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Old 02-20-2012, 01:11 PM
Handful in NC Handful in NC is offline
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: New Bern, NC
Posts: 119
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Thoughts on I/O to bracket conversion by someone who did it...

Advantages:
- storage gain from inboard engine removal
- easy access to inside of transom and bilge
- don't have to modify the hull cap

Disadvantages:
- you must repower
- have to repair deck and transom engine holes
- may have to rebuild transom anyway if in poor condition
- should reinforce and/or tie interior stringers to transom

It seems to me there is probably a comparable amount of glass work in converting either an OB or I/O to a bracket, it's just different. At my low skill level, deck repair and fabricating flat panels/hatches were within my abilities.

Conversion to a bracket for both OB and I/O seems to be more involved and expensive than just transom repair. (See the recent thread on transom repair with SeaCast. I think that's a game changer for many.) Having an OB engine on a bracket outside the hull was worth it to me, and the access and storage gained by inboard engine removal is really nice.

See this thread for images: http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...ad.php?t=23185
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1974 23' Tsunami, fully refurbished, custom pilothouse, Hermco Bracket, 250 Etec
1977 23' Sceptre fully refurbished, soft top, I/O
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