Arwen's meanderings

Hi everyone and welcome to my dinghy cruising blog about my John Welsford designed 'navigator' named Arwen. Built over three years, Arwen was launched in August 2007. She is a standing lug yawl 14' 6" in length. This blog records our dinghy cruising voyages together around the coastal waters of SW England.
Arwen has an associated YouTube channel so visit www.YouTube.com/c/plymouthwelshboy to find our most recent cruises and click subscribe.
On this blog you will find posts about dinghy cruising locations, accounts of our voyages, maintenance tips and 'How to's' ranging from rigging standing lug sails and building galley boxes to using 'anchor buddies' and creating 'pilotage notes'. I hope you find something that inspires you to get out on the water in your boat. Drop us a comment and happy sailing.
Steve and Arwen

Thursday 15 December 2011

an outboard mounting bracket on a trailer??

Is there any reason why this idea shouldn't be done because it seems to me to be such a simple, elegant solution to an age old problem for small boat trailer sailors, that I cannot believe people haven't done it before! Am I missing something obviously wrong with this idea? Go to http://www.duckworksmagazine.com/12/chest/jan/index.html
and scroll down to trailer outboard mount section.

If you think of reasons why it shouldn't be done drop me a comment please.  I have to say that it irritates me immensely having to put the outboard in the car each time and trying to keep it upright wedged behind the drivers seat. I could put an outboard mount on my trailer with no problem and I have to do a spare wheel mount on it over the winter so this is not that much extra work.

So what am I missing....why haven't small boat trailer sailors done this before....or have they and I'm only just catching up with them?  Conundrums, conundrums...........

And here is another conundrum.......why is it that when I am desperate to go sailing, the weather is really fine and perfect but I'm stuck in school; and when I get to a holiday, the weather immediately changes and becomes howling gales?  Is there some 'Interrelationship Law' of metaphysics/meteorology/employment that I am unaware of?

It would be nice to get one more sail in before 2011 ends......but time is running out!

Steve

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Steve, there is no reason, other than the risk of theft, that you can't have your outboard bracket on the trailer. In fact it's a very good idea. The other gripe about the weather is known as sods law, and buying a boat multiplies the effect by a factor of 10, minimum. Phil Sykes.

steve said...

only 10? which part of the world are you in phil - cos outside here i'm darn sure its raised by x 20! thanks for the reply
have a really good christmas and new year when it finally arrives Phil

take care
steve

Anonymous said...

Steve:

That looks like a great idea! I don't think his setup would work with a bowsprit, so you will have to take that into account when designing one for Arwen.

Merry Christmas!
Wayne

steve said...

hey wayne - glad you commented because i hadn't thought of that.....good point my firend - thank you!
steve

Anonymous said...

Hi Steve - good idea. Bowsprit probably not so much a consideration as the bobstay, but the outboard mounting bracket could be offset to one side, with the spare wheel mount on the other side? I aim to try that when I get my trailer. The other thing to watch will be the trailer tongue weight. In my case there will be about 24KG hanging off the outboard bracket.

Cheers,

Alan. (NZ)

steve said...

Ha! Hadn't thought of nose weight either - good point Alan. Thanks for teh tip. Have a lovely christmas and new year

steve

Anonymous said...

Hi Steve, Phil here again. I do my boating on the Bristol channel, I keep an old mfv at Chepstowe with 14.5 meter tides, yes I did say 14.5! Plymouth is loveley, possibly a little breezier, but over all a little easier...........or is that just me? Anywaay, have a great xmas and new year. Phil.

steve said...

I know bristol channel tides well - i grew up on the gower in south wales and was a very keen fisherman in my teenage years - terrific range and rip depending on where you fished. sounds like a nice vessel - you have a great christmas too and watch them tides!

steve