Attaching a Motor to Your Day Sailer

[Guest]

Hi all.

I was wondering if any of you have attached a small motor to your DS to use when the wind dies or in tight maneuvering situations (like getting to/from the boat ramp).

If you have done this, I have a few questions:
<UL><LI>What size horsepower motor do you use?</LI><LI>What accesories did you need to mount it?</LI><LI>Exactly where do you mount the motor so that it does not interfere with the tiller and rudder, both when the motor is in use and when it's not?</LI><LI>How much did you pay for your setup?</LI></UL>Thanks for your input!

Mike Boone (BooneDocks-at-kagi.com)

[Guest]

Motors are a pain, they stink, they leave fuel stains and make noise. You are better off learning to sail to and from the boat ramp or getting a couple of big paddles then the wind dies.

I had a O' Day Sailer II, (DS 6210), Between 1977 and 1981.

You can clamp a 2-8 horse power motor between the tiller and the corner of the transom on the port side. You steer with the tiller or the motor. The rudder blade will hit the propeller if you aren't aware of it and turn to quick.

On my DS II the only accessory I used was a bit of carpet to keep the motor mount screws from scratching the hull.

I have a short shaft 4 1/2 hp on my 1980 Day Sailer One that I only used then we are trolling for trout. Many Day Sailers I have seen have motor mounts bolted thur the transom. If you are going to buy a motor, I would reccommend the lightest 3to 5 hp long shaft you can find. The more you sail the less you will used it.


Gus Heismann (marktdes-at-oneimage.com)

[Guest]

I don't have a motor but I am considering one. I really want to get along without it for all the reasons Gus said. In addition, mounting a motor triggers federal and state laws regarding motor and hull registration that don't seem to apply otherwise. In MA. every motor has to be registered. If anyone has more info on this it would be helpful.

Last summer I had two occasions when I needed a motor because the wind had died. I flagged down passing motor boats and got towed to the mooring, but not before I had shot the afternoon and gotten something of a sunburn. The boat owners were both out fishing with their kids and I did feel it an imposition for them to have to spend almost an hour bringing me in, although they were very good about it. An air horn was the best investment I have made.

Steve Max (75264.153-at-compuserve.com)

[Bob Hunkins]

I've got a 2 hp motor on my current DS and have yet to use it. My old DS has a 1 hp British seagull... Talk about noisy, smelly, &tc.! I used it only a few times, but was glad when I had it. One time I sailed out of Clear Lake here in Houston into Galveston Bay to Rendezvous with some friends on a 30' O'day to grill steaks and spend the night anchored out. I sailed a few miles south and as the sun set, the wind died. I was within sight of my friends, and decided to motor over to them since the wind that was coming up would have forced me to beat up to them, and It would have been night time by the time I reached them. I was very glad for that horrible old seagull. I was even more glad for it the next day when I was sailing back and the wind piped up enough for me to want to drop the sails. I felt a lot more secure going down a marked channel under power with other larger boats around than I would have if I had been forced to sail.

[Guest]

I have another option for you. I bought my 1983 DS II used this summer. It doesn't have a motor, but it does have a set of oar locks. I don't know who or exactly how they installed them,(It looks like they used some kind of bonding epoxy.) but they saved me from a long afternoon on quite a few occasions. Now, I wond kid you, rowing a 500lb boat is no easy task, I wouldn't try it if there was much wind or chop. But on the lake I sail on in Ohio, it wasn't too bad. The locks are made of wood, with metal inserts in them, and the boat also came with a seat that fits accross the cockpit, for more comfortable rowing. The locks are mounted about 2 feet behind the side stays. The oars I have are standard size, and they are probably a little shorter than what is comfortable, but it is probably better than being late for dinner. Just remember to tie off, or remove the rudder.

J.P. Clowes (jpclowes-at-aol.com)

[Guest]

I have a 2 HP Honda four cycle on a SLI Day Sailer. It is an expensive motor ($750 if I remember correctly), but it is quiet and clean.

I cut a hole in the transom tank which was later plugged using a Beckman port.

I through bolted a motor mount.

There is no interference with regular steering.

It is a great security feature.

John Hoffman (hoffman-at-hey.net)

[Guest]

I use a 3 1/2 HP Mercury 2 cycle occasionally but am very glad to have it and think most anyone would as well.

Bruce Rose (BruceRRose-at-stratos.net)

[Guest]

Guys!!! You're working too hard and spending too much money!!! Read my letter or READ THIS !!!
I bought a Minn-Kota Elec. trolling motor..27lbs thrust (about $100 from K-mart..bought a 24 series deep-cycle battery from Parts America (about $50) and a simple charger (maybe 29.95)!!
Motor is lightweight and has 2 speeds reverse and 4 forward...can move at about 5Kts for about 3 hrs !!! CLEAN, SILENT...Battery sits in stern well and recharges over night!!! If I lose it due to a "turtle"...No great monetary loss!!! NO STINKY GAS SMELL (or stains) KEEP IT SIMPLE!!

Jeff Piersons (Lakeleach-at-clarityconnect.com)

[Guest]

Jeff,

The idea of an electric motor is most interesting. Please give me an idea of the conditions under which you use it. I am sailing in Wellfleet Harbor and Cape Cod Bay. We have a drop in tide of over 9 feet, so there is a pretty strong current going out. Will the motor you describe make headway under such conditions. There may be no way that you can gage this, but tell me where and when you use the motor.

I find that the wind in the harbor tends to die around noon. With luck, it picks up again in about two hours, but some days it doesn't. My guess is that the land and the water equalize in tempreture at about that time.

Steve Max (75364.153-at-compuserve.com)

[Guest]

Steve
Not sure how bad your current is up there but you could always step-up to a larger motor with more thrust. Mine (the smallest) is meant to be used on 2700 lb boat!! I sail on Seneca Lake which is 38 miles long. 2-3ft waves are rough here because they are only about 4 feet apart!! Currents don't seem to be a problem at all.

Jeff Piersons (Lakeleach-at-clarityconnect.com)

[Guest]

Jeff,

Thanks for your post. We don't have K Marts here in Manhattan, but I did get a chance to stop at one elsewhere last week to look at motors. The salesperson didn't know anything about them, so I was stuck getting what information I could from the box. The box did have a chart of motor sizes by length of boat, which said that for a boat the size of a DS, I would need a 70 pound thrust motor. (Not a size they stocked.) Yet you get along with 27 pounds of thrust. Even allowing for diffeent measurments by different companies, that is still a big difference. (In both power and cost.) They had a 52 pound modle for about $200.00. Maybe that would work for me. I assume that the more powerful the motor, the shorter time a battery charge lasts. Any idea how much shorter? Also, do you know of these things are build to last in salt water. I have only seen them on lakes. Any information would be welcome.

(I sail in Cape Cod Bay. Has anyone had experiance with an electric motor in that type of location?)

Steve Max (75264.153-at-compuserve.com)

[Guest]

I'm also interested in the trolling electric motor option. I would think that a 17 foot sailboat should weigh less than a 17 foot powerboat (is that true?), so you wouldn't need as powerful a motor for the sailboat. I'd be interested in knowing the thrust model that Jeff has though.

Mike Boone (boonedocks-at-kagi.com)

[Guest]

Mike,

Why would a power boat weigh more than a sailboat of the same length? If the motor is small, the mast, boom and sails could equal the motor, and the hulls should be about the same. Then, there is the question of the centerboard and its housing. Would a 16 Ft. power boat even have a centerboard? The rudder and tiller also add some weight. My guess is that the whole thing is a wash and they weigh the same.

Mike (75264.153-at-compuserve.com)

[Guest]

Well, I'm not sure who I'm responding to here since Steve is posting as Mike or something (see previous post).

Having grown up in Mississippi, I'm familiar with the use of a trolling motor. The idea is to have a small, quiet motor that will not disturb the fish but has enough power to move a bass boat easily.

Now, a lot of our Northern neighbors aren't familiar with a proper bass boat. Imagine 15-20' of fiberglass with 2 to 4 elevated seats for fishing, a large live-well (water tight container for holding live fish for bait), 2 20 gallon ice chests - one for beer the other for fish. At this point you have probably surpassed the weight of a daysailer. Now, add to that copious quantities of horsepower - say, 145hp Mercury outboard - effectively tripling the weight of the boat. And no, I'm not exaggerating. We used to pull 2 large slalom skiers behind a similarly outfitted bass boat.

So, yes, there is a considerable weight difference and I heartily believe that 27lbs of thrust (I think that was what he had) would work well for a daysailer. Don't know about the currents at Cape Cod though. They sound pretty extreme.

J.T. (jtellis-at-slc.twc.com)

[Guest]

Thanks J.T. Have you ever used an electric trolling motor in salt water? My sense of it is that anything that isn't specifically designed for slat will soon corrode

Steve

Steve Max (75264.153-at-compuserve.com)