Attaching a long shaft 9.9hp Chrysler 1980 to bought sailboat?

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softdown

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What looked easy has become mission impossible. I bought a donated 1978 S2 on Ebay. The ad stated that the "adjustable trailer needed adjusting." Easy enough...right? The 13hp Yanmar had been removed due to overheating when last used. That was eight years ago.

The S2 has a 4' draft. The EZ-Loader adjustable trailer was designed for an approx. 1' to 2 1/2' draft. So I replaced the 21" aluminum plates with 4' steel plates. EZ-Loader says this will work fine on the 1978 S2.

The "mission impossible" is moving the 26', 5200 pound sailboat to the closest boat elevator which is approx. 5 miles away on the California Delta. The sailboat has no motor since the diesel was removed. I am about 1300 miles away with no real diesel experience.

Thinking about buying a used long shaft 9.9hp Chrysler to attach to the sailboat. With negligible wind, this should propel the boat the needed 5 miles. I tried pulling the sailboat with a 14' aluminum boat with 9.5hp motor and was not successful that day due to significant winds. My helper had also jammed the sailboat steering all the way in one direction. This could have hurt or it could have been an attempt to help. I was not able to manage the sailboat, with the 14' aluminum boat, at all.

I recently bought a 40hp long shaft Johnson that is "supposed to work". I will soon find out if it does work. Feeling intimidated by mounting a 40hp outboard on the sailboat. 40hp seems a bit heavy for one guy to mount in a marina slip.
 
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southkogs

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One guy can mount a 40HP ... but it would be much better if at least two guys were mounting a 40HP.

Make sure the transom you have and the bracket you have are going to be able to handle the weight/force of a 40HP. I've seen sailboats with bigger outboards on them, but not all sailboats are designed with that kind of transom.

I would think the 9HP would be fine moving a little bit here and there, but overall any significant breeze on a 26' boat could pretty easily overpower the outboard. Assuming at least 1200# keel weight alone, that little 9 is gonna' have a fight (mainly for the same reasons your 14 footer couldn't pull it off).

What kind of keel does it have?

What do the local tow boats charge for hauling you the 5 miles?
 

softdown

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One guy can mount a 40HP ... but it would be much better if at least two guys were mounting a 40HP.

Make sure the transom you have and the bracket you have are going to be able to handle the weight/force of a 40HP. I've seen sailboats with bigger outboards on them, but not all sailboats are designed with that kind of transom.

I would think the 9HP would be fine moving a little bit here and there, but overall any significant breeze on a 26' boat could pretty easily overpower the outboard. Assuming at least 1200# keel weight alone, that little 9 is gonna' have a fight (mainly for the same reasons your 14 footer couldn't pull it off).

What kind of keel does it have?

What do the local tow boats charge for hauling you the 5 miles?

What kind of keel? It came with a shoal draft keel with a 2.5' draft. The original owner had it converted to a deep keel with a 4' draft. He had 800 pounds added to the ballast due to the San Francisco bay conditions and a flighty wife.

I have read that tow charges are about $250/hour. Heard that the trip may involve four hours total.

I have no idea how to assess the transom.
 

southkogs

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Most of the transoms that I've seen on sailboats are not designed to handle a bigger outboard. Some get built/converted to a cutout style to accommodate a larger outboard. The bigger brackets that I've seen for sailboats are usually have max capacities of 15HP or a little more ... I don't think I've ever really seen one for a 40HP. I'd be concerned that the transom/bracket on your boat won't handle the 40HP.

For 5 miles on a calm day a 15 might do it for ya'. But I don't know what "calm" really means where you are. Here on our inland lake, most of the sailboats are using a small outboard to get in and out of the harbor ... but we don't get a bunch of wind here at all. You could probably go miles on end here on the 9HP.

At 6MPH, a 5 mile tow shouldn't take more than an hour ... maybe 2 when you consider gettin' hooked up and released. Ya' might wanna' call and get a estimate from one of the local towboats. Then again ... a replacement inboard for that boat may be less than $1,000 if you hook it up yourself.
 

softdown

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Most of the transoms that I've seen on sailboats are not designed to handle a bigger outboard. Some get built/converted to a cutout style to accommodate a larger outboard. The bigger brackets that I've seen for sailboats are usually have max capacities of 15HP or a little more ... I don't think I've ever really seen one for a 40HP. I'd be concerned that the transom/bracket on your boat won't handle the 40HP.

For 5 miles on a calm day a 15 might do it for ya'. But I don't know what "calm" really means where you are. Here on our inland lake, most of the sailboats are using a small outboard to get in and out of the harbor ... but we don't get a bunch of wind here at all. You could probably go miles on end here on the 9HP.

At 6MPH, a 5 mile tow shouldn't take more than an hour ... maybe 2 when you consider gettin' hooked up and released. Ya' might wanna' call and get a estimate from one of the local towboats. Then again ... a replacement inboard for that boat may be less than $1,000 if you hook it up yourself.

Called a tow company and was quoted 4 hours. There is some tricky water hazards that require hugging the irregular coast line. Basically...a farm sank and looks like a lake. Except there are tractors and stuff just a few feet below the surface. Some areas are 1' deep!

Do you know how practical and expensive it is to get a long shaft conversion for an old 9.5hp Johnson Seahorse that I have? What started as a $710 sailboat and trailer is now approaching $4000 with plenty of expenses in the forseeable future. A large mistake at this point in time. The seller was old and seems to have dementia, the ad was incorrect. Mission Impossible when one is 1300 miles away...
 

southkogs

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Don't know of an easy conversion, but I'm not a good outboard guy.

No sails to actually sail it the five miles?
 

softdown

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Don't know of an easy conversion, but I'm not a good outboard guy.

No sails to actually sail it the five miles?

The problem would be my lack of experience. I need a lake, not a river though they have big dam rivers there.
 

southkogs

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Maybe hire a local sailor to help you get down there? (I'm just looking for options to help you drop your costs) Dunno' that converting the 9.9 is any cheaper than buying one.
 

softdown

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Maybe hire a local sailor to help you get down there? (I'm just looking for options to help you drop your costs) Dunno' that converting the 9.9 is any cheaper than buying one.

Been offering $300 with no takers...
 

southkogs

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Tough spot. I think you're best off looking for a long shaft 15 or 20HP and waiting for a very calm day.
 

softdown

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Tough spot. I think you're best off looking for a long shaft 15 or 20HP and waiting for a very calm day.

Or tow it with another boat. A raft with 10hp and a 5hp on the sailboat should work on a calm day. The weather is most of this equation. I could push it with 5hp if the water was glass. Tends to be that way in the middle of the night. But the delta is a riverine labyrinth that is difficult with daylight.

Just towed home a 15' Cobia with 65HP outboard. The seller "has no idea if it will start or not." Well....neither do I. Keeping fingers crossed. I could wrestle the wind with 65HP. Wind is common in the California Delta.
 
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