RE: WWP-19 Outboard Motors

Tim Spofford (tims@spof.org)
Sat, 07 Aug 1999 09:37:55 -0700


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
West Wight Potter Website at URL
http://www.lesbois.com/wwpotter/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When I tried to tow my P19 with the motor on (an older 4.5hp 2-stroke
Evinrude), it - together with the half-full gas can and a few other
inconsequential odds and ends in the cockpit - shifted the center of
gravity aft of the axle, not a good situation. I could probably balance it
out adequately with some effort but I've found it easier thus far just to
stow it in the back of my Cherokee. Mostly, I'm posting this as a caution
for others who may not think to check this important detail.

Fortunately, as soon as I got on the highway I experienced some slight
fishtailing that I hadn't previously encountered and realized what the
problem was. But had I not noticed it when I did and immediately stopped
to correct it, I could easily have let myself in for a nasty accident or,
had I survived the trip but released the ball mount in the parking lot, a
badly crunched stern.

Tim Spofford
Kirkland, Washington
P-19 #611 "Heron"

At 07:02 AM 08/07/1999 -0700, Eric Johnson wrote:

> > You may be able to strengthen your transom to allow leaving a 4 or 5 hp
> > mounted so you wouldn't have to take it on and off, but there are
> > conflicting opinions about the wisdom of trailering with the
> > motor mounted.
>
>I'll do some experiments today on that. I'm heading out in a few minutes
>from Seattle to Flathead Lake - 500 miles, 3 mountain passes. I'm leaving
>the motor attached, but I've wrapped a dockline around the back of the
>motor, and tightened it up with a trucker's hitch. The line should take the
>bulk of the fore-and-aft movement of the motor, so the motor mount only
>needs to support the weight vertically. I've done short trips like this and
>it works well. In fact, I've done the whole trip with just the motor on the
>mount with no reinforcements! But it does bounce around a lot when I've done
>that.