Motor Brackets

[MikeS]

JimW; if you'll take time to read my post you'll find that I didn't say the engines ride as high. I said that having them on a bracket is no more a problem than being attached to the transom. However, the engines are raised on the bracket since the flow of water aft of the transom is upward and the cavitation plate is considerably higher than the normal transom mount, so it may in fact be that the engines are as high or higher than with a transom mount. I can tell you that it makes a huge difference in fishing room and performance. A 26 footer with a bracket is like a 28' boat on steroids. Also, I'm not convinced that the contention that the brackets don't work well on boats smaller than 23' is factual. Before buying the Stainless Marine bracket we looked at performance data from Armstrong and Stainless Marine specifically for 19-20' boats. Although the gains are smaller for the smaller boats it appears that it still pays to install the bracket. But, we decided that the OB19 is a fishing boat and we're buying the size benefits even if there's no performance improvement. MikeS

[FishinCoach]

Thanks guys, I am still confused, will saltwater intrusion be more of a problem on a boat using a bracket? Any Idea of the approximate cost for a single, or a double?

[TimeWalker]

Thanks guys, I am still confused, will saltwater intrusion be more of a problem on a boat using a bracket? Any Idea of the approximate cost for a single, or a double?

single without platform 400-700
single with 600-1000
double without 800-1200
double with 1000-1500

Give or take

define saltwater intrusion

[BrianS]

To quickly answer saltwater intrusion:

1) Transom Mounted outboard: 8 holes through the transom. Water intrusion into your plywood will depend on how well you waterproof these holes. Two Schools of thought on this covered further down.

2) Motor Bracket: 12-16 Holes through the transom. Water intrusion into your plywood will depend on how well you waterproof these holes.

Picking up a pattern?

Some guys prefer to drill these holes oversize, fill them with epoxy, drill the correct size hole through it, and mount there hardware.

Other folks prefer to drill to correct size, epoxy coat, and 3m 5200 method.

This is a personal preference, and both sides will argue their points until they are blue in the face.

I hope this answers your question a little bit. Saltwater intrusion all depends on how well you protect your wood core against saltwater. There no easier way to put it. These boats are designed with generous lamination schedules that when followed [/u]without deviation will keep the core of your boat protected from the destructive nature of saltwater. We use epoxy resins because they have a time tested, tried and true, inherent ability to stick to wood, and to itself in just the right way that it provides strength, flexibility, and ultimately, prevents the briny stuff from eating apart the wooden stuff.

BrianS

[FishinCoach]

Brian, I was told by a local commercial fisherman that motors mounted on brackets tended to get saltwater into the housing of the motor. Transom intrusion I understand, thanks for your imput. I reallyt appriciate all the people in this forum sharing their knowledge. I wish I would have taken more advantage of this resource when I built my Phantom 18.

[TimeWalker]

Brian, I was told by a local commercial fisherman that motors mounted on brackets tended to get saltwater into the housing of the motor. Transom intrusion I understand, thanks for your imput. I reallyt appriciate all the people in this forum sharing their knowledge. I wish I would have taken more advantage of this resource when I built my Phantom 18.

your not going to get any more inside the bracket then you would in your bildge they are sealed for a reason (those that are)

Bottom line a quick rinse once in awhile and taking the drainplug out is all you'll ever need to do to em ... they are painted metal so some maintence would be required tho...........

[baydog]

I have a 1997 Astro 18 FS bass boat and added a hydraulic jack plate. When the motor (mercury 150 hp) is at the level equal to position on transom I notice no more wash on my motor then when it was on transom and the setback is six inches. I do notice a lot less water over my splashwell onto casting deck. If you don't time how you ride the waves (even when slowing on calm water) then you are going to get wash no matter how your motor is mounted on. I have run 19' Manatee's, Bass boats, jon boats and 33' Chris-Craft sport fisherman's since I was a wee lad of about Eleven years of age and it is all in the timing. I'm the youngest of nine and Dad wouldn't let the older kids Captain the boats because they would not learn to ride the waves no matter the frequency, heading into, following or quartering. Never let them get you broadside!

[JimW]

Brian, I was told by a local commercial fisherman that motors mounted on brackets tended to get saltwater into the housing of the motor. Transom intrusion I understand, thanks for your imput. I reallyt appriciate all the people in this forum sharing their knowledge. I wish I would have taken more advantage of this resource when I built my Phantom 18.

your not going to get any more inside the bracket then you would in your bildge they are sealed for a reason (those that are)

Bottom line a quick rinse once in awhile and taking the drainplug out is all you'll ever need to do to em ... they are painted metal so some maintence would be required tho...........

Thank you FCoach. I am not talking about water in the bracket. I am saying that the motor is MORE LIKELY to get water inside than if it mounted on a full 8 foot wide, more buoyant transom. I didn't say there would be no performance gain on a small boat. I said the tradeoffs become less attractive on small boats. But they are still each owners decision. I just want to expose the variables and let the guy decide himself. I covet the cockpit space that a bracket gives. But I want a full 12 degree vee with 8 foot width floating my 20 inch motor over the waves. And I want it right at the folcrum over the wave not out 18 inches on a lever arm which provides maybe 25% of the buoyancy as the full hull profile. As boat gets smaller this geometry gets worse. In another post Jacques says that on a 19 footer a bracket is border line good idea, but much better on larger hulls. I understand why he says this. I have tried to explain some of the issues. I hope the original poster can understand the issues I tried to identify. Certainly the C19 with a bracket would be a nice boat. But it is not identical to a C19 with a full transom and motorwell. I am only trying to explain the differences. Not judging anything except relative differences.

ciao