Swim step outboard mount

[MurrayM]

Hi there,

Here's a photo of an outboard mounted to a swim step (This one appears to be a home made hydraulic affair)

Anybody use something similar, or have any suggestions for companies that make manual swim step mounts for outboards, where the outboard swings up and rests on the swim step?

 

[rwidman]

It shouldn't be hard to make a mount if you just tilted the outboard up when not in use, but I have to wonder two things:

1) Is the swim platform strong enough to take the force of a 9.9 HP motor pushing the boat?

2) How fast would a 9.9 HP motor push a 10,000 lb boat?

One more thing - How are you going to steer the boat?

 

[Pineapple Girl]

Are you talking to stow your dinghy's outboard or an outboard you need to be able to deploy and use to propel your tug? We have a plain old outboard motor mount on our transom, off to one side, where we store our dinghy motor. We use a forespar davit to maneuver it from the dinghy to the motor mount and back.

 

[skipperdude]

It shouldn't be hard to make a mount if you just tilted the outboard up when not in use, but I have to wonder two things:

1) Is the swim platform strong enough to take the force of a 9.9 HP motor pushing the boat?

2) How fast would a 9.9 HP motor push a 10,000 lb boat?

One more thing - How are you going to steer the boat?

If the outboard is locked in the forward or straight position the main rudder should be able to steer the boat.

SD

 

[MurrayM]

Are you talking to stow your dinghy's outboard or an outboard you need to be able to deploy and use to propel your tug?

It would be a "get home or at least get to a safe anchorage" auxiliary engine and maybe do double duty for a dinghy, so I'm not looking to go on plane

Where we plan to be boating (hidden nooks and crannies on BC's north coast) help could be a long way off, and we plan to do some exploring next winter when help would be even more scarce.

Got a few months of navel-gazing and pondering before decisions have to be made...

 

[Marin]

If the outboard is locked in the forward or straight position the main rudder should be able to steer the boat.

SD

It would be no different than using the get-home wing engine, shaft, and prop on a Nordhavn. The outboard would provide thrust and the boat's rudder would provide steering. This rig could also work great for trolling, too, since you'd be able to troll slower than with the boat's main engine and you wouldn't have to idle the main engine for hours on end.

 

[Pineapple Girl]

It would be a "get home or at least get to a safe anchorage" auxiliary engine and maybe do double duty for a dinghy, so I'm not looking to go on plane

Got it. Our solution would not work for you then. good luck!