cutting boat transom

[oldmang]

16' skiff inboard, converting to flats boat. i have 1961 evinrude lark3 40hp. measurement from wher the engine hangs on the transom to the cowling/ top of fin above the prop is 18" . is that the hight i want to cut the transom above the bottom of the boat, 18" . i would only be cutting abot 2" out of transom. jack plate to expensive and questionable as to setback and height. would have to be hydraulic. help thanx g

 

[RRitt]

Re: cutting boat transom

speak of the devil. I went from boat store to boat store. They all would say "floats in 8 inches of water". And I would say that I didn't really want to float as much as use an engine - so how much water does it need to run the motor? Eighteen inches they would all say.

So I built my own little flats boat. 14' skiff with an air cooled engine. Built up the hull to 3/4" thickness so that it can bounce off oysters. It not only floats in four inches of water but it can go WOT in less than a foot. Yee haw!

At any rate - small outboards are usually built for 15" or 20" transom. The cavitation plate needs to be at or below the bottom of hull. Your outboard sounds like a 15" to me. If the motor is too high then it sucks air into the propellor and you can't get up on plane.

 

[Frank Acampora]

Re: cutting boat transom

Before cutting the transom, TRY running the engine on it. That engine is certainly not a 20 inch leg and may not work on the existing transom-- BUT-- You have nothing to lose by trying. Also, remember that the engine will be vertical while (you don't say so I will assume) the transom is tilted about 10 or more degrees rearward, effectively making it shorter. Transom actual length on my 20 inch boats is actually about 21 inches

 

[bob johnson]

Re: cutting boat transom

what i am reading is...you havent CUT the transom yet, but YOU HAVE TO CUT IT, to mount the motor, because the boat wasnt made for use with an OUTBOARD!!!

remember that you cant mount that motor on a verticle surface!!!! you wont have enough trim angle


it is like 12 degree of transom angle you would have to mount your motor at for the outboard to work properly....

you might have to buy or build a wedge to attach to your boat to get the proper angle for the motor to hang on...

Id go an inch high to start...since you will be in the flats anyway...

bob

 

[oldmang]

Re: cutting boat transom

thanx guys. if i am reading my protractor right my angle is only 6 degrees i also have 4 positions i can adjust my tilt to on the engine. thanx again g