In a docking situaiton gone wrong, the first thing to get crunched is the engine.

I'm thinking you could have an aerodynamic shaped enclosure with fender being able to swing to the outside from behind enclosure. The enclosure could be made of fiberglass or aluminum. I don't know about damaging outboard motor while being dunked, what problems would it cause?

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by EllisElectric

I'm thinking you could have an aerodynamic shaped enclosure with fender being able to swing to the outside from behind enclosure. The enclosure could be made of fiberglass or aluminum. I don't know about damaging outboard motor while being dunked, what problems would it cause?

I give up. You go for it and tell us how it works out.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by rwidman

I wouldn't bet on outboards being cheaper than diesels or being easier to maintain. Parts are packed in pretty tight on an outboard and there are lots of proprietary parts. The lower unit of an outboard needs maintenance and this can't be done in the water.

I have a Seawind 1000 with the dual Yamaha 9.9 hi-thrust engines. The original engines lasted about 2500 hours, and about ten years. One still worked - which I sold to a fisherman as a kicker, and the other for parts. Ordered the new ones and plopped them right in using the boom to lower into the box. Oh, are re: maintenance, we just tilt the motors while still mounted, and pull the lower units while sitting in the kayak or dinghy. Take it to a bench, replace the water pump, change out the lower unit fluid, and back on it goes. Every three years the boat gets bottom painted, and you can service on the hard.

I think these OB's are good for this sized boat, but I would go with inboards for a bigger boat. And as someone mentioned, the solar panels provide all of the power we need. Refrig, lights, and watermaker.

[EllisElectric]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

You will notice no one is doing this and it's not without good reason. Some of the early steam ships did this. They put paddle wheels middle of the boat on the outside.

Problems I can see right off the top of my head:
- In a beam sea, the upwind engine is likely to get regularly dunked.
- In a docking situaiton gone wrong, the first thing to get crunched is the engine.

I like the analogy of the paddle boat, that says it is possible to have propulsion equipment on the sides of a boat hull.

[44'cruisingcat]

Originally Posted by EllisElectric

I like the analogy of the paddle boat, that says it is possible to have propulsion equipment on the sides of a boat hull.

It is, but it makes more sense, and is more attractive, to mount them on the insides of the hulls on a catamaran. You can mount them behind the chamfer panel where they are fairly well protected.

There would be a manoeuvrability benefit from mounting them on the outsides, but not enough to outweigh the disadvantages IMO.