Motor mount and size recommendation.

[MRS2008]

This may have been covered in previous threads, but I was wondering if anyone has a recommendation for a DSII motor mount and any online mail order sources for mounts. I'd also be interested in others experiences regarding what size outboard is best for the DSII for New England estuary daysailing. Thanks!

[K.C. Walker]

I don't know about motor mounts but I do have some thoughts on motors. Hanging a very heavy motor off of the transom of a DS doesn't seem like the best idea. I've got an old Johnson 2 cylinder 4 hp that weighs about 32 pounds. I think this is plenty of power for my DS. I recently chartered a 22 foot Catalina that had a Tohatsu 4 hp which seemed to be adequate for going through channels and docking on that boat. I'm sure if you are trying to motor into any kind of weather you would probably want more on that boat, though.

I'd be interested to know whether a Honda 2 hp would have enough torque for a DS. They are light enough weighing in at 27 pounds.

KC

[kokko]

I bought the Honda 2hp for Truelove and it is a very nice engine.

[K.C. Walker]

kokko,

I suspected that that would be the case. It seems like it should be a pretty good match for the boat. It's hard to beat Honda reliability, that's for sure. Do you feel like it has enough torque to push the boat into a strong headwind?

The thing about an auxiliary motor for sailboat is that you don't have to, it in fact you really can't easily get it to go any faster than hull speed. So you're really only looking for 5 kn max.

KC

[kokko]

There is plenty of torque to move the boat at hull speed. A friend of mine put the Honda 2hp on his Capri 18, that weighs about 1800 lbs, and he is happy with it.
The centrufugal clutch takes some getting used to. When the engine starts up it is revving high enough to engage the centrifugal clutch and the boat will start to move. If you throttle down immediately the clutch disengages.

[ChrisB]

I have a 3.5 hp Nissan two stroke and I clamp it directly on the transom of my DSII. It has more than enough power. The only compliant I have is it is a standard shaft (go for a 20" shaft if you're buying new).

[kokko]

I have the standard shaft on my Honda, and it fits fine on my DS1. Maybe the motor sits higher on the DS2

[seandwyer]

I have a mercury 3.3 standard shaft mounted on a motor mount that is lower than the transom and I still have some problems. If I hit wake or waves, the motor comes out of the water. If people sit on the bow it's a problem too. I didn't install the mount, so I have holes in the hull for bolts, therefore I don't want to drill anymore. I'm thinking about cutting a notch out of the mounting board to lower the prop a couple more inches. How deeply submerged should a prop be? The water intake and prop on mine are beneath the water, but I wonder how far under they really should be for the best performance. The manual has a visual drawn up and it looks like mine is in good shape, but I can't help thinking a little deeper would make things a lot better. Nothing bothers me more when sailing than that loud growl the motor makes when it comes out of the water!

[ChrisB]

According to the owner's manual for my Nissan, the anticavitation plate should be 1.2 to 1.97 inches below the bottom of the boat. Under most circumstances the transom mount meets this criteria. However, crew placement, extreme waves, or motorsailing with the engine on the high side of the boat tend to cavitate the prop. A long shaft would be a better option for a transom mount motor.

[Jett]

I have a Suzuki 2.5, short shaft 4 stroke, mounted on a rigid motor mount on the port side of the stern. Works well for me. I also have a 3.5 Nissan long shaft 4 stroke (used on another boat), about 10 lbs heavier, and it works well too on my DS1, with the exception that I can't get the prop out of the water completely when tilting it. So, I stick to the short shaft.

The short shaft does bear watching, as it is water cooled and the prop will come out of the water some in the right conditions (weight too much forward, wave action, etc.). But on the whole, it works well, tilts completely out of the water and is lighter than the Nissan. Even at mile- high (Denver), the 2.5 pushes the boat well, including into a strong headwind.

I do like a motor mount because it puts the motor and handle far enough astern to avoid tangling the main sheet/traveler lines with the motor when tacking. But a mount that adjusts would make the short shaft easier to keep the cavitation plate beneath the water most of the time; it would also get the long shaft out of the water completely when tilted, making the long/short shaft choice pretty much a non issue.