30" set back too much?
 

I got a line on a bracket for my new project. It is a 13 degree bracket which is perfect. It is a 30" setback bracket. Is that too much setback for my boat? I've always been told further back you can get the motor the better. Is there a possibility I can set it back too far?

3Squids.

I little recommendation based on my own personal experience with a bracketed V20. a 20 foot boat is on the short for a bracket. Lots of people will tell you not to bother, but the key is you'll need to consider the balance point of the hull after you have added the bracket. Believe me, putting 400 lbs 30" further back will effect how it sits and rides in the water. Am I'm not just referring to buoyance compensation with a floatation bracket - ( A typical Armstrong like floatation bracket doesn't really help that much unless your running a 30" shaft.) Suggest you consider repositioning the tank / or console further forward to compensate. otherwise I don't suspect you'll be happy in the end after going through all that effort.

Just my two 2 cents.

Kamikaze

Thanks for the input. This isn't for my center console. I am converting an IB/OB closed transom cuddy boat to OB so really it's my only option. I could spend $1300-$1600 on a 24" bracket which is the minimum I'd be able to go for cowl clearance or I can get this 30" one for $450. On a budget with this boat so if I could make it work just by moving some stuff around it'd be great. I'm redoing the floor and taking the tank out and most likely redoing the stringers and bulkheads so moving the tank forward would be a possibility.

The boat originally had a small block 350 in it so will the weight difference between that and my 200 help at all. I'm sure the 200 has to be lighter.

I hung a bracket on a 22 sea ray with a 225 evinrude. if I remember correctly, the setback was 29. it was a bunch of years ago and we had the bracket fabbed because nobody made them back then. everybody said it wouldn't work. it did.

Hell yea. Eff-em. From what I've read a mercruiser 350 and lower unit is close to 700lbs, which is what was in it. So deleting 250-300 lbs off the back would be a good start I guess. The battery trays were aft the fuel tank so I could probably relocate those forward any like I said the tank can also be moved. I was told it mostly depended to on the flotation of the bracket. I can't find much info on it but I'm assuming what goes under the water line would be the amount of flotation? Here's a pic of the bracket in case anyone didn't see it in my other thread.
http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...pseuofgseh.jpg

Closer to 900-1000 lbs for a marine small block chevy and an alpha outdrive. A 350 weighs around 625 lbs by itself, throw 80-100 lbs of manifolds, risers, and other junk, the 90 or so for an alpha outdrive, another 60-70 for the gimbal housing, 10 for the trim and tilt, and some odds and ends, and you see how quickly it adds up.

Wow. Yea never really thought about all the add ons. Good point. I had figured the motor was about 600 so that makes sense.

Anyways I went ahead and bought the bracket. The guy was over me "wasting his time". I have been stalling trying to make sure I wasn't wasting my time and money. If when I'm ready to mount a bracket if this is all I have I'll mount it, hang the motor and figure it out from there. But I really think taking minimum 500lbs off the back of the boat has to counter weight it some.

30" set back will be fine provided you stay light weght with your outboard. I would avoid a 4 stroke if it was mine except for say the 140 SUZUKI, or 150 YAMAHA. The older 2.0l, 2.4l, and 2.5l MERC's are a match made in heaven weighing less than 400lbs, and ranged from 135-200HP. Also look into putting your batteries in the cabin and things like that. An i/o already has the fuel tank moved forward, so thats in your favor there. Several have done it, and the cuddies seem to work better for ocean going vessels than center consoles do with brackets as they already have more weight forward.

Did you ever get the bracket mounted on the boat?

I'm curious because there is a IO V-20 project for sale in Houston. Boat looks like a good candidate for a bracket.

No I have had no time to mess with anything. This project will be an expensive one so I don't want to rush it. But I still do plan to use the bracket.