trailering SIB with heavy engine

[atohmaz]

Hi,
I have a sib 15' (saturn SD470). With a 25 HP 4 strokes (about 150 lbs).
I take trips to the Keys (about 1600 miles trip). Typically I transport the sib deflated and folded, and when I arrive I inflate and mount the engine. But this is getting old (and I am getting old). I am thinking about buying a normal one axle trailer, and make the journey with the boat inflated and the engine mounted on the transom. But I am scared about the transom and the long distance.
I am looking for an idea that will allow me to put the weight of the engine on the trailer (rather than on the transom) without completely removing the engine from the transom. I don't have the engine permanently bolted on the transom. So I could separate the engine from the transom, but someone can think of a mechanism that makes trailering it safe and easy to deploy to water and retrieve from water, I would really appreciate sharing it.
Thanks

[jeffstevens763@g]

I trail mine and have done for years with no problems I support the tubes and the keel you don't need to support the full length of the keel if you don't want to but the transom has to have support that can be done with a keel pad and lowered off when launching make sure you have the transom strapped down and the bow strapped on a winch if you have one.
If your trailer is high enough transport with the engine down and locked,if not place a strong piece of timber between the engine and clamp to take the support of the engine whilst lifted in both cases strap down.

[Poly]

Transom savers are quite common in the US I believe. Essentially a Y shaped bracket that the tilted engine rests against with the other end directly connected to the trailer supporting the weight of the engine leg on the trailer not the boat.

[office888]

Bunks should support the main buoyancy tubes.

You also want bunks that support the transom.

I'd also use a transom saver, to hold the engine and take the "forward/backward" strain off the transom while the boat is bouncing around.

[jeffstevens763@g]

this is the pic of my new trailer that i have just ordered cheers

[sameh]

Originally Posted by jeffstevens763@g

this is the pic of my new trailer that i have just ordered cheers

Nice trailer!

[jyasaki]

Hi Florida;

I used to have an Achilles 14 with a Honda 40; Trailer was a 2-bunk, boat sat on the bunks just about where the floor and tubes met. A half-bunk supported the front half or so of the keel.

I used a transom saver similar to this one, as when traveling, I noticed the transom would flex fore and aft as the motor bounced. By triangulating some of the weight behind the transom to the trailer frame, the fore-aft movement of the transom was largely eliminated. My motor was tiller-steered, so I also had to come up with a way of blocking the steering in a straight-ahead config (I used a rope loop around the trim tab, as I recall, that tied to the eye bolts on either side of the transom.)

Hope this helps;

jky

[jakajuka]

Hi #jyasaki,

Could you posts some photos, please.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by jakajuka

Hi #jyasaki,

Could you posts some photos, please.

Not really. Sold that boat quite a while ago.

If you look at my last post, the device is linked in the first sentence of the second paragraph. It cradles the lower unit (you raise the motor, then lower it into the V of the support bracket); the other end fixes to the rear trailer cross-member (as I recall, it had a simple square U shaped bracket that bolted to the frame, and the bar of the bracket was held in place with a clevis pin.)

jky

[cgoing]

Just something to consider. Over a 1600 mile trip you are going to go through many temperature and weather changes. This so going to require a close eye on tube pressure. regardless of engine support if the tubes get low, there will be motor movement which will eventually tear that transom loose. You safest bet would be to remove the motor for that distance of a trip. Not a big deal on a local trip but more so when you are taking long distance.