A frequent question of new sailboat owners is what do with their outboard motor when trailering. Is it best to leave it on the boat or is it better to dismount it and haul it in the boat cockpit or tow vehicle? There are lots of owners in both camps. In this post, I describe the pros and cons of each method and how I prepare Summer Dance to hit the road.

Some owners dismount their outboard motors to prevent the weight of the motor from prying on the transom as they go down the road, especially for long trips. The main idea is to prevent damage to the transom. The disadvantage of this method is the time and effort it takes every time you trailer the boat. Besides protecting the transom, another advantage is this lightens the load on the trailer behind the axle. That puts a greater percentage of the boat’s weight on the trailer tongue and can help stabilize the trailer at highway speeds.

I used to be in this camp. There are a lot of bumpy state highway and county road miles to the places where I sail. I used to lug my 87 lb. Yamaha outboard by myself from my pickup bed and lift it up onto the motor mount just before we launched. At the end of our sail, I’d lift it off, carry it to the truck, and lay it back in the bed. I can still do it, but it’s one more chore to do before I can launch and I’m not getting any younger. I don’t recommend it unless you’re very fit and regularly weight train with up to 100 lbs.

Other owners leave their outboard motors mounted except to remove them for service or winter storage. The main idea here is to save the time and effort but you have to trust that the transom is strong enough to take the stress. Some owners reinforce the motor mount attachment to the boat with plates or brackets on the inside of the transom. Some secure the motor with ropes or straps to prevent it from pulling excessively on the transom. The disadvantage to leaving your motor mounted is the possibility of transom damage if you don’t take adequate precautions. Also, the additional weight on the aft end of the boat can make the trailer tongue too light unless adjusted for.

I now prefer this camp. Here’s how I do it with the confidence that I’m not damaging my transom.

I fabricated and installed the aluminum angle brackets in the following picture inside the transom for reinforcement. A flat metal plate or board will help a little but it is more likely to deform and it doesn’t spread the stress out enough in the right direction, vertically. The perpendicular side of these brackets provides much more strength than the bolted side. It would take an extreme amount of force to bend these brackets to the point of cracking the transom. They’re similar to the motor mount transom backing rails sold by a certain online Catalina parts retailer but are made from scrap that cost me nothing.

For extra protection against jarring bumps, I also secure the motor to the hull with 1″ ratchet straps attached to the aft mooring cleats. The port strap goes directly to the cleat nearest to the motor. The starboard strap leads forward and around the starboard sheet winch and then aft to the starboard cleat or pushpit stanchion.

The straps form a V shape that pulls the motor straight forward while they also secure it side to side. This transfers the weight that would otherwise pull outward on the top mounting bolts into downward vertical weight on the transom. I tighten both straps just until all of the weight of the motor is on the bottom arm of the mount and the top arm of the mount is loose.

Overkill? Maybe, but it’s cheap insurance and takes less time than mounting or dismounting the outboard motor. I also adjusted the resting position of the sailboat on the trailer to maximize the tongue weight without exceeding the 7%-10% rule of thumb and it still tows straight and steady. After hundreds of miles, I have yet to notice any adverse affects from towing this way.

Now it takes me less time to launch and retrieve Summer Dance and my back is spared from lifting and lugging an 87 lb. motor around. When I do need to dismount the motor for maintenance or winterizing, I lower it straight down onto my DIY outboard motor stand. Then I can easily roll it around to wherever I need it.

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