Reliability....aux engine....or not???

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Originally Posted by willk

As H-P says, some people feel that there are enough other boats around to help out.

Even if not, I could throw out the anchor and wait or drift and grab a bouy/mooring.

There's no real shipping nr us.

Towed over 10 or so boats in over the years, just part of being on the water. Be my turn eventually....

[Pedrode]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

This one always shits me up.

I am by nature the cautious type and am naturally inclined towards a wing, but there's just no room on my transom (Humber Attaque aka Ocean Pro 5.3 2m beam).

Anyone else got an exciting way around this?

With some careful positioning I managed to fit one on my Attaque using a cantilever aux bracket. You have to avoid tilting the main engine if its on full lock but that aside it fits and even though its only 2.5 horses it moves the boat fine....and has got me out of trouble on more than one occasion. I'll try and send a pic.

[eilean mor]

interesting...... and maybe I've come to the party a bit late,
I think early on HP gave a good account, and like he later states, sometimes we get a bit distracted or break down every sub sentence. discussion is a great thing, it gives all different angles, I tend not to do public postings as I don't really have the time to go over every last word I'm putting in before it gets taken apart and out of context- if I wanted that I'd have gone into politics . I'd much rather give a simple option to folk.
Anyway.... before it strayed off topic...... its one of those 'if there was a easy answer we'd all have the same', but its not, and as stated by different folk, there are different answers,
how many of us lift the bonnet of our car every morning to dip the oil etc?
how many of us tow another car, so that when the one we are driving breaks down, we can change the one we are using?,

I've got an aux. and sometimes it goes with me, and sometimes it stays home, just depends on what I might be doing,
and as for drifting onto rocks and stuff, then I think there is a 'whole boat' approach needed, we've got to consider what we actually put into the boat, and why,
my aux is a get me to the shore/safe haven option. If I'm out playing in the waves close to home, the aux stays home,
and location....... depends on the individual...... you have to weigh up what the aux will do if its hanging on the back, how much will it affect your speed/boat handling, is there a better place in the boat for its storage, and if you needed it, is it possible to get it into place without dropping it, or yourself, over the edge, and will it work? (bear in mind, engine failure , if it does happen, doesn't only happen in rough weather..... its a trail of what ifs, and you have to do a reasonable response, balanced against the worst case scenario)
....... and back to those rocks.... all this talk on aux. how many of us carry a ready to use suitable anchor?....... and ......... and ........ and,
so in the end, a nice balanced debate, accepting different people's opinions, maybe offering a different view, so that actually, there might be some different options/answers provided and people can make a better informed decision

I await with me popcorn ........ not really, life's too short for that!

[Poly]

Originally Posted by HUMBER P4VWL

In 20 yrs (touch wood) the worst has been limp mode due to water in fuel and intermittent electrical problem due to chafed wire.

I'm not sure with the history on that motor and a boat that is only doing 2/3rds of its original speed I'd be going to sea without some sort of backup. As they say in your world, "Past performance is no guarantee of future results."

[m chappelow]

It's not a bad idea if you have an aux to run it & see how it goes every now & then especially if its come with a boat that perhaps you've just bought or its a small engine
Just because it will push your boat around the harbour at a couple of knots does not mean that it will do you any good when your in a lumpy sea a 2 knot tide and a stiff breeze blowing against you .

[clydeoutboards]

Originally Posted by willk

As H-P says, some people feel that there are enough other boats around to help out. Like this lad (unless he's standing in front of an aux bracket )

Willk he is standing in front of my aux bracket and I can also honestly say I have never been out in the sea without one.

ps if you could be bothered to look closely you can even see part of it!

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Originally Posted by Poly

"Past performance is no guarantee of future results."

Best guide you've got though!!!

[Nos4r2]

Nothing lasts forever, and outboards and their ancillaries are no exception.

[Siochair]

You could always use the combination survival suit with built in aux...

[clydeoutboards]

Originally Posted by Siochair

You could always use the combination survival suit with built in aux...

nah yellow does not suit me

[kerny]

Originally Posted by Siochair

You could always use the combination survival suit with built in aux...

Is that Whisper or AJ ?

[jambo]

Originally Posted by kerny

Is that Whisper or AJ ?

No steve it's TT in his new camouflage dry suit!!

Sent from my iPhone using Rib.net

[AJ.]

Originally Posted by kerny

Is that Whisper or AJ ?

Cheeky scamp

[Dan Gurney]

Originally Posted by Pedrode

With some careful positioning I managed to fit one on my Attaque using a cantilever aux bracket. You have to avoid tilting the main engine if its on full lock but that aside it fits and even though its only 2.5 horses it moves the boat fine....and has got me out of trouble on more than one occasion. I'll try and send a pic.

That would be nice if you could.

[cptsideways]

We have a 90hp 2T & a little backup 3.3 thats fixed at the back. Its handy for harbouring & shallow waters & we have had to use it a few times. Its slow & noisy but it will get you home or to somewhere safer. We fire it up every trip & it never gives any bother......

Unless it mounted on one of those awful dropdown brackets in which case dont leave it mounted for the road as it WILL fall off as we found out one day

[9D280]

Originally Posted by m chappelow

It's not a bad idea if you have an aux to run it & see how it goes every now & then especially if its come with a boat that perhaps you've just bought or its a small engine

Yep. Use it to exit marina / motor away from slip / hold position when stopped for lunch - all easy stuff to do.

Originally Posted by m chappelow

Just because it will push your boat around the harbour at a couple of knots does not mean that it will do you any good when your in a lumpy sea a 2 knot tide and a stiff breeze blowing against you .

+1.

-I first put a 2Hp on mine - simply 'coz it pushed the SR4 along OK & it fitted.
-Very Quickly found it involved phrases about rice pudding.
-Upped it to a 4. That worked OK.
- Have now found a 5 that was right at the top of the weight limit of the transom, only about 1/4" wider than the old 4 & dragged the tech from the early 70s to the early 90s (sealed cowl as opposed to the lower plug getting a saline shower)
- Have since discovered with a new Carb & some other odds & sods I can persuade 8 Gee Ges out of it. Am I going to up the backup power? - h*ll yeah.


And as said already - whether I bolt it on the transom (It lives in the garage so easy to do the night before) will depend on the following day's entertainment.

[Pedrode]

Originally Posted by Clamchowder

That would be nice if you could.

Here you go.
I hang a 2.5 Tohatsu on this with a strap from the engine onto the A-frame for support (takes the weight off the bracket when it's choppy). You have to put the aux off centre on the bracket so the tiller clears the tubes and, as already mentioned, not tilt the main engine on full left turn lock or it fouls the bracket. I also need to lift the tiller past the A-frame if making a tight turn. Not ideal as you can probably tell but its the best solution I could come up with and I like having the back-up esp. with a 9 year old engine. In fact, I had a problem with the main engine yesterday (user error as it turned out!) and ended up having to use the aux to get us away from the shore while I worked the issue out (forgot I had closed the breather doh!). I guess it will depend on your a-frame whether this arrangement will work on not.

[Squid Boat]

I need a new Twatsu.

Cheers

[cptsideways]

I've always considered an aux an essential bit of kit

I've had misbehaving main engines, with water in the system not wanting to go at low speeds, so docking & recovering was a mare, gearbox failures eg reverse only! An aux has gotten me out trouble, you can dock with one easily.

Also if you have main engine failure in tough conditions an aux might at least keep you pointing into wind & waves. Getting home is one thing & a 4hp on a 20ft boat will get you nowhere fast!! staying safe & heading for shore or sheltered water it might just do the job fine till assistance arrives or fixing the main engine is sorted.

My new boat an inboard, has no facility for an aux, but I'll be fitting a swin platform mount & acquiring a 4-6hp engine soon.


Anyone got a 4-6hp ish engine going spare??? as I'm after one

[cptsideways]

Hands up

1: Who has needed a tow & not had an aux fitted???

2: Who got home without a tow & had an aux fitted???



Cptsideways Answer = 2 & three times