www.iFourWinns.com

Thanks Bill, I really enjoy your posts very informative.
Its the larger bag Im after for my 8 hp outboard, I think Ill do the same as you and put foam in the botttom to protect the bag when I find one.
Robbi

_________________
2008 V288 with twin 5 litre Seacores
http://www.galwayhouse.com.au

just out of curiosity with these small outboard motors do you need to keep them upright while not in use? I imagine if you guys are storing them in bags they are not. I'm guessing you guys remove the fuel or something?

_________________
Walter

2003 248 Vista - VP 5.0 GXi
2009 Toyota Tundra SR5 5.7L 4x4

Hi captwalt,
with a two stroke you can lay them horizontal as they dont have any sump oil, although if they have an integated fuel tank, I would recomend you drain that. With my 8 hp merc (two stoke its actually a rebadged tohatsu)it doesn't and I have had no problems with anything leaking. I think if you have a four stroke you are able to lay it down on one side, whereas laying it down the other way it leaks(crankcase oil)check with manufacturer.

_________________
2008 V288 with twin 5 litre Seacores
http://www.galwayhouse.com.au

When we're done with our outboard I just leave it idling until it's empties itself. It doesn't have much of an internal capacity. Unlike some small outboards that have an integral tank, ours is separate. If I know we're done using it I'll disconnect the fuel line from it one the way back to the boat in order to shorten the time 'til it dies. Once that's done I can practically hang it upside-down. But they do recommend resting it horizontally with the tiller/throttle handle on the top (the prop facing down). There's sometimes a little bit of gas/oil mix that oozes out if I lay it on it's side, but never more than a couple teaspoons worth. Thus the foam I use in the bag serves double duty against both bumps and drips. Four stroke outboards are not as forgiving since they have crankcase oil. Store one of them wrong and you'll wash a quart of oil out through the intake and a have a heckuva mess on your hands. And possibly a carb rebuild needed. 2-strokes are typically buzzy and smoke a bit but I'll take that over the storage and heavier weight of the 4-strokes.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

While it would be nice to have the power of a good 2 horse outboard, I really don't want to deal with the hassle. If I had Bill's boat, I might not mind so much. I think if I had Bill's boat I would have an outboard transom mount bolted to the rear rail so I could store the outboard upright and just take it off the mount and onto the tender's transom.

_________________
Brett DiMichele

Well, I'm not trolling for sympathy but there's actually no convenient place to mount an outboard on the 348. The transom rail sits right above the locker so a mount wouldn't work there. Same deal with the shore power locker, no way to have the engine hang down without blocking the door opening. That and even if I could accept blocking one of the hatches there's not a whole lot of room above them to accommodate properly mounting a bracket.

That and it'd be a surpreme pain in the ass to get all the way up inside the area from the engine compartment below. They apparently forgot to put the light in the shore power locker. I only noticed this when I discovered a 2 wire plug hanging back there when putting a drain in the stern cockpit seat locker.

But even with enough room the outward angle of the transom would be a problem for having it hang down.

Pretty tough life, eh? All that boat an no place for the outboard!

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Bill,

I don't think people realize how much thought we put into where to store all the crap on a boat. Sorry that you can't mount it off the transom rail, that would be a great place if it wasn't causing other issues. I on the other hand have not even used my transom locker yet (shorepower locker? wassat?) I have fender racks on the bow, I keep my dock lines in the port side storage box in the cockpit. My transom locker is pretty useless though.

_________________
Brett DiMichele

You know what's worst of all? It seems like the powerboat manufacturers never give it much thought EITHER. It galls me to see how much room is wasted on a powerboat compared to how sailboats utilize it. Not enough to switch to the dark side and be a ragbagger though. There's just tons of dead space left underused on all powerboats. It's like they've never even BEEN on a sailboat. Yeesh. And it's not like i"m looking for places to store more crap, just places to stow what's needed in a more organized and accessible fashion. But, again, tough life we're complaining about, isn't it?

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Bill,

Amen! Hell I'd be tickled pink if I had a place just to store all the gosh darn tables! Nothing like getting the $700 dollar table option then biting your nails each time you try and jam it somewhere without nicking it!

_________________
Brett DiMichele