This probably isn't an easy thing to quantify, but.... Motor well questions:

Posted By: Rachel
Date: 10/21/07 8:26a.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: Would NOT work on the Meridian. Simply not enough room (pic) (Charlie Jones, Meridian 25 Tehani, Magnolia Beach, Texas)

I know this is probably not the easiest question to answer, given that boats are such a crazy combination of angles, but I'm trying to get a sense of the basic size requirements for a motor well. Not necessarily an InstanTilt type (though those look neat), but just a basic one. I realize that the lazarette is where it is, but what I'm getting at is if you have a boat with a lazarette and you're wondering whether you could adapt it to be a motorwell, what are some basic measurements. I know that in one of James Baldwin's articles, for example, he found that on the Pearson Triton, there was not enough room aft of the rudderstock to put in a well. So, here are some of the factors I'm thinking of: 1) is there an optimum place for the motor leg to be on the outside of the boat? I gather it's a certain number of inches above the waterline, but I don't know how far. Does this govern the fore-and-aft position of the well? 2) On the inside, how much room do you need for the powerhead (motor dependent, I realize)? a) How high does the forward "lip" that the motor clamps to need to be above the hull? Then how much height is there to the motor above that? b) Or is the limiting factor the height of the well at the back of the motor? Say if your stern overhang is "graceful" and has a healthy slope upward, how do you know if you'd have enough clearance in a given place, or whether you'd have to start moving the well forward (but then how far forward could it be before the "leg" exit got too close to the waterline?) You can see what keeps ME from falling asleep at night I know in James Baldwin's article (he did build a motor well into a Taipan 28 for a customer) I know he talked about having to figure out if a well would work, but I'm not sure exactly how he went about that. I'd hate to have to "just try it" and then find that, "oops!" the space was too small, or wrongly shaped for some reason. Or, if it was large enough, that I should have had the motor 6" further forward or something like that. Thanks ahead for any input, Rachel