Volante 390 has landed.

[Brinormeg]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

This is as good as I’ve got. It shows the plastic spacer block & the mounting arrangement for the sounder transducer.
The bottom of spacer block just clears the edge of the hull material where it’s glued to the transom. I’ve since swapped the wingnuts for drop nose clevis pins to make things easier. I’ve also replaced one of the Nyloc nuts on each bracket with an eye nut to give me a towing eye. I use the eye nut on the port side to attach my engine safety lanyard.
Attachment 137547

Be interesting to see what Excel comes up with as they are fitting my 350's with their spacer blocks on my volaire. On seeing steves post I am hoping they have enough clearance to go under the sib to balance the weight a little.
I did wonder about putting tow eyes like you have done for a safety line until I am happy with the OB etc then I might get brave enough to drill the transom. Might contact them and see if they will copy your setup for me and enquire about the orientation of the wheels etc

Originally Posted by Limecc

I'm not strong. I had two sections of ladder. The boat/bag was strapped to the first, the second was fixed to the roof bars.

I found I could lean the boat ladder upright against the car ladder and kind of swing it into place singlehanded, then fix it down.

My mother always said "Where there is a will there's a way"

Originally Posted by Fenlander

>>>Pondering the safety line for the outboard today. I seem to recall that there are two schools of thought, long line that lets the outboard be free from the boat if the worst happens or short line that helps prevent it coming free in the first instance.

As you know I'm a bolt on guy these days however....

If you want a short line to prevent the OB leaving the transom you would need a short line from each side of the saddle going straight down to a fixing on the transom and the lines would have to be bar tight. Just one short line would be unlikely to prevent it twisting off with the forces involved. However like this it is possible the well secured OB could... if say striking an underwater object hard... decide to fall within the boat still running.

A longer line say a metre will allow the OB to fall away below the tubes a bit and run until it hydraulic locks.

A medium length line might allow the powerhead to remain above water and running without ingesting water as the prop attacks one or both tube ends.

Just my take on it.

BTW nice posh barn garage!

Been giving this a lot of thought too, and figure I will eventually just bolt through transom like you do. Was thinking about a cable through one eye, through the OB some how and down into the second eye at the other side. But wont really have a proper idea until everything comes.

Have ordered the towbar rack too, but to be honest it looks like I might have underestimated the size of the sib for my car but will just have to be real careful driving I think. But have other plans for the rack if all else fails

Keeping a close eye on this thread to maybe save me some the head scratching later

[Steve509926]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

This is as good as I’ve got. It shows the plastic spacer block & the mounting arrangement for the sounder transducer.
The bottom of spacer block just clears the edge of the hull material where it’s glued to the transom. I’ve since swapped the wingnuts for drop nose clevis pins to make things easier. I’ve also replaced one of the Nyloc nuts on each bracket with an eye nut to give me a towing eye. I use the eye nut on the port side to attach my engine safety lanyard.
Attachment 137547

Thanks PD, I couldn't understand why spacers were needed. I thought I was fitting the wheels wrong but I didn't realise that the Volaire has webs at the bottom of the transom as well as the top.

[Fenlander]

>>>figure I will eventually just bolt through transom like you do.

I'm just waiting for the stars to align soon for a sea test of the Elling to make sure the motor height suits then it will be out with the drill.

[Pikey Dave]

Originally Posted by Steve509926

Thanks PD, I couldn't understand why spacers were needed. I thought I was fitting the wheels wrong but I didn't realise that the Volaire has webs at the bottom of the transom as well as the top.

Ahh! I hadn’t twigged that you didn’t have the lower “gussets”[emoji848]

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

>>>figure I will eventually just bolt through transom like you do.

I'm just waiting for the stars to align soon for a sea test of the Elling to make sure the motor height suits then it will be out with the drill.

My outboard doesn't have the holes drilled out for bolting through or it would be something that I'd categorically do and I'd just use wingnuts to fasten as any stress will not be in that plane.

The only mild inconvenience would be lining the motor up each time with the bolt holes but I think for peace of mind I will end up drilling out the holes on the motor, probably just for M6 bolts.

[Limecc]

An alternative to drilling holes could be to screw (onto the transom) some packing each side of the engine plate, to prevent lateral movement and the engine twisting off.

[Fenlander]

>>>lining the motor up each time

I just drill out so the bolts go through easily then drill one more size and it only takes a moment to line up.

[TmMorris]

This morning's little job was to take the PVC sheeting that I thought I might use to make a spray hood and instead use it to make a very simple cover for the boat bag when on the tow hitch carrier.

The thinking is that it will help keep some of the road muck off the bag on a wet journey and once I've thought of a quicker means to attach it to the frame it will also serve as a mat for packing the boat away on if needed and even a tarp to take onboard for picnicking should the need arise.



First was to check the size would do the job. It won't cover the ends but that's not the end of the world.



I then cut a 9 inch strip from the end and bonded it at the point where the sheet will fix to the base of the carrier. Fitted brass eyelets to serve as the tethering points to the base.



Quite pleased for a quick job and it should do the trick reasonably well.

At an absolute minimum, turning the bag hanging out the back of the car into a massive, yellow beacon should assist others in refraining from driving into it.

[Fenlander]

>>>assist others in refraining from driving into it.

It's a fair point as the SIB on carrier comes in the pulling up close zone for tight traffic.

[TmMorris]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

>>>assist others in refraining from driving into it.

It's a fair point as the SIB on carrier comes in the pulling up close zone for tight traffic.

I ended up fitting the 90s US spec upper brake light to the Rangie because cars and lorries behind were braking much later than was comfortable. A big yellow bag on a wet and dingy drive home in lane 1 of the motorway is going to offer a modicum of extra peace of mind.

[TmMorris]

Seems to work ok.

[TmMorris]

A couple of weeks in and I still haven't been able to put it in the water.

Spent last week on the Thames with a re red river boat. Did at least manage to scout a few places to drop the SIB in in due course.

Was planning next weekend to drop it in the water but now looking like I'm going to Cowes on someone else's boat.

While away, a mate did drop off a big sports bag that he had no use for. The seats fit perfectly across the bottom, followed by the floor and all the other kit such as wheels, long fe jackets and pumps also fit.

The bag manages to fit in the boot along with an outboard so everything seems all nice and contained and ready to go.

[TmMorris]

Did a test set up again last night. It's all smooth going however, I've since appreciated the first purchase error which was the Bravo pump. I should have bought the one with the integral battery as the power lead that comes with it is no use to man nor beast and there are also bound to be occasions when the boat set up won't be possible right on top of the car.

Clearly a portable battery is required. A quick check of the two or three car batteries I have at the back of the garage soon revealed they were all fubarred. But then I realised the smart thing to do would be to simply whip the battery out of the car and use that as and when needed.

I still need to make up a proper cable for the pump to limit the number of times I'll need to remove the car battery but there's no doubting the correct purchase should have been a pump with an integral battery.

[Oldman2]

I put some piggyback short leads onto the pump and use a 12volt 7Ah alarm battery which fits onto the cloth zipped bag my Bravo pump came in.





short leads.jpg

[Steve509926]

Hi Tim, I'd just buy an extension. Can't remember where I got mine from it was so long ago. The one I've got is 5mtrs long, but it's similar to this one

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-24V-C....m46890.l49286

[Steve509926]

Found it:-

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12V-5M-Ca....m46890.l49286

[Fenlander]

Similar to Oldman I use a 10ah alarm/mobility scooter battery for my Bravo... works fine and removing the need for the Bravo and SIB to be near the car is a real benefit.... as was being released from opening bonnet or boot to clip onto the vehicle battery.

[TmMorris]

Thanks everyone. I'd forgotten about the smaller scooter batteries. It strikes me as the easiest solution.