Lifting heavy outboards

[Easedalenovice]

I am 6ft 2 inches tall and quite strong. Yesterday I put my Mercury 20 hp 4 stroke on the back of our new Honwave T40 on the trailer and that is where it will stay.

I generally use a 9.8 hp Tohatsu 2 stroke or a 15 hp Yam 2 stroke both of which I can lift quite easily.

How people use these 15 - 20 hp 4 strokes as a daily set up without injuring themselves is a mystery to me. But I know they do so they must have developed a good system.

[PeterPun]

Мy bf20 is so awkwardly shaped that it's impossible to carry more than 1m. I roll the trolley next to the car boot and I have to just lift it up and then tilt it in the car boot. On the shore it's the opposite motion. Rolling it upright on its keel thingy and then lifting and it putting it on the transom. When on the transom the boat is balanced on the launch wheels by the outboard and is easy to pull.

[Max...]

Yep, they could not design OB's to be more awkwardly shaped and unwieldy if they tried - they are a royal PITA forever wanting to topple over and take you with it.

My days of solely handling even a 2S 15hp into a boot or down a beach are gone I'm afraid to say so I have to rely on the kids to help.

[Steve509926]

You're right, a good system is a must otherwise no matter how fit you are, the shape and the high centre of gravity will eventually cause your body some damage.
I use an OB stand fitted with large castors for my 20hp efi, I wheel it from the workshop to the truck. Lift it onto a "crawler board" (thanks chipko) and slide it into the back of the truck. To fit it to Redneck, I slide it out of the truck and lift it onto the transom which is fitted with transom wheels so I can then move both the OB and Redneck around relatively easy.
Minimal lifting, but more importantly I don't carry the OB far, certainly no more that a couple of metres.

[PeterPun]

Even when there's someone that can help, there's just no way for two people to handle the outboard together. BF20 has a single handle on the front bracket and a single recess on the back. We tried carrying it horizontally, but the person handling the top part can't grab on anything due to the teardrop shape and has to hug the motor cowling. Still wonder why they didn't add some more recesses on the sides, at least for the "portable" class outboards. There's no aerodynamic advantage or anything.
I thought about my options in case I'm forced to carry the motor a long distance due to some emergency, and the only feasible way seems to be to use my fire blanket or the tarpaulin i use for boat assembly and carry the motor like a dead body. Then two or more people can use both hands to hold to the fabric and not risk dropping the outboard from height if someone trips.

[Nasher]

This is exactly the reason I’ve stuck with a 15HP 2-stroke for my newly acquired 380 Aerotech.
I think it’s about the heaviest engine that’s genuinely easily and safely manoeuvrable by hand for most people.
And yes, it’s not just the weight of @30kgs, but also the awkward shape.
I’m fit and perfectly able to move it or a heavier engine about the moment, but who knows what’s in store for any of us health and fitness wise.

With our last Aerotech 380 and 15HP Suzuki DT15 we’d roll the boat up in the back of our RIB and strap the Suzi down to the deck.
We’d launch at Dartmouth, run round to Beesands in Start bay by RIB, anchor up, then use a Bravo pump to inflate the Aerotech and throw it in alongside.

With my boys hanging on to a strap attached to the engine just in case I’d sit astride the tube of the RIB and swing the Suzi over the side and drop it on the transom of the Aerotech.
I certainly wouldn’t want to do that with anything heavier.
The boys then had the Aerotech and 15HP Suzi to run around in all day with their friends as well as use it as a Taxi to and from the anchored RIB.

The Aerotec was packed up at the end of the day in a reverse operation of the above.

I don’t think that exact scenario will take place again anytime soon, but the Mercury 15HP 2T we now have will need to go in and out the back of my Discovery, and possibly even in and out of a motorhome at some stage.
I don’t see any benefit to a heavier 20HP 4 stroke that will outweigh the portability of the 15HP 2 Stroke for our use.

[Fenlander]

A post exactly aligned with my thoughts Nasher.

For the boating we do I want to be able to lift the outboard single handed on and off the transom and carry for a short distance without a trolley. Also without needing a second person to help.

Hence when my shoulder played up in 2021 and I thought it was all age related with no improvement to be had I dropped 10kg from the 15 2-stroke to the Tohatsu 9.8 which of course is the ultimate portable really. But now I've had unexpected improvement to my lifting ability after physio and the short lived Johnson 15 proved I could manage OK I'm still hankering after getting another 15 2-stroke if one drops into my lap over the winter.

We did at one point go up to a 20hp 4-stroke on the Aerotec when we needed to power 4 folks aboard. Of course it had more grunt... impressively so one or two up... but the outfit just felt overall better when I went back to a 15 2-stroke.

Glad to hear you've sourced another Aerotec and motor. Look forward to seeing some pics when you get it on the water.

[Tonus]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

You're right, a good system is a must otherwise no matter how fit you are, the shape and the high centre of gravity will eventually cause your body some damage.
I use an OB stand fitted with large castors for my 20hp efi, I wheel it from the workshop to the truck. Lift it onto a "crawler board" (thanks chipko) and slide it into the back of the truck. To fit it to Redneck, I slide it out of the truck and lift it onto the transom which is fitted with transom wheels so I can then move both the OB and Redneck around relatively easy.
Minimal lifting, but more importantly I don't carry the OB far, certainly no more that a couple of metres.

I'd be very interested to see a post or a picture with the 'crawler board' Steve!

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Tonus

I'd be very interested to see a post or a picture with the 'crawler board' Steve!

Leave it with me, I'll see if I have time over the weekend Tonus.

[Tonus]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Leave it with me, I'll see if I have time over the weekend Tonus.

Thanks! Are you describing something like this (below)? That's the kind of thing I'm thinking of making...

[User name]

I lift the tiller and carry it from the front in a standing position with the prop between my legs. It's easier when you do it regularly enough and get a technique for it, but I'd definitely prefer not to have to do it.

A cheap electric winch (something like this) would be very handy if you have a garage or any overhang it can be mounted onto.

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Tonus

Thanks! Are you describing something like this (below)? That's the kind of thing I'm thinking of making...

Very similar Tonus, the advantage I have is the deck of the Navara is flat so I can slide it in on small casters.

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Nasher

We’d launch at Dartmouth, run round to Beesands in Start bay by RIB, anchor up, then use a Bravo pump to inflate the Aerotech and throw it in alongside.

With my boys hanging on to a strap attached to the engine just in case I’d sit astride the tube of the RIB and swing the Suzi over the side and drop it on the transom of the Aerotech.
I certainly wouldn’t want to do that with anything heavier.
The boys then had the Aerotech and 15HP Suzi to run around in all day with their friends as well as use it as a Taxi to and from the anchored RIB.

The Aerotec was packed up at the end of the day in a reverse operation of the above.

Very niche use there Nasher! I wouldn't want to do that even with a 15hp 2s.

[Tonus]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Very similar Tonus, the advantage I have is the deck of the Navara is flat so I can slide it in on small casters.

Nice Steve - we have the same outboard so if you have time would be great to have a look!


Every time I pick up the engine I injure myself to some small degree....!

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Very niche use there Nasher! I wouldn't want to do that even with a 15hp 2s.

Nowhere near as bad as you think really.

If it was a bit rough we'd keep the arse end of the Aerotec up on the tube of the RIB and lift the engine on from within the RIB.
But we found it was really easy to damage the RIB tube as the Aerotec and engine finally went over the side.

Having all the diving gear in the RIB always meant really easy recovery if it did go horribly wrong, and of course the engine wouldn't have been running when it went under.

[Nasher]

These images from the first year we had it before we upgraded from a DT9.9 to a DT15 but you get the idea.
There is one of it on the beach with the 15hp.

The DT 15 was basically built from parts:
https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/introd...tec-40249.html
.
.

[User name]

Originally Posted by Nasher

These images from the first year we had it before we upgraded from a DT9.9 to a DT15 but you get the idea.
There is one of it on the beach with the 15hp.

The DT 15 was basically built from parts:
https://www.rib.net/forum/f50/introd...tec-40249.html
.
.

Those eyes on the rib are a real blast from the past of the 90's car scene.

[Oldman2]

I made one of these to move my 15hp Yamaha around.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bE_6f6RmOKk&t=207s

https://mikefettles.blogspot.com/202...-outboard.html

[Nasher]

Originally Posted by User name

Those eyes on the rib are a real blast from the past of the 90's car scene.

Yep, just a bit of fun which I think we brought at Santa Pod.

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Oldman2

I made one of these to move my 15hp Yamaha around.

https://mikefettles.blogspot.com/202...-outboard.html

I'm assuming your 15 Yam is a 2 stroke, as that trolley wouldn't be any good for a 4 stroke which has to be transported on one side.