outboard on a Swampscott dory?

[SeniorLady]

Have any of you put an outboard on a Swampscott dory?
My arthritis is a problem for rowing or raising sails, but I love my dory. The only way I can see being able to use it is with an outboard.
Is it possible?

[johngsandusky]

I have not, though I have owned two, three counting the 10' dory skiff. If I wanted to motor one I might try a side mount or more likely an electric motor. I have used a trolling motor on the tender.
If you don't intend to sail, a motor well might do also.

[rgthom]

A trolling motor or electric outboard would be light weight and certainly do-able. This year I put a small electric outboard on my skiff. At only 13 lb for the motor, I made a bracket that fit onto the existing gudgeons in place of the rudder. On a Swampscott with the steep transom angle you would probably have to make some simple bracket for the transom or side mounted. I think a well would not be needed if lightweight electric, the heavier battery could go inside.

This is mine, it does a bit over 4 kts at full motor power.

[Ben Fuller]

The neatest way that I have seen a dory rigged for an outboard is to put a vertical bulk head (in effect a secondary transom) in the boat at the after end of the bottom. Then cut a hole of the appropriate size in the raked transom. It can be big enough to allow for kick up. There may have been some fashion pieces to which the planks got fastened where the raked cutaway transom didn't have enough meat.

[earling2]

I did what Ben Fuller suggested to a Lowell's boat shop "Salisbury Point Skiff", which is essentially a swampscott but with a wider bottom and transom. Gotta admit, it was a total waste of time. I even made a filler box that made the bottom whole and flush again when the motor wasn't used. Under power it would tilt toward the outside of a turn, and it was very wet in any kind of a chop, and slow. Very slow. Of course I didn't expect it to plane or anything, but it was surprisingly tender, wet, and slow. I had a 6 hp. longshaft Evinrude in it. All that said, I think if your expectations are very modest, the elec. motor that attaches to the rudder would probably be a good bet. My mistake was thinking it would make a great all around utility skiff. If I had been a little older and more patient, probably a 2hp engine would have been fun and a lot more appropriate.

[Breakaway]

What does the Forum think of using a canoe mount. Ready-made and a canoe is " similar " to a dory in being double-ended. Like so:

Screen Shot 2020-07-31 at 4.59.53 PM.jpg
Screen Shot 2020-07-31 at 4.59.44 PM.jpg

Kevin

[Canoeyawl]

I have tried off side mounts and after a roque wake or two completely submerging the power head a few times I gave it up as impractical for anything but a small lake, maybe the best is a small outboard well. A swampscot dory should need over 2 hp.

[Ben Fuller]

I did what Ben Fuller suggested to a Lowell's boat shop "Salisbury Point Skiff", which is essentially a swampscott but with a wider bottom and transom. Gotta admit, it was a total waste of time. I even made a filler box that made the bottom whole and flush again when the motor wasn't used. Under power it would tilt toward the outside of a turn, and it was very wet in any kind of a chop, and slow. Very slow. Of course I didn't expect it to plane or anything, but it was surprisingly tender, wet, and slow. I had a 6 hp. longshaft Evinrude in it. All that said, I think if your expectations are very modest, the elec. motor that attaches to the rudder would probably be a good bet. My mistake was thinking it would make a great all around utility skiff. If I had been a little older and more patient, probably a 2hp engine would have been fun and a lot more appropriate.

Thinking about where I saw the rig, it was on a dory used by the Penobscot River Pilots maybe in the 40s to get out to fuel barges heading up river from an island launch. If they had anything more than one of the old 2hp or so Evinrudes I'd be surprised. The more robust units had a well just aft of amidships. A dory is hard because it is so easily heeled. I like the idea of an electric trolling motor no matter how its mounted as you would end up with weight low. And I think some of them have mounts that allow the motor to rotate 360 degrees so it might be able just to be clamped to the side.

[pcford]

Many, many years ago, I built a outboard in a well for a Swampscott. Bronze angle. Could pull it up. Can't remember much else. Forty years ago.

[Pateplumaboat]

Have any of you put an outboard on a Swampscott dory?
My arthritis is a problem for rowing or raising sails, but I love my dory. The only way I can see being able to use it is with an outboard.
Is it possible?

Hello SeniorLady, yes, I have put an outboard on my Swampscott dory. It was on my Ougtred´s Amberjack (Stickleback) Dory "Patepluma".
First tried with bracket (see video) using electric outboard (Torqueedo and Minnkota).




Both worked ok for short distances (one hour at reasonable speed in protected waters).
Tried also with small gasoline Outboard Honda 2.3 hp. Small aircooled light motor on bracket as for greater distance and better power (wind, waves) gasoline is better choice.
Motor on a bracket has some disadvantage: Due to high position of motor one sits also higher in the dory and this is not the best way to load a dory. Better to sit lower. Even the Honda was light (29.5 pound), one has to sit high to be able to operate the tiller.
This was the reason to cut a small motor-well in my dory and I put the motor in this well. Was ok and works also with electric (Torqueedo or Minnkota). Anyway, for my visits on the laguna of Venice the option with the Honda worked fine, but if wind and current is slightly stronger than usual than Honda 2.3 with two passengers is not the best option. I missed some more power. Also putting gasoline in internal tank of this motor on the water with waves is not optimal. Anyway, system worked ok.
If size and transom-shape of Your dory allows I would recommend 5 hp Motor with external tank. Motor to sit in a in a transom-motor-well.

Torqueedo on bracket:

DSC07589.jpg

Honda 2.3 hp on bracket:

DSC03781.jpg

Minnkota in motor-well:

DSC01184.jpg

Honda 2.3 hp in motor-well
Bild 5.jpg


SeniorLady, anyway, to help You in making Your decisions it would be fine to see fotos/dimensions of Your Dory.

[Thorne]

There is also the option of getting somebody to make up a trolling motor in the rudder blade. I've seen one of these in action and it is amazing. You can row or sail with the rudder up to get the prop out of the water, or release the lanyard to have the rudder drop fully down for power.



http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...electric-motor

Can we assume you either never rigged your dory for sail or have stopped sailing her?

[CundysHarbor]

I grew up in a Swampscott dory with a 3 horse Johnson mounded on the transom. Worked well and provided hundreds of hours of joy on the water.

[Pateplumaboat]

SeniorLady, here my Swampscott dory "Patepluma" (Amberjack/Sickleback-Design from Iain Oughtred) with an electric Outboard in a well:



Important: Those car-batteries needed for electric outboard are quite heavy! Alternatively You could choose lithium-batteries (for example "Torqueedo" or similar). Those are relatively light, but quite expensive. If You do not need to carry batteries (charging-current near the place Your boat is in the water), this would not be such an issue.

[SeniorLady]

Thorne, I made it back into the forum with some help from the Admin. I hope to be able to sail this summer.

[Anthony Z]

I've always been curious boat the boat in this image posted on previous threads. Canoeyawl's advice about rolling the powerhead under is an important data-point, but this boat is out of the Sac delta too, correct? Perhaps extra care must be taken around powerboat wakes?
18.jpg

[Autonomous]

A motor well can reduce a boat's payload significantly.
From CLC's 18' 10" Southwester Dory I was looking at:
800# base rowing version
667# with motor well, no sail rig
632# sailing version, no motor well
567# sailing version with motor well

[Ian McColgin]

The 2hp shown in #17 has no reverse or neutral and thus can be clamped most anywhere. Since it's not away from the gunnel like happens with a beam bracket, there's no fear of rolling the power head under unless you're sinking anyway.

Make sure that you're securely seated before starting. It's fairly gentle getting underway but you don't want to fall and you want to be pointed in a safe direction. The motor turns through 360 so reverse is just a matter of spinning it around.

The Swampscott shape moves easily at speeds below 5 knots but at "hull speed" it's like you hit a wall. So there's no real advantage to more that 2 or 3 horses anyway.

Best solution. G'luck

[MondoSubmerso]

There is also the option of getting somebody to make up a trolling motor in the rudder blade. I've seen one of these in action and it is amazing. You can row or sail with the rudder up to get the prop out of the water, or release the lanyard to have the rudder drop fully down for power.



http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthre...electric-motor

Can we assume you either never rigged your dory for sail or have stopped sailing her?

Hmm ... fabricate a second rudder that slips into the mount. Don't really need the full rudder as the trolling motor steers so a simple off-set that holds the motor horizontal below the waterline. Just picked up a Swamscott and have been contemplating for our small lake.

[johngsandusky]

Welcome aboard MondoSubmerso!
It might be easier to build a motor mount. On a narrow boat like a dory, it could be a plank athwartships, with the motor over one side aft.
Good luck with your new boat, keep us posted.