secondary restraint for auxy outboards?

[ISLANDRIBBER]

Earlier today towed a young fella in to shore who had lost his new 6hp outboard when the engine bracket broke off the back of his boat. Need to give some form of secondary restraint some thought. First idea is a wire hawser with a couple of snap shackles but what do other people out there use?

[beamishken]

We just tie a short length of rope to the lift handle with a bowline the other end is permanently spliced to a cleat in the dinghy
To be honest I thought most people used a safety rope on small engines as standard

[spartacus]

If it was the main engine, then on most outboard transom plates there's a specific tether point to loop a small piece of rope onto. If it's a secondary auxilliary outboard, then it needs to secured, preferably by ratchet strap given the vibration it will experience underway.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by ISLANDRIBBER

Earlier today towed a young fella in to shore who had lost his new 6hp outboard when the engine bracket broke off the back of his boat. Need to give some form of secondary restraint some thought. First idea is a wire hawser with a couple of snap shackles but what do other people out there use?

You want your rope / wire short enough that if you undo the thumb screws you can't lift it off the transom. I've seen quite a few with a strap that will stop it plunging to the bottom of the sea but won't stop it coming off the transom and digesting a load of water.

Rope will work fine (a shackle or caribener saves you having to tie knot every time at just the right length to stop it being able to come off). Wire (or chain) has the benefit that it can be combined with a padlock to stop it going awol at lunch/pub/cafe stops - obviously won't prevent a determined thief.

[Jeff]

As Poly says - nice bit of stainless wire rope and a couple of fittings. Rigged so if either clamp or bracket breaks it should stop the motor dropping under the water

[HDAV]

Not stainless but better than nothing


ULTIMAX - UMSW40500 - SAFETY WIRE 4MM X 500MM, 35KG | Premier Farnell CPC UK

[jyasaki]

Many shops that sell stainless wire rope have swaging tools that will allow you to terminate the ends at the length (and loop size) that you want. Might cost a bit per termination, but it's doable. I'd suggest not going overboard (no pun intended) on diameter, as the stiffness may affect ease of steering.

jky

[jeffstevens763@g]

I use a small lifting strop wrap round anything to desired length then shackle back on its self.

[Poly]

Originally Posted by Jeff

As Poly says - nice bit of stainless wire rope and a couple of fittings. Rigged so if either clamp or bracket breaks it should stop the motor dropping under the water

I think I was suggesting (or trying to) that the strop should be tight enough to stop the U-bracket of the outboard lifting off the transom. Looks like the one in your picture would make it off the transom before the strop caught it.

[Jeff]

Good point ,,, I will slide the lower clamp further down (or see if I can remake the eye connection ) ensuring I can still get full rotation

[ISLANDRIBBER]

Thanks all. Never thought of using a short strop to stop it jumping off in the first place! I will investigate.

[9D280]

Other thing to consider is a cast clamp pad with a perimeter lip - that will stop it walking too far up the transom should the thumbscrews loosen..... but does kind of rely on you spotting it before the screws loosen enough to get over the lip!