OB up or down?

[warren631]

I trailer with the OB on (8 HP but very heavy - too heavy for me to lift). Basic question: Should I have it up or down and should I support it with straps? I'm afraid it will fall off and rip off some of the transom if I hit a big bump while trailering.

[grady]

Stock trailer tow with it up. Hav a 9.9 Yamha and have had no issues. If it rips out your transom is rotted.

[vizwhiz]

Agreed. Up.

[Curwen]

Towing with the OB on bothered me for months, as I was concerned about trailer sway and the weight of the OB bouncing over very bump.

Here is how I eased my concerns....1) bowstrap that I toss over the bow to counter any extra see-sawing from having the OB mounted and up. And 2) I do runs straps from the prop to the winches to help reduce any bounce the OB may have. Winch them tight and I go.

[Tomfoolery]

And 2) I do runs straps from the prop to the winches to help reduce any bounce the OB may have. Winch them tight and I go.

I used to do that on my Aquarius 7.0, which had an offset OB on an adjustable mount, unlike the standard A23 which had a notch in the center of the transom for the OB. I used to take the 2-stroke Evinrude 9.9 OB off and put it in the car, but that got old quick. A piece of three-strand around the power head and over a winch and cleat to lift the slack out of the mount (which was raised to its highest position) and there was very little load on the mounting bolts and therefore on the transom. Took only a minute or two to rig. Even if the transom was strong enough, it made me feel better about it being supported in a way that negated the loading on the thin transom wall with that relatively small bolt pattern.

And if the transom broke, at least the OB would be dangling by the tether.

[vizwhiz]

Great ideas here! Bow strap. (i hate that see-saw effect, although i love how stable the boat sits in its trailer 'cradle'!) i never worry about whether the strap will break. The boat stays put anyway. Bounces more, but doesn't move much.

Rope to help support motor. I could easily use a dock line, and i could run it over the arch on the way to the winch so it pulls more up and less fwd.

Gonna try these next trip! Thanks for posting!

[OverEasy]

I can see the logic with a small outboard (less than 15HP) like what has been discussed.

I'm Wondering if the same applies recommendation would apply to a 26X with a 50HP Outboard?

Does anyone know what was the original recommendation for trailering from the factory?

I have a 2001 Macgregor 26X on a 2012 Sea Lion dual axle trailer and the engine is a 50HP Tohatsu 2-Stroke.
I'm concerned in that I'll be traveling 1400+ miles regularly twice a year and would really hope to talk this over with people who have something similar before our first go at this. (I never like pass up on good advice and the experience of others.)

[NiceAft]

Several years ago my boat mechanic instructed me to always trailer with the motor up.

[Tomfoolery]

I can see the logic with a small outboard (less than 15HP) like what has been discussed.

I'm Wondering if the same applies recommendation would apply to a 26X with a 50HP Outboard?

Does anyone know what was the original recommendation for trailering from the factory?

I have a 2001 Macgregor 26X on a 2012 Sea Lion dual axle trailer and the engine is a 50HP Tohatsu 2-Stroke.
I'm concerned in that I'll be traveling 1400+ miles regularly twice a year and would really hope to talk this over with people who have something similar before our first go at this. (I never like pass up on good advice and the experience of others.)

I put the OB all the way up and flop the mechanical lock into place. The hydraulics don't drift, so the lock has never actually held it there. It's a 'just in case' measure.

When the OB is tilted all the way up, its center of mass is almost directly above the hinge. The hydraulics are barely loaded. And the transom has the lowest load on it of any OB orientation. If it were tilted a little higher, it would be balanced on the hinge.

With the OB full down, the center of mass is way behind the hinge, so in addition to the vertical shear load on the transom, there's the moment load where the OB is trying to pry the top of the transom back.

The vertical load is always the same, since the OB always weighs the same, but the prying moment is max with the engine full down, and min with the engine full up. So I travel with it full up.

But do be aware that under full throttle, there's something like 600 lb of thrust from the prop, applied way below the hinge line, for a 50 hp at 16 mph and 50% propeller efficiency. So it's not like that transom can't take large moment loads. But I still feel better having it tilted, as that minimizes the moment load on the transom, plus it gives me a place to put my second set of trailer lights, nice and high and straight into the eyeballs of someone tailgating me on the highway.

[Jimmyt]

Not to mention the moment that occurs when the foot strikes the ground, as there is very little clearance with the motor in the vertical position. At least on an M, I'd never try towing with the motor vertical.

[Tomfoolery]

Not to mention the moment that occurs when the foot strikes the ground, as there is very little clearance with the motor in the vertical position. At least on an M, I'd never try towing with the motor vertical.

Yeah, well, I guess there's that, too.

[chipveres]

Gentlemen, we may be ignoring a larger issue here. On my boat, (Mac 22 with 6 HP two-stroke) I absolutely must remove the motor and put it in the back of the truck for balance. If I don't, the trailer has no tongue weight, or even negative tongue weight. This leads to an un-controllable trailer.

Chip
s/v Sand Dollar

[NiceAft]

Gentlemen, we may be ignoring a larger issue here. On my boat, (Mac 22 with 6 HP two-stroke) I absolutely must remove the motor and put it in the back of the truck for balance. If I don't, the trailer has no tongue weight, or even negative tongue weight. This leads to an un-controllable trailer.

Chip
s/v Sand Dollar

Good point in pointing this out We have no idea which Mac the original poster has. Ignore that statement. I now see it's a 26D

[Jimmyt]

Gentlemen, we may be ignoring a larger issue here. On my boat, (Mac 22 with 6 HP two-stroke) I absolutely must remove the motor and put it in the back of the truck for balance. If I don't, the trailer has no tongue weight, or even negative tongue weight. This leads to an un-controllable trailer.

Chip
s/v Sand Dollar

Yes, it was a revival of a 2017 thread on classics with small outboards, and turned into a question about 26X and M.

But, you are correct. Low, or negative tongue weight is a problem; probably larger than tearing the transom off. I would not want an unstable trailer to cause a tow vehicle crash...

[OverEasy]

Wow! Thank you for the great advice and the rationale behind them!
There is a lot of experience out there and as with a lot of things in life it helps to avoid reinventing the oar when one can listen to good advice. Engine Up it is!

Our first long distance trip (about 1,100 miles) preparations are shaping up gradually.

We took a good look at the tires and all 4 showed varying degrees of cracking which was to be expected.
The local Tires Guys were able to help us get a proper new matching set of Hercules put on at a reasonable price (which given the current supply issues) is really appreciated.

We took a preliminary short 30 mile shakedown road trip to get a feel for how the Dodge Caravan/Mac26X/dual-axle trailer operated as a team. We got a new 8 inch rise ball hitch to level the trailer. After doing some research and discussions with several trailer tow specialists we pre-emptively installed a rear suspension upgrade that replaced the pucks inside the coil springs. The results were pretty good. We had a max road speed of only about 50 MPH but everything was as well as could be expected. No sway, good tracking in the turns, as well as accelerations and decelerations. We deliberately tried the brakes at low (20, 25, 30 & 35 MPH) speeds. The surge disc brakes seemed to be actuating properly with what appeared to equal braking on both sides of the trailer. So far so good.

We just got a 400 lb rated bath scale to check the tongue weight of the boat and trailer. I'm aiming to get a tongue weight of above 300# but below 325# to hopefully avoid any tail wagging. We will get this verified before going back up on the highway to see how it handles at higher speeds.

We appreciate all the various questions and experiences the members have shared over time on the forums. As newbies to owning a Mac26X we have really appreciated the questions, advice, humor, and honest experiences that have been shared.

Again thank you!