Honwave - Trailer (Engine weight)

[Alexo]

Dear All,
I have a Honwave 3.80 IE Air floor & Honda 15HP.
I intend using a trailer to carry, from home to beach (about 1 hour drive), the boat together with the engine (47 kgs) on the transom of the boat.
Honwave Manual says: when the boat is on trailer not to have engine on transom.
Questions:
1. Is there anyone in the forum that is transporting his Honwave, with the engine fitted on the transom on a trailer for long distances?
2. Will I / the boat be safe by transporting the engine on the boat?
3. Are there any security / precautionary measure I could take to avoid any accident happening (e.g. trailer engine support).
Thank you.

[blootac]

I've just bought a prowave 380, which is a clone of the honwave, off another member on here.
It lives on a bunk trailer that was purpose built for it but nothing special. I use a custom home made transom saver to take the strain off the transom and after watching how much it bounces around on the motorway I'm glad I do!

A lot of people fall into one of two camps on here, those who think transom savers do more harm than good and those who don't.

One theory is that by fixing the outboard to the trailer, the boat is oscillating at a different frequency to the trailer so you actually end up putting more strain on the boat, however... SIB's are different. They aren't as rigid as RIB's so I no longer see this argument as being particularly valid.

The other argument is that the transom takes much more bouncing around and strain when you're hurtling around over waves... after going over a few pot holes and watching the outboard bouncing I'm still going to use it.

I've personally travelled 2+1/2 hours last weekend with the outboard on the back and plan to continue to do so, but probably never will without the transom saver.

Will you be safe? Only you can answer that one! If in doubt you can padlock the clamp handles together to stop opportunist thieves and the clamps undoing over long distances. You'll need a prop bag to be road legal and it should be in gear according to the RYA guidance. I stop after the first 15-30 miles to check everything is still tight, including the ratchet straps, as things might have loosened with the vibrations.

[Nightfisher]

Suggest, if you want to keep the motor-mounted while hauling your sib on a trailer, you might consider adding a small extension on the end of trailer-centre. That will lift the engine 1/4-1/2 inch at the anticavatation plate. That will effectively kill the engine weight in terms of transom stress. Would make it that it mounts from behind so it in addition will also act as a boat stop. Just remove it before launching.

[jwatson]

For the sake of 5 minutes I just take the engine off.
No brainer to me.

[chriswood]

Hi, I have a 380 sib (Aluminum floor) and 30 hp engine which are permanently on a trailer. I transport it long distances but do 1) secure it to the trailer well and 2) have made a support for the engine. No
Probs so far

[Nightfisher]

Why bother taking off the engine. As I mentioned above, just add a v-shaped insert on trailer where the engine anticav plate slides on while loading boat on trailer that simply takes the engine weight 120 lbs+ stress off the transom. Seems a waste of time constantly mounting and removing the engine when this will work well and at little cost. In the next month, my trailer mods will be done and I'll post a picture of the simple set-up.

[chriswood]

Agree with nightfisher, engines are heavy and transporting in the boot of a car or similar seems crazy when you are trailering your boat anyway. Then there's the hassle of taking it on and off - get your setup right and you can leave it on during your boating season. The trailer I bought is a bunked trailer designed for boats up to 4.5 metres so when my 3.8m boat is in on the trailer the boats fits slightly forward from the end of the frame so I added a carpeted wooden foot that sits on the end of the trailer frame for the cav plate to sit on (at an angle - with bungee straps so still can move. Takes alot of weight off the transom and seems to work really well. I would definately add an extension to the end of your trailer or poss buy a transom saver to take weight of the transom. Either way ensure that all can flex as the boat will bounce up and down so all needs to be supported but flexible.

[jwatson]

Originally Posted by Nightfisher

Why bother taking off the engine. As I mentioned above, just add a v-shaped insert on trailer where the engine anticav plate slides on while loading boat on trailer that simply takes the engine weight 120 lbs+ stress off the transom. Seems a waste of time constantly mounting and removing the engine when this will work well and at little cost. In the next month, my trailer mods will be done and I'll post a picture of the simple set-up.

Pardon my ignorance, that's a very good point! Just looked at my trailer & I think a plywood jig could be just the ticket!! Will do likewise & keep you posted.

[Nightfisher]

When doing it, adding the jig, I'd suggest keeping the engine shaft vertical. Doing it while engine's on any angle will not remove the dead weight from the transom.

[jwatson]

Are we on the same page here? I'm thinking of a jig to rest the outboard leg against that would work in the same way as a transom saver.

[blootac]

This is what mine looks like

[Alexo]

Thank you All for your replies and thoughts on this.
Much appreciated.
I have decided to use a transom engine saver (see pic).
Wishing you all safe boating!
Best.

[jwatson]

Yep that's what I'm imagining

[kerny]

Might be of interest jwatson. Check fleaby first you might get one cheaper but the ones I've seen are from the U.S.

Trailers, Trailer and Trailer Parts

[blootac]

You can make your own cheap enough, mine is home built.

[Nightfisher]

Hi jwatson, Ahha we're on the same page. Seems to me slanting the engine in anyway reduces the DIRECT down force on the anticav "jig" and adding to the transom stress.

[jwatson]

It's not the weight that's the problem though it's the twisting / levering action. Anyway, I've got a very simple design I'm going to implement when I paint the trailer at the weekend.

[blootac]

Post some pictures of the end result jwatson!

[jwatson]

Here is a primitive but similar version of what I'll be left with

[blootac]

Interesting! Make sure there's no movement between the wood and the outboard or you'll through the paint. I'd be tempted to line with carpet or something similar.