motor bracket or not to motor bracket

davidd267

Cadet
Joined
Nov 24, 2001
Messages
22
I have a 1988 aqua sport walk around cuddy cabin, I have been thinking about installing a motor bracket about 30" long. It will place the 225 hp out board 30" inches farther back than it is now. I am considering this so that I may glass in the transom cut out making this boat safer for offshore fishing. Nothing ruins your day faster than 300 gallons of water splashing into your boat. I dont know if lenthening the boat will comprimise performance. Top speed is now 38 mph at 5000 rpm cruise at 30 2.3 mpg. I will appreciate any input from some one who has been there done that .
 

Hooty

Rear Admiral
Joined
Oct 2, 2001
Messages
4,496
Re: motor bracket or not to motor bracket

Hey Blue Water,<br />If you set that 225hp engine back 30", you may have more than 300 gals. of water to contend with.<br /><br />c/6<br /><br />Hooty
 

Hawkeye1

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
142
Re: motor bracket or not to motor bracket

How long is your boat? How does the self bailing floor sit now compaired to the waterline? 23' is about the break point. Any shorter and the balance will be upset too much. I did the same thing to a 23' formula I/o put a 29" bracket and a 225 Suzuki on it. It turned out well well. Can't say what the performace difference is but can get 46 out of her at wot light. This is with a hard top also. B4 the hardtop it would do 50. This speed is meas on a gps also.
 

davidd267

Cadet
Joined
Nov 24, 2001
Messages
22
Re: motor bracket or not to motor bracket

The boat is 24'6" The floor of the self bailing compartment is 2" above the waterline . I want to glass the cut out for the motor in. The motor cut out is 8" above the water line.
 

Capn Mike

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Dec 10, 2001
Messages
561
Re: motor bracket or not to motor bracket

I'm not sure about your boat, but I believe some manufacturers (Seaswirl, at least) use a slightly different stern configuration for I/O installation than for O/B, to compensate for the higher weight of the I/O. They then use the I/O hull for their bracket installations because of the redistribution of that extra weight. My point is that your O/B may not react well to the redistribution either. I would think a baffle/false transom around the existing motor cutout would be more satisfactory....many manufacturers do the same.
 

Hawkeye1

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
142
Re: motor bracket or not to motor bracket

If your boat will probally do fine. If you use a floatation bracket with a v configuration it will help float the offset of the weight. Go to armstrong web page below. My formula sits just a level with the brack OB as it did with the I/o. I dont have any floatation in my bracket either. http://www.armstrongnautical.com/repower.html <br /><br />Here is a link to some pictures of my boat in verious stages of work. There are some fishing pictures in other albums you are welcome to look at also.<br /> http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/formula2332000/lst?&.dir=/boat&.src=ph&.begin=9999&.view=t&.order=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/bc/formula2332000/lst%3f%26.dir=/boat%26.src=ph%26.vie w=t
 

Hawkeye1

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Jan 15, 2002
Messages
142
Re: motor bracket or not to motor bracket

I want to try to post a picture of the renforced transom. They hoz brace is used for the batteries also. The middle picture is with a couple 100 lbs of fish in the box and a 162 qt cooler full of bait and ice on starboard side. As you can see shes a little low in the back but shes leaning to starboard also. The last picture is a picture of her sitting with very little weight in her and no windshield.<br /><br />
transom%20after.jpg
<br />
my%20boat.jpg
233%20formula%20no%20windshield.jpg
 
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