Jack plate on Campion Explorer

Bearded wonder

Well-Known Member
Anyone installed a 5” jack plate on a 1990’s Campion Explorer 185. Currently have a 20” leg Yamaha 115 two stroke. Looking at repowering the boat and there is more options going to a 25” leg.
 
I helped my buddy put one on his Hourston. They can work when set up correctly, but put extra strain on the transom, so make sure your transom is solid. I would add some backing, a 4x4” aluminum plate or so, on the inside where the outboard bolts on to help spread the load. Lots of guys just get a metal fabricator or do it themselves, if you have the know-how, and put an aluminum plate across the transom to bring it to the required 25”. See lots of boats set up that way. If you're capable, you can tie into the existing transom raising it 5” with some lumber, glass it all back up, and gel coat it. I think it looks the best. It is nice having the 25” leg, keeps the power head a little higher out of the water.
 
Last edited:
Depending on your true transom height you may not have to go up 5” as there’s a bunch of mounting height holes on the motor that you can usually get some inches out of. Thick plate on the outside even up only a couple inches about might be all you need. As another post mentioned use a strip of plate on the inside that you bolt through should be all you need.
 
This is where I had to set mine with a 20” shaft. I tried a 25” and the jack plate would not go high enough. Some older explorers have a step at the bottom of the transom. They built the transom way too short when they did that. I ended up rebuilding my transom and adding 8” so I could mount a 25” outboard without a jack plate. IMG_5634.jpegIMG_5629.jpeg
 
Mine doesn’t have the step. Don’t thing I have the height on the transom to not have a jack plate as my current motor is already 1” or so higher than the transom.
I am thinking of going with a static jack plate. Not sure why I would ever need to adjust it. Thoughts?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_5491.jpeg
    IMG_5491.jpeg
    349.3 KB · Views: 29
  • IMG_5492.jpeg
    IMG_5492.jpeg
    353.7 KB · Views: 30
  • IMG_5490.png
    IMG_5490.png
    280 KB · Views: 29
Getting the right height is a lot of trial and error. Mount the outboard. Test run. Move a hole. Test run … repeat. find the height where it performs best. The adjustable jackplate let’s you do that way easier.
 
Getting the right height is a lot of trial and error. Mount the outboard. Test run. Move a hole. Test run … repeat. find the height where it performs best. The adjustable jackplate let’s you do that way easier.
Very true. I just am not sure of the stress caused by moving the motor back 4” or so.

Or am I overthinking it
 
This is where I had to set mine with a 20” shaft. I tried a 25” and the jack plate would not go high enough. Some older explorers have a step at the bottom of the transom. They built the transom way too short when they did that. I ended up rebuilding my transom and adding 8” so I could mount a 25” outboard without a jack plate. View attachment 114490View attachment 114491
Do you have some more pictures of how you did the rigging? Curious to know what/how it looks after upgrading to a 4 stroke.
 
Very true. I just am not sure of the stress caused by moving the motor back 4” or so.

Or am I overthinking it
I would be more concerned about the torque from the jackplate raising the motor high enough to accommodate the longer shaft especially if you ever need to mash it in reverse.
 
Do you have some more pictures of how you did the rigging? Curious to know what/how it looks after upgrading to a 4 stroke.
I’ll have to take a couple pics. I don’t have any in my phone. It’s nothing special. Everything except steering runs through a rigging tube.
 
Anyone installed a 5” jack plate on a 1990’s Campion Explorer 185. Currently have a 20” leg Yamaha 115 two stroke. Looking at repowering the boat and there is more options going to a 25” leg.
There's one on South Island for $300

 
I’ll have to take a couple pics. I don’t have any in my phone. It’s nothing special. Everything except steering runs through a rigging tube.
Here's what my rigging looks like now. I have a couple of little things to clean up still. When I rebuilt the transom I added 8" of height, so I glassed in the old steering cable hole and drilled a new hole in line with the new motor height.
rigging.jpg
 
Nice. Thanks. I ended having. It done similar. Except they didn’t put in in a rigging hose 🤦. So I am going to myself. I ran my kicker hoses through the old oil cap. IMG_5586.jpegIMG_5585.jpeg
 
Back
Top