Outboard bracket

[Jeff Glandon]

New owner here. Getting ready to launch for first time. Do you tighten down the outboard bracket? Or is it just  held by gravity?

Thanks!

[Bob Abelin]

Yup, just gravity.  It makes it easy to remove while racing.  Some boats install a clip or pin to secure it in case things go all pear shaped.   Motors don’t swim very well.

[Lighten Up 31]

I ofter sail with the outboard on the back. Especially when I am by myself. But when racing, especially one design most will remove it and store it inside the cabin. The weight is better forward so a good spot is the mast compression post. The last couple years I have been using an electric Torquedo motor. It has an awesome case available that lets me put all of it up near the bow on the forward edge of the v birth. One or these days I will right a tie down for it up there.

[Bob Abelin]

How do you like the Torquedo?  I just purchased a Newport Vessels 55 to try out the whole electric motor option.  Not as good as a Torquedo but it was much cheaper and is smaller.  It's actually small enough that I can store it in the rear deck hatch.  I can push the boat at up to about 4 knots, more than good enough for getting in and out of the marina.  If I like it I may switch to a LI battery to save some weight.

[Travis Gregory]

Bob, have you researched what type of battery you would change to?  Like the idea of an electric for the mountain lakes where the gas outboard is overkill.  Definitely need the power and range of the outboard on the GSL, so having both sounds ideal to me.

My Suzuki 2hp is less than 30.  Is the electric setup more or less than that?

[Bob Abelin]

Travis, I haven't decided on a LI battery yet, I'm still just testing the capabilities of the motor for speed and run time.  Batteries are also improving fairly quickly.  The motor is 24 lbs and my current battery is about 17, so total around 40.  With a LI battery you'd be in the 35 range which is fairly comparable to a gas motor.  My next step is working out all the wiring for easy use.

[Lighten Up 31]

Bob, I very much like the Torquedo unit. It solves the problem of 2 stroke oil that always seems to leak all over everything. It can push the boat up to about 4.5 knots if needed, but the battery would only last a couple km. If you back off to about 1/2 throttle the range and still move the boat decently through the water. It definitely is sufficient to get in an out of a tight harbor.

The main issue is reverse. The motor will kick up with any significant thrust. You can easily place a hand on the drive to keep it down. You also have to be fairly gentle when changing from forward to reverse. It is easy to trip the overcorrect protection if you change from forward to reverse quickly.

[Allen Townsend]

To the original post...  I think a pin is a good idea for the motor mount and the mast crutch.  I remember someone posting quite some time ago that the mast crutch came loose while they were trailering their boat.  It seems like cheap insurance.  I attached some annotated pictures of the pin that came with my boat.


To the comments on the Torqeedo etc.....  I have been using Torqeedo motors for almost 10 years.  They are fantastic for my use.  It is particularly suited to motoring the boat in tight conditions.  It allows slowing down to a crawl without stalling out.  It reverses without the side kick from spinning the motor, and can break either hard or very softly.

I started with the 2hp travel version with the black battery.  I found that the motor mount flexed under load.  I do not think they sell that version any more.  When they came out with the 1003, I upgraded to it.  It has great power, control, and a longer range that its predecessor.  I have used it for 5 seasons now.  I love it.

It does have a lock down so that it will not kick up when used in reverse. 

I had some difficulty with it shutting down when I switched from forward to reverse quickly.  You need a short hesitation at the stop position.  When I mentioned this to Torqeedo, they already had a software update that programs a very slight pause even if you do not pause it yourself.


I typically leave the motor on the motor mount while day sailing.  I added a piece under the tiller which catches on my motor mount.  It holds the motor in the lifted position with the battery up and keeps the motor from flopping around.

This year I got the larger battery.  The upgrade to the 1003 from the first model was a huge improvement when used with the U20.  The larger 915wh batter (which comes with the 1003c) has about 70% more power. I used to have sufficient range with the 530wh battery. Now, at least for my usage, I have plenty to spare.  I still check the battery level, but no longer worry about it, even when the wind picks up and I know that I will need more power to get home.


If you can live with the range and price, it is a great choice!


Allen

U20#7

[Jeff Glandon]

Thanks for the pics.

[TimPorter]

Some previous owner of my boat through bolted a bracket on the back.  I can't remove the bracket.  The mast support has another contraption that was custom built to fit on the motor mount.  Not quite as nice as the original in my opinion but also not worth changing.  I doubt I will ever lose the motor mount though.