FW: Trailering with Outboard on Transom [WAS RE: Looking forP-19Characteristics vs Model Year Info]

From: Judith Franklin Blumhorst (drjudyb@pacbell.net)
Date: Thu Feb 10 2000 - 20:19:23 PST


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        West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
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Hi Webgang,

I received this from Glenn at the Potter factory. Seems there's another
issue about trailering with the outboards on the transom. Some of the
manufacturers of OB's recommend that they be removed from the transom
because the brackets on the smaller outboards are not sturdy enough to take
the strain of bouncing in and out of potholes.

I'd guess that if you supported the lower unit on a strut you could trailer
it... that would take the strain off the transom and the mounting bracket
built into the OB.

Fair winds, Judy B, Commodore, Potter Yachters, 1985 WWP-19 #266, Redwing,
SF Bay

-----Original Message-----
From: Glenn D. Perkins [mailto:glenn@westwightpotter.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 4:21 PM
To: drjudyb@pacbell.net
Subject: Re: Trailering with Outboard on Transom [WAS RE: Looking
forP-19Characteristics vs Model Year Info]

Hi Judy,

Theres another reason for not trailering with the engine on the bracket --
the
damage that can be done to the mount on the engine itself.

On the smaller outboards the bracket assembly is very delicate and, when I
was working for Yamaha Corp., it was not uncommon to see brackets sheared
off due to pot-holes, vibration or traffic accidents. Unless they are locked
on, they can actually fall off the boat without the driver realizing it.
Anyway, I could go on with the horror stories. Also, getting parts can take
forever and shop labor rates at Outboard Repair shops can be as high as $75
per hour. Removing the engine is cheap insurance.

<<snipped>>

Feel free to quote me regarding the outboards. Another point I didn't
include is this - imagine you bring your outboard to the repair shop in the
middle of the busiest time of year (especially if live where the sailing
season is only three months, or so) - What if the repair shop/dealer is busy
trying to rig new expensive boats and finish "Big ticket" repair jobs that
they must get out? If this is the case, and it usually is at many shops
during the summer, an outboard motor with a value of around $750 to $1,200
needing $200 in parts and $325 in labor ( 5 hours X $65/hr) will probably
sit on their workbench for the rest of the summer. Replacing the bracket is
no simple task, in many cases the entire power head has to be removed, and
if there is significant salt water corrosion, the marine mechanic can spend
hours just taking the engine apart. In fact, the Yamaha labor guide allows
for this extra expense when covering warranty work.

 The average dealer figures that not many people would spend 50% of the
engines value on repairs, especially if the engine is a couple of years old,
so many shops will just put your engine on the back burner and get to it
when they have nothing else going on.

 Just something to think about, besides its good exercise to take the engine
off the bracket.

Hope everything is going well, give my best the other Potter Yachters,

Glenn Perkins

----- Original Message -----
From: Judith Franklin Blumhorst <drjudyb@pacbell.net>
To: Potter Email List <wwpotter@tscnet.com>
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 2:06 PM
Subject: Trailering with Outboard on Transom [WAS RE: Looking for
P-19Characteristics vs Model Year Info]

> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
> dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
> List hosted by www.tscnet.com
> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> Hi Bob,
>
> As a clarification to your posting, I want to add the following:
>
> For many years, International Marine has recommended that you do not
trailer
> the P15 or P19 with *ANY* outboard, 2-stroke or 4-stroke, on the transom,
to
> avoid damage to the transom.
>
> IM started selling the 4 stroke OB's in the summer/fall of 1999, because
of
> popular demand. In some states, especially California, 2 strokes are being
> banned for freshwater lakes and reservoirs. They started selling the
> optional alumiinum backing plate for the year 2000 models to go along with
> the 5 hp 4 stroke. The plate's still just for using the OB while sailing;
> it's not intended for trailering.
>
> I believe IM is just being conservative (a good thing, imho). Several of
us
> have been using 5 hp 4 strokes for the past year on our older boats with
no
> backing plates and with no apparent damage to the transom (yet.) However,
I
> plan to add a plywood backing on Redwing, just to be conservative.
>
> Some folks trailer with the OB on the transom in spite of IM's official
> policy, and have worked out various methods of adding addtional support to
> the OB. So far, we haven't heard stories of any damage from the
pracice...
> but you trailer with an OB on the transom at your own risk.
>
> Fair winds, Judy B, 1985 P19 #266, Redwing (with a 5 hp 4-stoke Nissan)
>
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: jckniese@francomm.com [mailto:jckniese@francomm.com]
> > Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 3:10 AM
> > To: wwpotter@tscnet.com
> > Subject: Re: Looking for P-19 Characteristics vs Model Year Info
> >
> >
> > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > West Wight Potter Mailing List maintainer
> > dfarrell@ridgecrest.ca.us
> > List hosted by www.tscnet.com
> > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
> > The Four Stroke motor on a Potter 19 can be a problem while trailering.
> > IM recommends that the boat not be trailered with four stroke motors
> > mounted on the transom due to the weight motors in the 4 to 5 HP range.
> > Honda makes a 2HP four stroke which is light. A backing plate sold by
> > IM for $150.00 is recommended for the heavy four strokes. I made one
> > out of 3/4" plywood and added additional mounting bolts.
> > Bob Kniese
> > P19#1148
> > Dovie
> > Duanesburg,NY
> >
>



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