Question for Capt Chuck
 

In 2011 you posted this picture, is the motor a 25" or 30" shaft? I believe this was your 23' with the Hermco bracket. I am trying to figure out how you got the platform so close to the waterline.

Thanks,

Michael

25" Shaft. Bill Potter came with me & positioned it with Mike @ Wildfire Marine. See the pictures how she sits at rest. Scuppers were still above the waterline without raising the deck.

that bracket looks great. Capt.Chuck, did Mike do your transom too? I know he likes to do that strong back

Thanks for the response and additional pictures.

Looking at it, it sure gives one pause, consensus is go with a 30" shaft but having the platform 5" more inches off the water, I don't know. Seems like those modern shelves just hanging on the wall with no visible means of support. Maybe we need a 27.5" shaft.

Decisions, decisions.

what consensus? the only reason to go with a 30 inch shaft is if you go with a twin engine bracket and mount a single engine...dimensions of a twin engine bracket are completely different then the Capt Chucks.. if you were to mount a 30 inch shaft motor on Capt Chucks bracket you would need to raise the motor so high that the top two mounting holes would be above the transom of the bracket...in other words you would need a jack plate on the bracket...

strick

Exactly.

You want the tub low and the back porch friendly for fishing and diving.

Thanks Strick,

Made the assumption that it was a dual bracket. I just need to quit thinking about the bracket until the transom is done. Then maybe I can mock it up and the light bulb will quit flickering.

Yes

Here is the dilemma, 30" shaft on a 23 single outboard with a low platform is possible but you may end up with all four bolts that attach the outboard may land above the swim platform. It is hard enough to do this on a 20 with a 25" leg but a 23 with a 30" is even more of a pain. Most of the time the lower bolts want to land right where the bracket joins the platform neither above or below. Most manufactured brackets have high mount platforms so they will work on many different hulls. Even the Hermco (nice as they are) mounts too high for my likening. Making or building your own custom bracket is the best way to get around this but be prepared to spend hours mocking it up, scratching your head, building the molds and laying up the bracket its self. Better be good at math all I got to say. You should see my scribble pads from the few brackets I've tried to build.