SR4 - Adding an aux and other winter projects...

[lizardland]

Hi Folks,

I've been thinking about adding an auxiliary to my SR4 for a while, does anyone have pictures of how they've done it? Looking at the transom, is there space to get one on and not interfere with the main motor steering? Just wondering if I'd have to make up some sort of bracket for it or something. Any ideas on minimum size? I've seen 4hp suggested as the smallest, could you get away with a 3/3.5? From reading archived threads I get the feeling that Seagulls aren't liked as auxs and looking around you can get a more modern outboard for the cost of a recon'd Seagull.

Other projects I'm considering... sealing up the flooded hull. It's not by choice, a crack has appeared in the hull (lashed up previous repair covered up with paint that I didn't notice). The hull around the crack seems solid enough but obviously with the water ballast I'd need to waterproof it from both sides and there's no way I can get into it without taking part of the deck up. The simplest route seems to repair the crack and close off the flood and drain holes. I would think fitting a deck hatch might be a good idea afterwards to get a pump in if needed or am I being over cautious?

This then raises the question of what to do with water in the boat, bilge pump or elephant's trunk? I'm inclined towards the pump so that I'm not holing the transom but it's a pull start motor so no battery. I know I could probably rig something from the lighting circuit on the motor but that means motor not running, no pump so it would have to be a manual unit which means stopping the boat to go to the stern to pump it out.

Again, related to not having a battery and not particularly wanting one, I'd like to fit some nav lights and a depth sounder. I've seen battery operated emergency lights, are they any good for normal use? And anyone know of a battery powered sounder/fish finder? GPS & VHF have been easy sorted, I've only really seen a few HK/Chinese fishfinder units on Fleabay or a Plastimo handheld probe thing you hold in the water but I'd like something a bit more pukka.

Any thoughts on the above ramblings? If there are simpler/better ways to do any of the above then I'm all ears.

Cheers,

Stuart

[jefflee2k]

I have tackled a lot of this on my 5.4.
1. I have a 5 HP and 70 2s. They just fit with no a frame. A seagull size motor may be the only thing you can fit. They are not fast but provide lots more thus than typical 2 strokes. I have seen a 40 ft sail boat make headwAY into a stiff tide with one.
2. I sealed up my hull after making deck repairs. Used an expansion test plug from plumbing supplier to close up bung. Now I can use the bung to inspect the hull periodically. No water comes in.
3. If you don't already have trunks, they are nice but that is a big hole to cut. You could probAbly get away with one. You could rig a portable pump with alligator clips or cigarette lighter plug, and get a small 12v .
4. If you get battery running lights, get leds. Much brighter and smaller cheaper batteries. Also the flashlight style are trash. If they are not visible from 1 mile you are limited to 7 knts. A cheap fix is to get red and green led keychain style lights and clip them to d rings on either side of the hull. Many are stainless and water proof and via to 1 mile. Any white lantern will suffice for stern ly.
5. Eagle makes some 12v rechargeable fish finders that you could always plug in if you get a battery later. Also consider solar charger for it.

[9D280]

Aux: there is an engine out there that has been sold with pretty much everyone's badge on between 1.5 - 3.5Hp (not all brands did it as a 3.5 tho'. Super slim, so no spavce problems. OTher (old) things that come to mind are the 1970s johnson 2/4 -the 4 is reasoanbaly narrow as it's basically 2 x 2Hp blocks welded together!

As for water in the boat - Trunk.

On mine I had a long pole on the transom for the ARW, I had the delux, so could fit the P/S lights to the screen mount. I've seem people mount them L/R on the console sides.

[Ally S]

I've got a SR4 with an aux on it - we have a 40hp honda four stroke as the main engine and a 4hp two stroke suzuki with internal tank as the aux. Its a pretty tight fit and you loose a bit of steerage in one direction but its workable. We tend to put it on if we are going on a longer trip and leave it off if just pottering around.

Definitely doable though and the 4hp pushes her along just fine. Steering is perhaps less than precise with the aux though!