Nice outboard engine stand max of 300hp

[roofman]

One engine i always regreted selling was the tower of power 115 merc...used to have one on the back of a fletcher.Most of my boating years was done before puters and old photo,s have long gone

 

[roofman]

im getting forgetfull in old age it was a twin 60 hp mariner engine

there good motors to...re-badged Yamahas had the same block

 

[phill d]

that's right, the Yamaha 60 was the mariner 2 cylinder.
mainer badged engines could be mercury Yamaha or tohatsu. today tohatsue make lots for different makes.

it was unusual to get a bikini in jet drive, most jet drive v6 ford boats from dateline were the bounty, heavier built and more luxurious.
in their day i liked the dateline bounty and the winner wildcat, both around 1974/5 were in bronze metal flake. lovely boats.
Had a go in a wildcat back then with a Chrysler 383 v8 inboard / outdrive. wonderful ski /speed boat and looked the part too.

 

[phill d]

the tower of power was the best looking engine when they came out.
i remember seeing a 135hp when they came out, with the words THUNDERBOLT IGNITION to top it off.
in its time it was a monster of an engine and being phantom black with a touch of chrome it was the iconic 70's dream machine.
I don't think any engine has ever had the impact the tower of power had, every young bloke looked at it and wanted one.
and to have it on the back of a fletcher 17 or a glastron gt150 meant your were JAMES BOND himself. happy days.
Nowdays the 135 looks silly up against the biggest , the 557

 

[Cobbler]

I have a manual for a Mercury 75 up to 150 & the corresponding Mariner models 4 cylinder in line 2stroke if it is any use to anyone. I know it's an old motor now, but someone might find it useful

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

Back on topic, weekend job was to raise A frame 9" to prevent engine hitting it with new hydraulic engine jack plate. 4x 10mm 316 TIG welded brackets utilising all original mounting holes.

 

[phill d]

what make is your jack plate, bobs, cnc, vance hydrotec ? or have you been a clever boy and made your own ?
what I need is a 3 inch setback with manual lift and lightweight to hold my 60hp. but need to be strong enough for a 130hp.
the prices in the states are ok, but postage is the killer.
I have seen a few on ebay and missed 3 nice cheap ones, howi missed them I have no idea. ha ha

what rib is that ? Humber ? goiung b y the size the engine looks on the back I reckon about 25 footer or very strong 23 /


and very nice brackets by the way

phill

 

[lotus_esprit_s1]

It's a cmc 5" hydraulic, it's an ex RNLI Atlantic 75, and ongoing project when I get spare time. the jack plate is more out of necessity due to the unique transom, or lack of it, it is built for twin engines so for a single installation it is half way between Long and Extra Long. There is no way of cutting it down what little transom there is so a jackplate was the easiest solution to raise it. They build the ribs themselves I think in isle of Wight and could teach Humber a thing or two about fit out. The quality of kit on it is second to none, every Tig weld on it (and there are a lot) is absolutely flawless, and every fitting and fastener is a4 stainless.

 

[phill d]

oh an atlantic, I have seen a few of those, your right not a lot of transom to mess about with at all.
I think the one I saw (long time ago ) had a pair of old Yamaha 85 triples on the back ? with the engine you have on it should really come alive.
Very strongly built rib they are, slightly stronger than todays Chinese offerings ha ha
me and my friend completely lifted up the back end of a brand new 23 foot Chinese rib on our own with no tool s or levers etc.
We could not believe how weak they are built. It was because an old boss of mine decided to start selling new ribs he was importing.
When I say they are rubbish I mean pure rubbish. a 5.2 metre obviously without engine can be very easy lifted completely and manoeuvred by 3 people.
Once on its cradle after coming out of container I went to the back and got in, first thing I done was crack the splashwell when I put a foot on the
top of the transom where engine sits, not in the splashwell, right on the lip is where I stood. that was meant to take 85hp I think 40 is max.
the 21 foot was not very nice neither, not enough room around the consol, the 23 footer was supposed to take 225hp I think 125 would be pushing your luck.
they are made from what must be the crappiest material going, FRP it stands for fibre reinforced plastic, what it realy is, is old crush plastic stuff
mixed in with a polyester resin then chucked into a mould that has a nice gelcoat, shame the gelcoat is so thin.
if the Chinese made a boat as good as the atlantic they would not be so cheap to import.

these boats come with some lovely fittings that you could bite through, pvc tubes (yep pvc), fitted fuel tank that you cannot get to, and cushions.
they are a sort of recreational rib with a twist, the twist being if it even see's a wave its liable to break in half.
nothing at all like good old English built ribs.

BUT here is the sad thing, AVON zodiac and a good many others are now buying in imported crap like this from same factory selling as
their own brand of boats !!!!

here is a poor pic I took on old phone, now don't laugh at the quality of these boats, there are a lot of foolish people riding around in these dangerous weak efforts.
the 520 is the grey one, the one on left is 23ft the black one on right 19ft.
look at the back and you can just see the lid of an optimax 150 saltwater version.

 

[phill d]

It was when I knocked up a wooden cradle for the optimax 150 and a ficht 150 that realised a proper good outboard stand is a definite needed tool to have.
looking around I saw lots of good idea's and some very dodgy looking stands too.
I like the old American promotional stands, but I need to be able to have one that could travel over not so perfect concrete floor and be pushed about in safety.
A lot people don't realise how heavy outboards can be, and even a little 30hp falling on you can break a leg easily (human leg not gearbox ).
once you tilt the engines they are then a real danger to have around as the weight is all up very high.
so this was then my project to get a nice stand knocked up to use for any engine, mainly my 60hp, but I like to build for any eventuality.
And imagine putting a 225 on something only built strong enough for 60/70hp ? snap crash hospital I think.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

Slight tangent but I once watched two 5mtr zodiacs with decent 50hp mariners (I think) have their tubes slashed and the motors thrown in a skip wagon due to work not wanting to have the hassle of selling them. Could count on one hand the amount of times either had been in the water.

 

[phill d]

whoever done that needs certifying. a pair of nice boats.
if both were not that old your talking about 15 grand plus for both outfits. are you sure they were not both stolen and didn't want to get caught with them ?
nobody throws away 2 engines and 2 zodiacs without a very good reason, or they are mental ha ha

phill

 

[Tinbasherdan]

believe me 30k is/was pocket change for that company, they probably lost more than that down the back of the sofa this month