A customer wrote and wanted to convert a 24
ft. sailboat into a motor cruiser but needed to mount the
outboard in the middle of the transom rather than off to
one side. Further, he wanted to be able to remove the motor
and hang the rudder so he could go sailiing occasionally.
That reminded me of a removeable stainless steel motor mount
that we had seen at Race-Lite on a recent visit there. This
is an OEM part that they had made for a customer and we
had not carried them because they are not finished. By that
I mean this mount needs a wood pad to be bolted to the 1/8"
thick plate that is welded to the 1/2" diameter rods.
But that should be easy for any DIY'er.
The photo above is taken from what would be
below if the motor mount were in use. The three gudgeons
are bolted to the transom so that the bracket's legs can
slide down into them and be secured by the included spring
clip.
There are two versions of this mount. Our 15° mount is for vertical transoms, common on production sailboats. This mount gives a 15° angle which is correct for outboard motors. The other is a 0° mount for transoms which are already angled 15° and does not alter that angle.
Dimensions:
The plate is 1/8" thick stainless steel - 6" x 7-1/2". The mounting legs are from 1/2" dia SS rod. The bracket sits an average of 6-1/2" from the transom (not including the wood pad that you will add). The gudgeons are formed from 1" x 0.090" SS strap and are about 2-1/2" long with 1/4" mounting holes.
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| 0° Mount |
15° Mount |
6 Horsepower Max rating
Feedback:
Dear Chuck and Sandra:
I have just received my order for the Race-lite outboard motor mount, and parel beads. Once again my order was received within a few days of placing. The quality of this bracket is outstanding. It is just the ticket for any small boat whose lines might be spoiled by a big and bulky permanent mount. It is perfect for my Beetle Swan. You can count on future orders, and referals from me.
Best Regards
Edward K
From Rob Ditterich's blog - what was the middle thing?:
Call it 'Belt & Braces', but this Navigator is going to have some options when it comes to, well, when it comes to going. Coming or going, a choice is nice. We have that in our home in lots of ways, like a wood burning stove that can cook and make hot water, but a gas stove or an electric kettle (powered by solar electricity), or solar hot water, or gas boost hot water. Whatever the weather, we can choose. Navigator 'Annie' won't have all that stuff, but the electric pod won't always be appropriate to back up the sails, so we wanted an outboard- with an unobtrusive mount. It can be taken off, leaving a few small fittings on the transom.
This great little unit is from Duckworks, and was a joy to unpack, because it is really solid and well-made. Kevin has one for 'Slipjig' and he recently reassured me that it is very servicable, doing all he wants from a motor mount.
Now if Chuck could just make it so that it produced hot water....
