Roger, Attaching photo's is a fairly new option on this list serve so I'm not sure if this will work, but here's one of CornDog's stern. If the photo came through, you can see how the motor looks when tipped up in the cutout. The powerhead is completely inboard of the transom, bringing the weight forward, and there is no way the prop is going to drag on any point of sail. If this attachment works, I'll send another with the motor in the down position. Larry On Sat, 28 Jan 2012 10:51:41 -0800 Jeanette Matcham <jeanmatcham@shaw.ca> writes:
Dear Larry.
Very many thanks for all this advice .
The Suzuki 6 HP sounds good . Many thanks for the comments on the extra long shaft.
Whilst I have a solar panel clearly the charging facility on the 6 HP is very valuable.
I will be interested in the San Juan and Gulf Island cruise and will
keep my eyes open for information on this.
I am sorry to be a pain but have you any photographs of the stern of
your boat with the Suzuki 6 in place?
Thanks again for your kind help. I very much appreciate your time.
Best wishes
Roger On 28-Jan-12, at 10:29 AM, Larry E Yake wrote:
Roger,
Welcome to the group. You'll love your M17, especially in the great cruising grounds where you live. There is a good group of us the
cruise the San Juan and Gulf Islands every couple of years. Next trip will probably be in 2013. Watch this e-mail list for information if you
want to join us.
Regarding outboards, the problem with a large motor is in putting too much weight on the stern. Montgomerys like to have the weight forward, keeping the transom out of the water. You'll sail faster with less
drag. Most 17 sailors use a 4 or 5 hp motor, and none in our group have
had any issues with having enough power for the same waters you plan on sailing. My boat is a 1976 model and has the cutout like yours. I like having the motor there in the cutout. It's a nice solid mount, with no lowering bracket to hassle with, and the weight is further forward. True, only about a foot, but it's a noticeable difference. I tried moving mine to an adjustable mount once and didn't like it at all. The boat just didn't feel right, and leaning over the transom to operate that bracket was a pain. When you mount your motor in the cutout, you have to be aware of the clearance between it and your rudder. Scoot the motor as far to the side as possible. Some motors (like the Yamaha 4hp 4 stroke) have the control arm mounted off to the side which limits how far you can go. For that reason, I use a Suzuki 4 stroke. The control arm is more in
front of the motor allowing me to mount the motor near the port side of the cutout, giving better clearance. The Suzuki 4hp and 6hp weigh the
same, so I opted for the 6 which is set up for both internal and external tanks. Very nice when cruising. You can also have a charging coil
added to charge you house battery while motoring. And yes, you'll want the 20" long shaft motor. Extra long is not really needed.
Larry M17 CornDog
