outboard in front?

I'm planning to build a houseboat/shantyboat on a scow-type of hull. It will have an outboard mounted in a well. I notice that it's pretty easy to get remote outboard controls up to around 20 feet but they seem to get a lot more hard to find and expensive beyond that. I will probably need 30 feet.

Is there any reason not to put the motor well in the bow rather than in the stern? I would still have a rudder in the stern and would not steer using the outboard.

Thanks.
Bill

 

Good question. Unfortunately, a big concern is carbon monoxide and fuel volatility, regardless of whether the front location propels the boat adaquately.
Noise is another concern, though some motors are pretty quiet.
Frankly, I'd go for the longer controls due to the above issues, nevermind general propulsion questions.
Actually, a front location might have a lot of merit regarding propulsion, if it could steer. It would amount to a pretty good bow thruster for some maneuvers. In fact, if you seldom actually move the boat, I don't see why you couldn't locate it forward. For that brief time, the inconvenience of noise, exhaust, and other concerns could be put up with. I wouldn't set it up for regular cruising though. It's better to have those things behind the boat!

 

Placing the the most expensive single element of the project, the propulsion system, in a position where the first log or bit of floating debris to smash into it, isn't the wisest course of action. You can repair dents in the rub strips on the keel or outboard lower legs, depending on your priorities.

 

Which brings to mind beaching, shoals, the odd manatee...

 

Manatees are odd, Alan . . .

 

The real answer, as always, is "it depends".

Setting aside the control cable and exhaust issues.

A tractor propulsion system has several advantages for scow/barge type hulls, directional stability of short wide hulls being one and the ability to stably tow the other (hence the reason for tractor tugs).

On the other hand, the possibility of damage (as mentioned by Alan) and less efficiency for various reasons makes them less attractive.

Unless there was another reason greater than the moderate cost of longer control cabling, an outboard would be better suited as a pusher IMHO.

 

John, John, John...

Aren't you concerned he may be carrying a barge full of explosives in your direction?

I think you're slipping John.

 

I just had a control cable made in Tiawan to my own length spec for my outboard powered jetski ..they are now very low friction and I think 30 ft would not be a problem ..delviery was very quick 7 days ..look on www.ebay.com.au mrmortor.....yes I think he splet it wrong ...!!!

 

A very interesting concept, but even more so if you maintain the possibility to steer with the outboard. On a boat this size a bow thruster sometimes might come in handy.
I would not worry about striking underwater objects unless you plan to mount the engine directly at the bow. But there may be some unexpected side effects because you are going to introduce exhaust gases under the hull.
That may reduce the drag and save fuel, or it may cause the hull to lower itself in the water as soon as you open the throttle. What exactly happens depends on the amount of gases vs the hull surface.
And there may also be an unexpected lightness in the steering that some might call course instability.

 

{SARCASM} Nah, a quick TIA IP trace and a NSA database querry of all the open and any covert government surveillance has already been accomplished. {/SARCASM}

Besides;

{TRUTH}
1) If you believe he is forming a threat, the vessel he describes is a socially engineered threat similiar to the USS Cole attack, not based on technology, so therefore....

2) The data he requested is not subject to review under the Wassenaar Arrangement (www.wassenaar.org). {/TRUTH}

Note for those who think they missed something: Since I can't edit Submarine Tom's irrelevant post away (which he should delete IMHO), here is the background: http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/jet-drives/considering-jet-drive-micro-sub-28607.html