Where do you carry your outboard when trailering?

A forum for discussing issues relating to trailers and towing MacGregor sailboats.
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Seadoc
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Sailboat: MacGregor 25
Location: Wytheville, VA

Where do you carry your outboard when trailering?

Post by Seadoc »

I have a 1985 Mac 25 which came with a Suzuki 4-stroke 9.9 hp engine. The engine weighs about 120 lbs. When the P.O. delivered the boat, the kicker was horizontal on the cockpit floor (correct side up by the way). I've yet to trailer the boat as I'm in the middle of a protracted refurb.
MY QUESTION: What is the best way to carry the engine when trailering? At 120 lbs. it's not exactly an "easy off, easy on" process. The boat has a vertical lifting engine mount on the port side. The engine mount is bolted through a quarter-inch piece of what appears to be starboard material and then into the original glassed in engine mount area.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts!
Interim
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Re: Where do you carry your outboard when trailering?

Post by Interim »

I think it is way safer to put it in the back of your tow vehicle (in my case a pickup). No chance of it falling off on the highway.

I have a 9.9 yamaha, which is heavy like yours. And sometimes I get lazy and leave it on the boat. But I worry about it bouncing, because my mount has lever arms, and their length can increase the pressure of bounces which I don't think is good for the transom. It's just so convenient to leave it on.

But I think the right thing to do is remove it.

--john
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Seadoc
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Re: Where do you carry your outboard when trailering?

Post by Seadoc »

John (Interim),
Do you always have assistance with putting the O/B on and off?
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Tomfoolery
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Re: Where do you carry your outboard when trailering?

Post by Tomfoolery »

I used to remove the 9.9 hp 2-stroke from my Aquarius and put it in the tow vehicle, and it was lighter than yours. I was concerned about the integrity of the transom. My A7.0 had an offset OB, unlike the A23’s (same boat with different rudder arrangement), and the parallel arm mount seemed adequate for what it did, but the way the transom bounced around on the trailer, I didn’t want to take any chances of hull damage. :|
Interim
First Officer
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Joined: Thu May 08, 2014 7:31 am
Sailboat: MacGregor 26S
Location: Great Plains

Re: Where do you carry your outboard when trailering?

Post by Interim »

Seadoc wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2019 7:20 pm John (Interim),
Do you always have assistance with putting the O/B on and off?
Yes. I have carried it around the garage for 5 or 10 feet, but often regret it. When we are putting the boat in or taking it out, I always have my sailing partner with me.

--john
AndyVS
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Re: Where do you carry your outboard when trailering?

Post by AndyVS »

My 9.9 Merc is too heavy (100+ lbs) to pull off the transom. When towing, I run a strap around motor and retractable motor mount to stern cleats to keep it steady. I do remove the rudder and tiller and remove everything out of the laz. In the cabin, I move everything with any weight to the v-berth. With everything stowed properly and outboard still on transom, I end up with 300+ lbs of tongue weight and it tows fine. Transom is fine after a number of years towing this way.
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Seadoc
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Re: Where do you carry your outboard when trailering?

Post by Seadoc »

Thanks for the comments. They're helpful!
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