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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Trailering w/motor attached

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fredj
Deckhand

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USA
16 Posts

Initially Posted - 08/09/2013 : 15:08:20

I am a long time sailor but a new C25 owner. In fact I just bought the boat last week. When I picked the boat up to tow it home the motor (Evinrude 9.9 Yachtwin) was in the garage. The owner and I put it in my truck. He said he had never towed the boat with the motor mounted. Was this just his choice or is there something about the Catalina motor mounts (the boat has one of the newer SS mounts, replaced a few years ago)that would make towing with the motor mounted a bad choice.

Fred Joyal
Marquette, MI
88 C25-WKTM

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 08/09/2013 : 15:51:16

Check to see if there are SS backing strips between the liner and the hull. Yours should have brass plates embedded but I would still buy the backing strips from catalinadirect.com and add them to help with the stress. Then stay away from bad bumps.

Check here

http://www.catalinadirect.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=84

Edited by - pastmember on 08/09/2013 15:54:48

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3754 Posts

Response Posted - 08/10/2013 : 21:36:04

I tow with the motor, heavy 4cycle, mounted. I tilted it at first but later realized that that moved the center of mass aft relative to upright on my motor and no longer do it.

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 08/11/2013 : 08:01:05

I'd tie off the bracket tightly to the stern cleat and maybe the base of the stern rail, so the mechanism isn't taking all of the shock loads. The main stress points will be at the bottom of the mounting base on the outside, and the top bolts on the inside. For my heavy Honda, I made a Starboard "fronting plate" for the outside that extended well below the bracket. (But I didn't tow.)

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 08/11/2013 08:04:18

britinusa
Web Editor

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USA
5404 Posts

Response Posted - 08/11/2013 : 08:25:35

We have had our Nissan 9.8 (and it's predecessor Tohatsu 9.8hp) attached to the stern for 8 years, there are no signs of stress at all on the transom in the area of the engine.

We keep it in the lowered position and it is secured from turning by the Hard Link to the rudder which is locked with the Wheel Break whenever we are towing.

We tow about 70 miles each way to the ramp from out house.

Paul

Edited by - on

sweetcraft
Admiral

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USA
816 Posts

Response Posted - 08/22/2013 : 20:10:38

I have traveled a lot. I now have a 15hp Honda with power lift and remote controls. Like Dave I used the starboard on the exterior and angle aluminum inside. The boat has never shown cracks or stress. I do for storage and long road trips I install lines from the motor to the stern pulpit to take the strain off of the stern. A piece of pvc pipe is then installed from the motor to the lower rudder gudgen to prevent movement or I thought it would. The rough freeways and highways caused the motor to jump up and gouge the top of the outboard on the mast secured to the stern pulpit. The second pvc pipe is secured between the motor and stern pulpit. My travel outboard now is secure.The outboard is out of sight so didn't know I had any problem. Yes this is windy but hope it helps.

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Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9013 Posts

Response Posted - 08/22/2013 : 20:18:41

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by britinusa
 We have had our Nissan 9.8 (and it's predecessor Tohatsu 9.8hp) attached to the stern for 8 years, there are no signs of stress at all on the transom in the area of the engine.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">The C-250 is different from the C-25 in this regard. Most C-250s have the outboard mounted directly on the transom (in a cut-out). The lifting bracket on the C-25 adds a lot of leverage and potential movement (as Jim reports above), as well as stresses to the bracket itself.

Edited by - Stinkpotter on 08/22/2013 20:19:58

delliottg
Former Mainsheet C250 Tech Editor

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USA
4479 Posts

Response Posted - 08/22/2013 : 21:33:29

Mine is on a Garelick scissors mount. The mount comes with a heavy duty stainless restraining bolt & clip that you engage when trailering. It locks the mount so it can't move. I still have the OB cabled to the 1" SS frame at the stern.

Edited by - on

Dave5041
Former Mainsheet Editor

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USA
3754 Posts

Response Posted - 08/23/2013 : 11:48:29

I neglected to mention that I also secure the motor to the pulpit and cleat.

Edited by - on

lcharlot
Master Marine Consultant

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Antigua and Barbuda
1301 Posts

Response Posted - 09/05/2013 : 20:11:50

I would prefer to remove the outboard for trailering to eliminate the potential for an "accident" on the road, but that is not an option for me. My outboard is a Yamaha 8 with Power Tilt and Electric Start and it weighs 135#. To make it more difficult for thieves, it is double through-bolted to the Garelick Motor mount plate. I have trailered the boat with the motor mounted this way about 6000 miles (3 round trips to the San Juans) and no sign of any damage on the transom. I do lash the motor tightly to all the available cleats and stanchion bases to spread the load of road bumps.

Whenever trailering, it is a good idea to stop every so often and do a slow, thorough walk-around inspection of the rig, checking wheel hubs and tires for overheating (trailer brake fires will ruin your day), check all of the lashings for everything that is tied down, check the tires for bubbles or other signs of tread separation, especially if they are bias-ply instead of radial. If it is hot weather, over 90ºF, I would reduce speed to 55mph or less if you can safely do so, to prevent overheating the tires, and make sure they are inflated to the maximum pressure stated on the sidewall, not more or less. Low tire pressure on a hot day, with a boat as heavy as a C-25 on the trailer, will quickly overheat bias-ply tires, and it isn't good for radials either, of course.

I had two tire failures on I-5 in Oregon (two separate incidents about 200 miles apart) on the way to the San Juans in 2010. Both were bias ply "D" range tires in near-new condition with only a few hundred miles on them. It was mid-July and I had been running at 60mph average for 8 hours that day in 105ºF+ temps through northern California and Southern Oregon. On both tires, the entire tread peeled off the body carcass in one piece, as if they were $10 re-caps. The tires had a max pressure rating of 65 psi (typical for "D" rated light truck and trailer tires), but the service tech at Les Schwab who replaced them found that the two remaining tires had only 55 psi in them, My fault of course for not catching this myself before I left home, but it was a valuable lesson learned. Actually two lessons: Always inflate trailer tires to the max recommended pressure to reduce internal friction heating, and Avoid bias-ply tires and get radials. The price difference is negligible and they will be safer, run cooler, and last longer.

Edited by - on

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