On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:54:09 -0500, Gene Kearns
wrote:

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:32:35 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing penned the
following well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 08:35:37 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:02:08 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

I'm not a big fan of brackets though and those look like the kind that
I particularly don't like.

Because of appearance, or structural concerns?

There are advantages to these large bracket setbacks - in effect they
are lengthen the boat which increases performance for any given
horsepower. Cockpit room is gained by moving the engine back and
there is a minor advantage with noise. Looks aren't as important, but
they don't add much to appearance. Mechanically, as long as they are
properly installed with appropriate backing plates, they are fine.

Agreed.

The major problem, in my opinion, is that they change the CG
bow-to-stern and the attack angle coming on and off plane. There is a
lot of leverage with the stern acting as the fulcrum which, again in
my opinion, can't be good for the transom over time unless it's an
extremely well built and connected stern. I have nothing to back the
later up by the way, just an opinion.

Agreed. I think you are entirely correct. My transom is every bit of 3
inches thick.... and I am sure it is to support the stresses imposed
by the bracket. The newer "eurotransom" allows an extra 50hp in the
same hull.

I ran a 23 Hydra-Sport Vector CC (same hull as Fishhawk) that also had
a hydraulic jack plate installed at the end of the bracket. That was
really interesting. You could move the bow/stern CG just up raising
and lowering the engine. Add in the trim adjustment and you had
virtually infinite adjustment for just about any running condition.
The day that I took the boat out, I ran outside of the Westerly/Watch
Hill Reef from Fisher's Island to Watch Hill with 1-3 foot seas - at
one point, I could get the Hydra-Sports so it wouldn't even see the
sea state at about 40 MPH.

That didn't last long, but it proves the point.

Operationally the main problem to me is that they tend to bury out
outboards up to the cowling on take off and coming off plane with the
exhaust ports exposed to incoming water. Back a few years ago, I
stalled a FICHT on a 23 Fish Hawk CC coming off plane because of
exhaust/water problems. On take off, I could actually bury the engine
about halfway up the engine cowling at certain trim angles. I've heard
reports of that happening with other engines, but nothing I can link
to or report on other than my own experience.

All this is true, though, on my boat, not to that extreme. It does
make one more careful about the transition to and from plane.

Another thing about brackets is that they can make slow speed
maneuvering a real experience... especially in a brisk cross wind....

Yep - the whole power/weight dynamic ratio is changed with a bracket.

In my opinion, which is worth whatever, jack plates can accomplish the
same thing and they are adjustable.

They are probably the better choice.... if given one.....

Also true.