Seafarer Forum

A Little Info

Posted By: Jim Blessing
Date: 10/23/07 5:25p.m.

Report: outside forum guidelines

In Response To: This probably isn't an easy thing to quantify, but.... Motor well questions: (Rachel)

Rachel, A couple of thoughts on your motor well: You have probably heard that outboards are either "short shaft" or "long shaft". Short shaft motors are designed to sit on transoms that are 15 inches above the water line. Long shaft models are designed to sit 20 inches above the water line. This will give you one design parameter for your well. The forward wall of the well must be either 15 or 20 inches above the waterline depending on what length motor you choose and must be strong enough to hold the motor and tranfer the forces from the propellor thrust into the hull. There is your second design criteria. Once you find the place on the boat that satifies both these conditions, the lower end of the well needs to be large enough for the "lower unit" of the motor to clear when you drop it through the well and the upper part of the well needs to be big enough to house the "power head" with enough extra room for proper cooling/air flow. The key is to find one place that can satisfy all these conditions. For what it is worth, I have seen wells that were "wet" at the bottom (opened under the water line) as well as dry like my Kestrel. As long as the transom height is correct and the hull is not in the prop wash, either will work. Hope this helps
Jim

Messages In This Thread

Interesting Seafarers for sale -- lee -- 10/2/07 5:18p.m.

Ah, the Swiftsure. I love those. Always too expensive though, rats. -- Rachel -- 10/3/07 2:49p.m.

Laura says she sure wishes we had the 20G for that one -- Charlie Jones, Meridian 25 Tehani, Magnolia Beach, Texas -- 10/4/07 6:20a.m.

It wouldn't take 20 -- lee -- 10/4/07 7:39a.m.

lol- yeah, it would. Time we got her to Texas, and ready to go totally, it would -- Charlie Jones, Meridian 25 Tehani, Magnolia Beach, Texas -- 10/4/07 10:53a.m.

Don't bid yet -- Joe McCary -- 10/4/07 5:39p.m.

SF30 MK1 for Sale $10k -- Sean Gilman -- 10/9/07 7:52a.m.

Hi Sean, is that your boat? -- Rachel -- 10/9/07 3:49p.m.

Instantilt Well -- Jim Blessing -- 10/11/07 7:51a.m.

Another Photo -- Jim Blessing -- 10/11/07 9:51a.m.

with a 4 stroke, you could do better than that -- Charlie Jones, Meridian 25 Tehani, Magnolia Beach, Texas -- 10/11/07 10:33a.m.

Lazarette Hatch -- James Newsome -- 10/13/07 2:44a.m.

Another try with the photos -- James Newsome -- 10/13/07 2:48a.m.

2nd photo of the bomb bay doors down -- James Newsome -- 10/13/07 2:50a.m.

Thank you for the photos Jim and James (was out of town...) -- Rachel -- 10/14/07 7:56p.m.

Would NOT work on the Meridian. Simply not enough room -- Charlie Jones, Meridian 25 Tehani, Magnolia Beach, Texas -- 10/15/07 4:04p.m.

This probably isn't an easy thing to quantify, but.... Motor well questions: -- Rachel -- 10/21/07 8:26a.m.

Rachel check this out -- lee -- 10/21/07 8:56a.m.

Thanks Lee, that's the James Baldwin I was referring to. -- Rachel -- 10/21/07 10:01a.m.

Lee, I just went and re-read the article, and I have to say... -- Rachel -- 10/21/07 10:13a.m.

Something else I noted: -- Rachel -- 10/21/07 10:24a.m.

Nah- easy on someone elses. I put a motor well into a Neptune 24 -- Charlie Jones, Meridian 25 Tehani, Magnolia Beach, Texas -- 10/21/07 10:57a.m.

I read that. Nice that the well allowed them to use their dinghy motor as spare -- Rachel -- 10/21/07 11:22a.m.

Sorry -- lee -- 10/21/07 1:11p.m.

Rachel- you're asking because of your A 30? I can measure -- Charlie Jones, Meridian 25 Tehani, Magnolia Beach, Texas -- 10/21/07 10:18a.m.

Neat! Tell her "fair winds" from me. About the well... -- Rachel -- 10/21/07 10:29a.m.

A Little Info -- Jim Blessing -- 10/23/07 5:25p.m.

Right, shaft length. I knew that but wasn't thinking of it in that way... -- Rachel -- 10/23/07 7:43p.m.

A little Help -- Jim Blessing -- 10/24/07 12:08p.m.

Thanks Jim, that's really nice. Let me see what I can dig up. -- Rachel -- 10/24/07 3:44p.m.

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