lazarette repairs

[c_amos]

I have pretty much gotten the lazy-rat worked back into shape.

The plate on the forward end on the well (where the outboard clamps on) has a doubled up teak board... one seems to go the height of the well, and the other is a sacrificial board that is screwed on.  

The sacrificial bit was pretty well chewed up, I had once sanded it down smooth before and re-attached it.  The face of it had some round impressions where the clamps have bit into it in the past.

I am thinking I might like to replace this with a 1/2" block of rubber... it would need to be about 4" x 10" and I would probably secure it with screws in each of the corners.

  I like rubber as it would compress and not let the outboard clamps get loose from the vibration... but I can not think where I might buy such an animal.

  Any suggestions?

[Rico]

C - I've just undertaken this very project, and I am very happy with the results. (so far!)

I also thought about the rubber... I really liked the rubber idea because it would also dampen some of the o/b engine vibration... (A vibration isolator / dampener! -how great would that be!) But fastening an actual rubber isolator-type assembly to the transom implies a much more elaborate project than I wanted at this point...

I spent quite some time pondering this issue. And I finally gave-up on the rubber isolator... They way the actual transom was shaped -wide at the base with a slight taper towards the top - was what I considered a safety issue since this would make the clamps LOOSER as they came UP on the transom... This always bothered me, but it neve really became an issue, although my O/b did loosen-up a couple of times...

I've proceeded as follows:
 - I'll try to get some pictures soon. (it might be a while since I'm traveling!).
I actually completed this about 3 moths ago - except for the colored gel coat to finish. This will make it look like a factory job... I just wanted to put a few miles on the system before I called it good and put the finishing touches on...

BTW - Within this little project I've taken care of the swiveling /dancing engine issue (due to the weak friction design in our motors). I've incorporated a quick release mechanism too. Quite a simple and cheap solution...

During the restoration work, we built-up the transom area and made it quite sturdy. We removed some of the wood and some brackets that actually 'fixed' the motor in place during previous ownership. Not really thinking much more about the requirements for this area (my bad!) we ended-up not providing the best set-up for the outboard.

It worked fine, but when I went to install the O/B for the first time, it became apparent that it could be improved. Actually, I was lucky that the O/B jaws just BARELY opened wide enough to clamp on the transom - we'd beef'd it up a bit much.

So I tore into this area with the goal of providing a mounting surface that actually became THICKER as the motor clamps moved upwards on the transom. SO in case the clamps became loose instead of slipping off easily - the clamps would find grip again... and so on / so forth as the motor proceeded upwards. I went down to the original structure and once here, I started to build up the desired profile using a thick mess of penut buttery resin with lots of chopped strand.

Since the fiberglass is a bit slippery for the OB clamps (for my taste), this time I wanted a nice strong piece of stainless textured plate - just to provide a bit more grip. I installed this textured plate in a bed of the same material and then I build up a bit of additional reinforcement around it.

I used a beefy 12 gauge 316 Stainless steel plate - this stuff was stiff and HARD! Hard to work with...
I wanted textured plate for more friction on the clamps AND for more of a mechanical bond to the fiberglass... - but as it turns out 316 plate is only available smooth (satin finish), brushed, or shiny. I ordered the satin finish and proceeded to texture it myself - abraded & grooved in the back for adhesion, and abraded for friction on the outside.

Coincidentally, at this time I was helping to design and weld some serius steel artwork. This gave me access to some pretty neat tools... I probably worked some of these tools close to spec, (I know the bender was stuggling) but I ended up with a nice result.

I bent the plate into the desired shape, and put a number of holes and made a series of tabs onto the edges in order to provide aditional mechanical resistance to movement within its fiberglass bed. The plate goes from below the drain hole IN the lazarette, up and over, and down into the well past the drain hole once again. So it covers a nice wide area. I embedded it so that it does not interfere with the insertion of the O/B plug.

I am very happy with the way the outboard clamps down on the stainless plate. There will be no slipping there - and the thick stainless provides a great bearing surface as well as a bit of strength. I use a bit of rubber as a liner and this helps with vibration a bit.

Sorry for the ramble; 1 pic = 1,000 words, eh?
I'll clean this up when I have the pic. I hope this makes sense in the meantime.
I do like the results...

[c_amos]

Sounds quite sporty.  Looking forward (along with the rest of the free world) to pictures... no rush... we are all just holding our breath.

[ebb]

Antonio,
Think I can follow your solutions for the OB vibration problem with the CLAMP.
Not entirely.
Wouldn't a piece of rubber foam placed on top of the mounting board under the OB clamp
take some of the vibration away?
Also, if you have the room, foam on the inner face of the clamp might also be useful.

Can see the reverse wedge shape of the mount as a good idea.
In rebuilding the well in lit'lgull I also ended up with barely enough room to get the OB clamps to slip on.
No room for an added piece of stainless,

An idea for helping to keep the OB clamps in place would be to dap in seats for the clamp faces.
IE make shallow cups in the board with a Forstner bit that the clamp swivel faces go into when tightening the clamps.
Depth of the cutouts are a judgement call.
Could be something like 1/4" deep and could have a sized s.s. washer glued in to take the pressure of the clamps.

McMasterCarr has some EPDM foam rubber sheet and adhesive strip that comes 1/8" TO 1/2" thickness. Page 3523 online catalog.  For this ap you probably want the 'firm' grade.
Has  textured skin pattern on both sides.  Rather more like mat than weather strip.  Would take some abuse, imco.

[Tim D.]

OK, I am going to try and "shame" you guys into providing more photos

I started working on mine awhile ago but it has been a slow process. A PO had cut the lip off and screwed plywood down but since I was able to get a new cover I decided to make a new lip. This of course has been a challenge and my first attempt at remoulding one failed miserably. So then I made one out of ply and am covering with epoxy. At the same time the floor of the lazz and motor well had to be redone because of the leaky damaged shape it was in. Since the work was going to be extensive anyway I decided to take it a step further and deepen the well by a couple of inches to accommodate today's larger engines.

So now for the pictures

The way it looked originally;



Framing for the opening;



New Lazz lip;



Of course this is all taking longer than I hoped because of a large bad epoxy batch and this little distraction that came into my life;



1978 Cape Dory Typhoon

[c_amos]

Tim,

  That is great.  What kind of 'big ole' outboard are you planning to put in there?

....An idea for helping to keep the OB clamps in place would be to dap in seats for the clamp faces.
IE make shallow cups in the board that the clamp swivel faces go into when tightening the clamps......

  I went with this, thanks Ebb!  I put in another 'sacrificial' board, with shallow (1/4?) circles to accept the pads.  
I will let you know how this works out.

[Tim D.]

Well my choices right now are a Honda 5hp or an Evinrude 6.5, but I hoping it will be large enough to house a Yamaha with shift controls on the stick, 8 or 9.9hp. I know I don't need the hp but would really like the 2 cyl. for smoothness

[c_amos]

Well my choices right now are a Honda 5hp or an Evinrude 6.5, but I hoping it will be large enough to house a Yamaha with shift controls on the stick, 8 or 9.9hp. I know I don't need the hp but would really like the 2 cyl. for smoothness

Sure would be nice if someone made a 2 cyl 4 stroke that did not weigh a ton.  I also like a 2 stroke, and am not a fan of the vibration from the single cyl Nissan / Tohatsu / Mercury that I have.

  Hope this goes well for you Tim, and that you don't need hernia surgery if you go with the Yamaha or Honda 4stroke...


==============================================================

Ebb,

  The sacrificial plate (just resin impregnated ply wood) with recessed cups worked out quite nicely!

You sir, are a geneus!  Now, to get you to being a 'cruising genus'.... when we gonna see that?  Soon I hope!

[ebb]

OK
Craig, genius is  practical intuition, isn't it?
You and Antonio came up with the actual  sacrificial plate - which can have several forms.
The real genius is how the idea works and how adaptable it is.

A sacrificial plate that doesn't alter the original mount allows any OB to be mounted in the well
because the plate is customed to the motor.  That's genius.

The 'U' shaped sister plate is very  provocative:

Is it possible for a 'U' form plate to be attached to the motor? To the motor's clamp bracket?
That might allow the clamp mechanism to easily slip down over the clamping board.
Maybe placement of the OB on the board won't be hit or miss to register the clamping cups?
IE, the motor could be positioned precisely every time just by letting it 'fall' into place.  And then twirl the clamps tight.  
Wouldn't need to be micro adjusted -lifted and moved - and again! !#%$#*+!
 

My 8Hp 4X4 Yamaha wieghs over 100Lbs.  Made the opening in the well so tight the motor has to be twisted to get the propeller through.  There's genius for you!
Going to have to rig a Garhauer davit to put the damn OB in place.   And to lift it out.  Have to run sweet water through the motor, right?
(Like varnishing) that's rediculous.
The Yamaha clamps in lit'lgull are right at 'deck' level, they can't be twirled.

A 60Lb 2 stroke is the only way to go.  That'll take 50Lbs OFF the stern.  That's smart!
 Yamaha says they clean.