Tohatsu 9hp vs other brand options

[Richard Woods]

I bought two Tohatsu 20hp outboards with remotes for my Skoota 28 powercat from these people

http://www.solutiononemaritime.com/21-tohatsu

They offered the best deal and with a bit of smooth talking you should get the remote version as well - seeing as you are a professional boatbuilder just starting your first project and will buy more in the future....

The engines have had over 100 hrs use so far this year, no problems

Richard Woods of Woods Designs

www.sailingcatamarans.com

 

[Mr Efficiency]

It is fairly common for the high thrust engines to use the next size up box, but with more reduction ( e.g. 2.67 to 1, versus 2:1) so you are getting a more durable unit anyway, and of course with room for a larger diameter propellor.

 

[philSweet]

There may be warranty issues at stake as far as not sending you the remote units or dual setups. So you might get them to send you just the motors and then have to take the mounted motors into the shop for the crew to lookover so as to get the warranty. I thought that started at a higher HP, though. Worth the cost on a 36'er, I would have thought.

 

[Angélique]

It is fairly common for the high thrust engines to use the next size up box, but with more reduction ( e.g. 2.67 to 1, versus 2:1) so you are getting a more durable unit anyway, and of course with room for a larger diameter propellor.

Comparing total unit weight in the specs gives a quick indication to see if the next size up gearbox is used to realize the differences.

Cheers,
Angel

 

[Charly]

Phil, the sales guy at online outboards said that on remote units, they must be sent to a dealer and inspected/ filled with oil, etc., before release and warranty. He wasn't clear about whether the thing actually had to be mounted to the boat by the tech, and I forgot to ask. Another thing that I still am not clear on is whether there would be a dealer markup involved in the sale itself.

At any rate, I figure I may have to have a tech come out to my place and help me mount it. Paying the shop rate and travel time would probably be worth it. My cat is being built in the backyard, it is demountable and I plan to take it to the water and reassemble, then splash it from the beach. I want to have all my ducks in a row with the engine mounts etc. before then, so everything moves a quickly as possible when I get to the water. What I still am not clear on is whether there would be a dealer markup involved in the sale itself.

Very useful feedback. Thank you all.

 

[Charly]

speaking of mounts...

I guess this is as good of a place as any to bring this subject up.

The mount is the photo are the old style. The designer has sent me as an option a different drawing...this new one is a plywood pod that mounts directly to the inboard side of each hull. It seems like a better, dryer alternative, with better clearance from the tiller cross arm.. BUT, engine access then becomes a problem. I want to be able to flush it or monkey with the cowling etc. with a minimum of acrobatics (and cutting into the floor is not desireable for me, although I might consider that if the designer OK's it)

I am thinking of a "sled" arrangement so that the engine does not have to be tilted at all, only hoisted straight up and down, maybe with a small line and a few blocks. This would need a sturdy track of some kind. Anyone else done it this way?
Thanks

 

[Angélique]

. . . . only hoisted straight up and down . . . .

For inspiration on the hoist option, here's the hoisting system on a Dufour T7 where the motor is mounted in a cockpit well . . . .

Good luck !
Angel

 

[Charly]

BINGO!
Thank you Thank you Angelique

 

[Angélique]

OK, no thanks, copy the drawings if you like them, they are hotlinked here so they will disappear if the source goes off-line. Translate from Dutch if you want to read the source, but the drawings speak for themself I guess.

Good luck !
Angel

 

[Angélique]

For info, yet another vertically sliding bracket and motor lifting system...

The Norwalk Islands Sharpies 26' / 29' / 31' have a well in the lazarette and the motor sliding up vertically in there...


click pic for source


click pic for source

I don't know details of the sliding bracket and lifting system but maybe, if interested, a web search or a question on the NIS forum will provide some detailed pictures of it.

Here's one of the posts handling this topic on the NIS forum. (didn't read that post, so don't know if it makes sense)

Good luck !
Angel

 

[Charly]

Thanks for that Angelique. I have decided to build motor wells with a variation of the sliding set-up you posted.

Fortunately for me, I have plenty of clean water ahead of the props, so no worries about being below keel level etc. The beautiful thing about the sliding mount is that motor height can be fine tuned with no headaches. Also with plenty of deck space to spare there is not the usual problem of squeezing everything into an uncomfortably small area. My only real concern is with the integrity(strength/stiffness) of the deck itself. The deck is a 3/4 balsa cored sandwiched between 4mm okume, with 10 oz cloth over that. I am kicking the idea around with the designer now, and hopefully should be able to improve the deck strength, even after a hole has been cut out of it for the motor. I think this is the best option for me- easy accessibility for maintenance etc, and good protection from spray.

 

[Angélique]

Maybe you can improve the deck strength with the well itself by making the 4 well walls with sloping sides and interlock them with each other, so below the deck there are 2 oblique buttresses (one longitudinal and one transversal) on each well corner.

. . . . I'll try to draw it with the keyboard . . . .​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Think of these two well walls perpendicular to each other and only the part below the deck being shown here.

\ - - - -- - - - /
-\_|____|_/ - - plywood well wall 1 (two of them per well)


\ - | - - - | - /
-\_______/ - - plywood well wall 2 (two of them per well)

Think of the sides in line and continuously and more slanted, red are notches to interlock part 1 & 2 with each other, all filleted and epoxy glassed together.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

P.S. - The actual well dimensions are the distances between the notches.​

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------​

Good luck !
Angel

 

[Charly]

The bottom of the bridge-deck is about 30 inches above the dwl.

The designer's latest outboard bracket drawing shows a side mounted pod- bolted to the hull side, that basically is two triangular pieces of plywood with a "chine" (think of a little boat split down the keel, and with a transom to mount the motor. This would do a good job of diverting any chop- it should be fairly dry- but to access the motor one would have to get in the dingy, or maybe hang down from a rope

The sliding mount would solve that, but the motor would still be too far aft to get at comfortably from the bridgedeck... hence the need for the well. So, I am thinking if I move the motor mount forward a couple of feet, and somehow fasten it to the underside of the bridgedeck as well as the hull side, It should act as a brace (it has to demount though). The well itself would only need two sides, as it would be located in the corner, where the aft beam meets the hull. I could glass a ledger to the beam and to the hull side, above deck, to support the hinged top, which could double as a seat.

 

[Charly]

Well, after consulting with the designer, and some more head scratching I have a new game plan, so scratch that last post. There will not be a well. Instead, I have mocked up a version of the track that Angelique posted, and hope to mount it aft of the beam, so that the o.b. will slide up and down.

The triangular pod was drawn by Kurt Hughes. It will mount to the side of the hull with thru bolts, in a position just below the beam. The "slide" will be glassed permanently to it. Tracks were formed with cheap square aluminum stock, and glassed to some ply. I will attach the top part of the slide to the beam somehow (maybe with a simple line and cleats) It has to all come apart when de-mounting and transporting. With this arrangement I should be able to adjust the transom height to find the "sweet spot" with a simple line adjustment, or raise the whole thing up enough to work on it or reach the flushing plug, or earmuffs or whatever. Still have to figure out how much clearance is needed for the cables to pass up and down... then I can trim it up to get as close to the beam as possible.

The pics are kind of confusing, because there is a lot of temporary wedges and supports to hold it into position long enough just to look at it. It will be more beautiful when it is faired and painted.

Oh and I already turned out a dozen sheaves for the blocks to be glassed to the transom plate and the top of the track. I used an old cutting board and a "hole hawg" with a 2" hole saw, then with a wing-nut and threaded bolt through the pilot hole, holding it on, converted the hole hawg into a lathe and gouged out the grooves with a piece of mild steel. It works great. I want to make up some more when I can figure out a use for them. 1/4" bronze rod will make up the pins and ply/glass for the rest of it. (see duckworks for a good tutorial)

Nothing is final yet. I appreciate all commentary.

 

[Charly]

One more shot of