Converting an inboard to an outboard

Fisher_dude

Fisher_dude

Crew Member
My dad and i got a hold of a 17ft Peterbourogh with a 3.8omc. did a ton of work to it, and then the leg blew up. Figures. The boat itself is in great shape, and without dropping a ton of money into getting the leg fixed, we are throwing around the idea of yanking the motor, pulling the leg, filling and fibreglassing the leg hole up and mounting a 115hp merc on the back with a jack plate. We figure all of this can be done for under a grand. The local guy here quoted us in the ballpark of 2500-3000 for a new leg rebuild and shift cable. The up side is now we have an outboard instead of an inboard. The downside, well, that all depends on how you look at it. Gives us a winter project to do but it could be a lot of work.

We are trying to part the boat out but its not going so well, so we figured what the hell. I am a fabricator by trade so all the little nick-nacks that need to be done, i can do at my shop. Purchase a 10" off set jackplate for 289 bucks. Some fibreglass. Some reinforcements. Take out the doghouse and back seats. Redo the floor, keep the old bilge pump and just make a fish cooler out of the hole that was there. Lots of extra storage. Lots of room to fight fish. Seems like a great idea. Almost to good of an idea. And thats why im asking you for any input that you could give me.

Thanks
Matt
 
I think you got the right idea. I never liked small boats with I/O. Just simply not enough room to accommodate a motor inside. But if I was you I'd check out a properly designed pod for your boat. Just hanging something pretty heavy way off your stern on a small boat like that will have significant implications on the boat's balance, centre of gravity and ultimately handling. A designed pod with adequately added floatation seems advisable.
 
My first thought was why the jack plate? Then I noticed that you live in Kewlona.. aha Okanagan lake.. that makes sense. A jack plate is useless on the chuck. Sounds like you got a fun project! I wouldnt waste my time and money on an OMC leg.. seriously. I think it will be more than a grand in the end, but has the potential to be a great ski boat!
 
It's a great idea, but if you're going to do it, do it right, such as build an aluminum pod for the back which frees up space in the boat and offers a few more benefits as well. A good pod can run you 1200.00 and up. If someone offers to do it cheaper something is wrong (red flag). Hopefully a good fabricator can consider all numbers when building it.
 
why do you say that a jackplate would be useless on the chuck?

I could build an aluminum pod for it if i had to i guess. probably be better in the long run then a jackplate.
 
I am warning you, you may be able to fabricate a pod but can you design one properly? Either you have tons of experience or you can do the calculations OR you will end up with a mess. Believe me, I have seen some disappointed faces after the wrong pod was mounted...
 
chris73 said:
I am warning you, you may be able to fabricate a pod but can you design one properly? Either you have tons of experience or you can do the calculations OR you will end up with a mess. Believe me, I have seen some disappointed faces after the wrong pod was mounted...
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Which is why I told him to find a good fabricator who can crunch numbers, degrees, and actually is a fabricator as well as being a welder. A fabricator is about the closest thing to an engineer without an engineering degree as we can blueprint on top of many other things. A welder alone could not do a "proper" job on this boat. Take your time and find the right guy who is certified as both. I would do it for you but I'm not in the Okanagan, and my shop is closed until I recover from the surgery I have coming up.

Chris is telling the truth though. There are some hack jobs out there on the backs of boats.
 
i suppose its a good thing that i have been fabricating for the past 12 years and have a few welding tickets under my belt. That, and i just finished my sheet metal apprenticeship. To tell you the truth, when i started my research, all i found was jack plates. But now that someone mentiond pods, it seems like the better way to go 100%
 
i think im gonna put the ax to this. After researching all night, crunching numbers on the price of marine grade aluminium, what the boat is worth, and my time, i think we are just going to buy a bigger boat with what we want. To much pissing around for that boat! thanks for the input.
 
Sounds like a great idea pulling the inboard and putting a pod on the back. I would talk to some boat designers about floatation in the pod etc. and how to reinforce the transom for the loads etc. Search The Hull Truth forum as there is a ton of information on there.
 
Fisher_dude said:
i think im gonna put the ax to this. After researching all night, crunching numbers on the price of marine grade aluminium, what the boat is worth, and my time, i think we are just going to buy a bigger boat with what we want. To much pissing around for that boat! thanks for the input.
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That's always the killer being the price of materials. Even to do something for yourself. Alot of customers don't understand what it actually costs to build something, and the jaw hits the ground when you give them a price. With your tickets you know exactly what I'm talking about :)

Don't rule it out though. Check with AJ Forsyth on material price. They're usually the cheapest..
 
Fisher_dude said:
i think im gonna put the ax to this. After researching all night, crunching numbers on the price of marine grade aluminium, what the boat is worth, and my time, i think we are just going to buy a bigger boat with what we want. To much pissing around for that boat! thanks for the input.
Click to expand...

Right choice!
Dave
 
Sculpin said:
Compared to who?
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Well the only one really I can compare it to here, is Wilkinson from Vic, so I usually get a few dollars cheaper per piece from AJ, but then again there's an AJ location here, rather than have to ship from Vic. Depends where you are. I know a fellow who has pretty good prices, up there in Vernon close to where he's at if he decides to do the job.
I guess it depends on where a person is located too. Good point Sculpin.
 
Sculpin said:
Compared to who?
Click to expand...

I've bought most of my steel from Forsyth recently because the price has been pretty good and it's close to home. When I can though, I'll buy from Express Trailers in Parksville. They usually have the best deal and make the 40 mile return trip worthwhile. Our local Metal Supermarket is priced ridiculously high and I avoid them at all costs.
Dave
 
vetteman said:
I've bought most of my steel from Forsyth recently because the price has been pretty good and it's close to home. When I can though, I'll buy from Express Trailers in Parksville. They usually have the best deal and make the 40 mile return trip worthwhile. Our local Metal Supermarket is priced ridiculously high and I avoid them at all costs.
Dave
Click to expand...

I understand if your buying smaller amounts etc. then buying on the Island is the only economical way to go. I buy quite a bit of aluminum during a year and there are alot cheaper places on the mainland hence the compared to who question.

Good suggestion on Express. I heard their prices are quite good. I only buy from Metalsupermarket if I am in a real jam.

Cheers,
Sculpin
 
TheBigGuy said:
Hey Sculpin.

Where on the mainland would you recommend for good prices on marine grade plate alloy.
Click to expand...

Ryerson and Samuel are two that I buy the most stuff from. Alaskan Copper and Brass if I'm in a jam or need a weird shape or size etc. (they have the best selection but their pricing is a bit high). You can try AJ Forsythe on the mainland as their pricing seems better than their Island branches.

I don't know what the off the street pricing is like or what their minimums are but it's worth a call.
 
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