Hello rec.boats---

I hope that I'm not violating the rec.boats charter here, but I'm not
sure where else to take this. In any case....

My partner and I have developed a new product and are trying to get a
feel for the demand. We're in the endurance testing stage of
development (the boat floats and runs, we're trying to break it right
now) and feel that we are very close to production. Our goal is utter
simplicity and supportability (if that's a word) by means of off-the-
shelf products. Basically, install it and forget it.

A bit of background: In 2007, I purchased a 24' express cruiser with
an OMC Cobra rig (260hp Chev). Within 20 hours or so, we had a
catastrophic lower unit failure (we think it stemmed from a prop hit,
but can't confirm it). After a complete lower unit rebuild (new gears,
bearings, shafts, etc) we put about 10-12 hours on the unit before we
suffered another gear failure. I decided at that point my choices
we repower with a Volvo SX (very easy, but super expensive),
complete repower with a Mercruiser rig (more complicated, potentially
less expensive, but still pricey), scuttle the boat and hope that
insurance would pay my losses....

After a number of sleepless nights and hopeless conversations with
clueless marine dealer "techs", I powered through a six-pack and
headed to the shop. In a moment of lubricated enlightenment, I came to
conclusion that the OMC transom assembly could accommodate a Merc
drive assembly.

To make a short story long, we've developed a kit that allows you to
mate a Mercruiser Alpha (or equivalent) outdrive to an OMC Cobra
transom assembly. We've worked hard to make the kit easily installed,
exceedingly durable, and simple to maintain and support. All normal
maintenance items are standard Mercruiser parts from the transom out
(rubbers, bearings, ujoints, shift cable, etc).

As I said, the kit is pretty simple and could be produced and sold for
a very reasonable price (a few hundred bucks, at most). But, before we
start production estimates, we need to figure out what the real demand
might be. The kit can adapt an alpha-style drive to either a Cobra
transom rig or to a Volvo SX-style rig (the engine mounted water pump
becomes optional at this point). No loss of function occurs - it's
just as though the factory intended it to happen. Some Merc phantom
black paint on the OMC plate and ring and most people would not even
notice the difference.

So, if you've made it this far (and not nodded off into a coma), I'd
very much like to hear from you. Please feel free to post here, or
email me at my webmail address: tautog -at- rocketmail.com (that's
right, I don't even have a website yet).

While we do have patents pending for the design, I'll try to answer
your questions as best I can, without compromising our position. Rest
assured, my goal is to recoup our investment only and make this
solution available to as many people as possible. I missed a big chunk
of the boating season and took a pretty big hit to the pocket, and I
hope I can help the community in a reasonable manner.

Thanks for reading and I look forward to hearing from you.

Chris West