inboard well for outboard motor in a sailboat

[dblount]

i am looking for some information on building a well for an outboard motor on my sailboat. i would like to be able to raise and lower the motor with panels on the bottom to close the well when motor is not in use. any advice would be greatly appreciated. (motor will be 10 to 15 hp)

[PAR]

There are a few engineering details you'll need to work out, but it generally boils down to a enclosed well, with a transom, set at the proper height for the engine (and well under the boat so it doesn't ventilate), a door or plug to seal the hole in the bottom of the boat when not in use and sufficient enough ventilation for the motor to breath and stay cool, without getting swamped or flooded as the boat pitches or has following seas pass under the stern.

Each application is engineered differently and the basics mentioned apply to most. Some don't use a door, others leave the top uncovered to help it breath. Some have fancy lifting devices, other just swing up on the outboards neck (which requires a lot more space). Of course, control cable routing can make things interesting if hand controls, other then what's available on the motor, plus a few other issues that can crop up and piss you off.

[tspeer]

Take a look at a Hobie 33. They have a system that seems to work well. There's a plug that drops into the well to seal it off, and the motor sits on top of the plug. The well is tapered and shaped so the plug aligns itself.

[JPC]

This article might be of help/interest:

http://www.atomvoyages.com/projects/outboard.htm

The Henderson 30 also uses an outboard well.

Best regards,
JPC

[Raggi_Thor]

Some clever boatbuilders have made a square, open box around the propeller, so that when you lift the engine vertically, the bottom of this square is closing the well flush with bottom.