Where do you stow your dinghy engine

[SAILKANE]

When underway where do you stow the dinghy engine? Pictures if available .

 

[janice142]

I tow Algae. And when underway the oars are removed but I leave the trolling motor in her. The bow is raised about 1' and two lines attach, balanced evenly. The davit switngs out about 3' beyond the stern and the dink is positioned directly below the end of the davit (top of picture)

Second line, from the U-bolt outside the dink is tied to a cleat.

HOWEVER, my Seaweed does not track well and I discovered I can get a bit longer duration of a straight path by moving Algae well over to windward and tying her from the aft corner of the boat. Still with the raised bow but the alteration in position seemed to help a bit.

If yours tracks well, center-line. Unless of course you have the deck space to haul her out which is preferred. I work with what I have and that means towing the dink.

 

[Brooksie]

Overhead, on the dinghy, all gasoline up there too.

 

[FlyWright]

I have a 27 lb Honda 2HP OB that is light enough to lift to the FB and stow on a rail mount engine mount.

I'm trying out a borrowed Merc 15HP 2-stroke that weighs 77 lbs. Until I buy it and install a transom engine mount, it gets lifted over the rail for storage in the cockpit or lazarrette.

This week I have towed a bit with the Merc 15 on the transom of the dink and it works well in smooth conditions. Add any sizable wave action and it gets choppy back there.

Tell us a little about your dink motor and current practices.

 

[rwidman]

On a bracket on the flybridge rail.

 

[Marin]

Our setup.

 

[markpierce]

What dinghy engine?

 

[CPseudonym]

Does Trinka offer a sail option?

 

[markpierce]

Does Trinka offer a sail option?

Yes, but mine, by choice, doesn't have the dagger board slot, mast hole, nor rudder needed. Mine is an eight-footer. The ten-footer would be more desirable, but I wasn't interested in the extra expense, especially for a costly davit system ruining the rearward view.

 

[BruceK]

Hands up anyone who stows it in the bilge?
I thought not. But I`ve seen it done.
I like the idea of being able to leave it on the dinghy, like Brooksie. I`ve got room on FB for it but need to install a crane. Apologies for the drift, interested in more pics incl. dinghies.

 

[LaBomba]

Mine stays on the dink, quick, and easy on the back.

 

[rwidman]

Hands up anyone who stows it in the bilge?
I thought not. But I`ve seen it done.
I like the idea of being able to leave it on the dinghy, like Brooksie. I`ve got room on FB for it but need to install a crane. Apologies for the drift, interested in more pics incl. dinghies.

A friend of mine planned to store his in the engine room/bilge until I pointed out to him the danger of mixing gasoline vapors and sparks. He bought a bracket and mounted his on the transom.

Storing a gasoline outboard in the bilge or engine room/compartment would be unsafe.

 

[psneeld]

Not if run dry as most should be these days with ethanol gas.....

 

[rwidman]

Not if run dry as most should be these days with ethanol gas.....

Shortly after hurricane Ktrina my wife was flying to visit relatives. Another passenger was trying to fly to the hurricane area to help with the cleanup. He wanted to take his chain saw with him. Even though he said he had drained the fuel tank and run it dry, the airline would not allow the chain saw on the plane. That's what I would want to hear if I was flying on that plane.

I think it would be pretty risky and I doubt everyone drains the tank and runs it completely dry every time.

BTW: The extra gas shouldn't be stored in the engine room or bilge either.

 

[markpierce]

Mine stays on the dink, quick, and easy on the back.

So it is on the Mahalo Moi:

 

[psneeld]

Shortly after hurricane Ktrina my wife was flying to visit relatives. Another passenger was trying to fly to the hurricane area to help with the cleanup. He wanted to take his chain saw with him. Even though he said he had drained the fuel tank and run it dry, the airline would not allow the chain saw on the plane. That's what I would want to hear if I was flying on that plane.

I think it would be pretty risky and I doubt everyone drains the tank and runs it completely dry every time.

BTW: The extra gas shouldn't be stored in the engine room or bilge either.

No one was talking gas tank..just engine (even with small integral tank run dry).

Airlines don't let me take a 16oz bottle of hair shampoo on either...but its fine in my bilge..... Seriously....

If you store your outboard in your bilge then I suggest you do run it dry...I think many here (not all ) are smart enough to follow simple safety precautions.

Many here store aerosol cans onboard where if they leak could go straight into the bilge....way more dangerous than a outboard ran dry.

That's why I start so many controversial threads... to see the REAL experience posted here and not just the hypocrisy of saying no to one thing and ignoring REAL safety issues.

 

[BruceK]

On the question of storing engine or spare fuel below deck. My recollection is the most flammable fuel/air mix ratio is 5/95. If that is so, I would not risk storing below, even with the dinghy engine run dry. But everyone has to make their own risk assessment, and I`m sensitized on this issue, having seen the result of a gas boat explosion.

 

[rwidman]

...... I`m sensitized on this issue, having seen the result of a gas boat explosion.

One blew up at the boat ramp next to my marina last year. I wasn't there, but a slip neighbor was and took pictures. It wasn't pretty.

I don't think the general public realizes how dangerous gasoline can be if not treated with care and respect.

 

[psneeld]

On the question of storing engine or spare fuel below deck. My recollection is the most flammable fuel/air mix ratio is 5/95. If that is so, I would not risk storing below, even with the dinghy engine run dry. But everyone has to make their own risk assessment, and I`m sensitized on this issue, having seen the result of a gas boat explosion.

I have seen my share too...if you run a typical outboard dingy dry...just how much fuel can be present? Less than a small fraction of an ounce in that tiny carb bowl???? I'm not saying tank or fuel line ...just dry outboard.

I say there's plenty more flammable liquids/gasses on the average cruising boat than a dry outboard...to fear it is silly.

How many sailboaters have been storing their small outboards in cockpit lockers for decades upon decades and when was the last time any of us heard one of them catching fire/blowing up from the outboards?

 

[High Wire]

Engine is stored on the dinghy which is hanging on the davits. Gas tank too.

 

[jjanacek]

I flip the dinghy with the 9.9 hp 4 stroke OB attached 90 degrees on the swim step with Weaver davits. I use the "arc" on the stern. I believe all 4 strokes will tip/transport on one side without problems. We've done this for over 24,000 cruising miles. We use a Dinghy-mate gas tank and can deploy it in less than a minutes, although it takes two minutes to secure it. It pulls up with a pulley from the boom. It's probably the ugliest way to carry a dinghy. And I have the boat name on the bottom of the dinghy so those considerate sport fishers can call me for a slow pass......

 

[READY2GO]

 

[FlyWright]

I'd never store cans of gasoline in the bilge of my diesel boat. My 2-stroke engine, which runs from an external tank, is run dry (with the tank disconnected) before being hoisted aboard, wiped down and stored in the ER. There is absolutely zero chance of ignition without any gasoline in the engine.

Like PSN suggests, let's get realistic here! You can light a match all around my outboard after wipedown (maybe even before) and never cause an ignition. There's no way at all it can cause a problem in the ER.

I knew someone would jump on the issue here. When did you last try to get a water bottle past the TSA 'guards' to bring onboard? They won't allow that either. Of course they won't allow a gas combustion engine, or diesel for that matter, onboard. You can't even bring compressed air like a CO2 canister for a PFD on a plane.

 

[BruceK]

I'd never store cans of gasoline in the bilge of my diesel boat. My 2-stroke engine, which runs from an external tank, is run dry (with the tank disconnected) before being hoisted aboard, wiped down and stored in the ER. There is absolutely zero chance of ignition without any gasoline in the engine.

Al, we may be at cross purposes. You are comfortable with an external tank engine run dry. My 6hp Tohatsu,(like many small o/bs), has an integral tank. Even run out of fuel, which it probably won`t be, there may be tank residue. It is not going in the ER. Some may disagree but it`s the conservative approach for me.

 

[rwidman]

I'd never store cans of gasoline in the bilge of my diesel boat. My 2-stroke engine, which runs from an external tank, is run dry (with the tank disconnected) before being hoisted aboard, wiped down and stored in the ER. There is absolutely zero chance of ignition without any gasoline in the engine.

Like PSN suggests, let's get realistic here! You can light a match all around my outboard after wipedown (maybe even before) and never cause an ignition. There's no way at all it can cause a problem in the ER.

I knew someone would jump on the issue here. When did you last try to get a water bottle past the TSA 'guards' to bring onboard? They won't allow that either. Of course they won't allow a gas combustion engine, or diesel for that matter, onboard. You can't even bring compressed air like a CO2 canister for a PFD on a plane.

This has nothing to do with the TSA so let's get realistic here.

If you are comfortable storing your gas dinghy motor in your engine room, go ahead and do this, don't listen to the warnings of people who are trying to keep you safe. The fact that it hasn't blown up yet is not proof that it won't in the future.

Many boaters own dinghy motors with built in fuel tanks and these can never be completely emptied of all gasoline or fumes, at least without a great deal of trouble. Others many not always get the last bit of gasoline out of their engines before storage even if they are using an external tank.

I don't think it's a good idea to recommend practices to others that may cause them harm.

 

[psneeld]

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[Shoalwaters]

I store my 3.3hp Johnson 2-stroke outboard vertically in the lazarette on a bracket I built for the purpose. I run the float chamber dry and pour the remaining fuel back into the can which lives in a small vented locker under one of the flybridge seats.

IMHO Psneeld and FlyWrght have the right approach.
"Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men."
Group Capt. Douglas Bader.

 

[hypersloth]

My bracket is located under the stairs leading to the flybridge. It's kind of a dead space on most sedan type boats.

 

[FlyWright]

Shortly after hurricane Ktrina my wife was flying to visit relatives. Another passenger was trying to fly to the hurricane area to help with the cleanup. He wanted to take his chain saw with him. Even though he said he had drained the fuel tank and run it dry, the airline would not allow the chain saw on the plane. That's what I would want to hear if I was flying on that plane.

This has nothing to do with the TSA so let's get realistic here.

You brought up trying to get a chain saw on an airline and it not being allowed. Who do you think makes and enforces those rules? The Easter Bunny?

Al, we may be at cross purposes. You are comfortable with an external tank engine run dry. My 6hp Tohatsu,(like many small o/bs), has an integral tank. Even run out of fuel, which it probably won`t be, there may be tank residue. It is not going in the ER. Some may disagree but it`s the conservative approach for me.

I agree, Bruce. That's why my 2HP Honda OB with a built-in tank resides on the FB rail mount. There's a difference between the two engines. I won't place my Honda generator in the ER either. It lives on the FB under its own fabric cover and locked down.

 

[Moby Nick]

Another "what engine"? Our CLC Eastport Pram only has oars.