Motor installed

Motor installation was completed this morning. I was hoping to mount the controller forward of the motor on the engine compartment bulkhead. It would fit but would be hard to access and might make access to the motor more difficult than it should be. Since cable lengths are limited (~6 ft) I'm looking into fabricating a shelf or rails that will be located aft of the motor and raised slightly to get the controller off the floor. The controller can be exposed to moisture so long as it dries out, but I wouldn't want it too close to bilge water which may be present. The compartment is fairly dry unless it rains or excessive water is splashing into the cockpit.

On to mounting other components like the charger, contactor/solenoid, and securing batteries.

Outdrive in its final position

Motor installed, aft view. Bulkhead in background.

New Throttle and Control Panel

A few things I was able to start on these past few weeks (Mid-June) was reconfiguring the control panel and making a new throttle housing. The fuel gauge and tach were obviously no longer needed and the system from Electric Yacht included a new ignition switch. Using StarBoard (a HDPE product suitable for marine use) I was able to cover up the old holes from the old components. I wanted to preserve the original appearance of the boat, not adding anything that would look out of place.

For the throttle, I thought it would be best to construct something that would attach to the wheel pedestal without having to drill any holes. I may eventually remove the old throttle and transmission levers, but doing so would leave some holes. Incorporating the new throttle into the existing holes wasn't feasible--the new throttle is larger and much more than just a mechanical lever. Using StarBoard I constructed a box to house the throttle. This may be a temporary setup until I get more comfortable with the system. The box will offer some flexibility until I decide what to do different--if anything.

Old control panel

New panel with battery monitor and new switch

New throttle with housing (front)

New throttle with housing (back)

Begin Glasswork

The boatbuilder opted to use the existing base knowing that it was very stable, level and centered. We wanted to raise the mount pad 2" to 2-1/4" to get the prop location we needed. They began fabrication of a round plate that is going to bolt down to the existing mount ring. Bolts are going to be countersunk and glassed in. 5200 adhesive will be used to ensure a watertight seal with the existing mount ring.

An additional rectangular plate with studs projecting upwards will be fabricated. The studs will be recessed and glassed in, then the plates will be adhered together with 5200 adhesive. Fiberglass mat and resin will be used around the base to fill in the gaps between the new and existing fiberglass. The rectangular base of the motor will then slide onto the studs and hard mounted to the new fiberglass.

8 holes around the round plate will secure it to the original motor base. 4 holes around center cut out will have studs that continue through rectangular plate. There will be an additional 4 studs going through the rectangular plate only.



 

Motor w/rectangular plate 

Both plates—rectangular plate has a rectangular cutout to accommodate rectangular relief on the bottom of the outdrive base. Circular plate has an oval shape to maximize amount of material and stability.

Engine Placement

Once we had the new motor at the boatyard, we needed to place it in the existing mount to determine optimal placement. The outdrive was available in two lengths, I opted for the longer since it gave us the flexibility of raising the motor bed/pad within the engine compartment, thus getting the prop off the keel line. The shorter version wouldn't have provided enough clearance between the prop and hull. The prop used on the old gas saildrive was 12 inches diameter. The new prop is 14".

New motor/outdrive in
position for determination
of placement