Outboard Brackets | Choice, Quality & Testing

So now I had an outboard motor and needed therefore a means of attaching it to the transom.

When I was talking with the first dealer in Reading I asked them to supply a bracket to go with the motor. They recommended three; one was ridiculously expensive and suitable for a much bigger motor, and the other two - which looked ideal - were unobtainable. So that was the first reason to look elsewhere.

Internet searches found a lot of cheap and nasty brackets which did not look any good at all.

Two others did look as if they would work, however, and were available from various online retailers at different prices with different claimed specifications. It seems as if the same products are being offered by different resellers who have little knowledge of what they are selling - not very confidence inspiring, so we have to make our choice and hope for the best.

They weren't massively expensive so I purchased one of each, reasoning that I could probably give away the one I didn't choose to use.

This is the first one.

I have mounted it on a sheet of MDF to test it out.

This bracket is made of stainless steel with a nylon mounting pad. Its height is adjustable, so the motor can be raised or lowered to reach the optimal propeller depth, or lifted up out of the water altogether.

In the following pic it is adjusted to its lowest position.

The pad is held at the required height by a threaded through-rod which slots into a cut-out in the connecting arm for the cantilever assembly. The through-rod is tightened by a pair of screw-knobs which clamp the arm and therefore the pad in place. This is the clamping mechanism.

The screw-knobs are prevented from coming loose by a pair of Nyloc nuts on either end of the rod.

The bracket is quite awkward to adjust in practice, but the clamp works well and provides confidence that it will not jump or vibrate loose in use.

Coincidentally this is the same clamp that was fitted to Peter's "Mollie" on lake Windermere, as you can see in this pic.

It seemed to work fine for "Mollie", so this was a good possibility.

The second bracket is made of aluminium, with a plywood pad. This is it, fitted to the test mount.

Like the first bracket, the through-rod is held in the upper cantilever arm, and slots into a cut out in the connecting arm to set the height of the pad.

This is it.

Unlike the first bracket, the through-bolt on this fitting does not screw down tight to secure the arm. Instead the through-bolt is held in place in the cut out by powerful springs at the inboard end of each pair of cantilever arms, visible in the first pic.

I quite liked the mechanical robustness of this bracket, and despite the powerful springs it was quite easy to adjust.

Next I measured the rise and fall of each bracket (i.e. the extent of their adjustability) by marking each setting against a board clamped behind the base of each bracket.

Here is the aluminium bracket set to its lowest level, being marked up on the board.

This was very telling.

Both brackets have five positions, but the aluminium bracket has a longer reach. This means it can be set lower or higher than the other bracket, depending on where the bracket is positioned on the transom.

Here are the boards, side by side for comparison.

Not much to choose between the two brackets, to be honest, but thus far the mechanical superiority and the longer reach of the aluminium bracket were winning for my final choice.

Pasi is another PocketShip builder in Finland and he recently advised me on his set up. This is the same aluminium bracket fitted on his boat "Kuutti".

He says:

"I have a long shaft Suzuki 2.5 on an adjustable bracket. I think it works quite well, the engine is fairly easy to tilt when the bracket is at its highest position, and you don't need to lower the bracket completely for easy access and still have good prop submersion. In more choppy waters it still allows for a lower position in case it is needed."

That sounds like exactly what I am looking for, so am going with the same bracket!

Outboard Motor | New Engine!

It's been quite some time since the last post, but that doesn't mean nothing has been happening.

The current project is fitting an outboard motor to "Journey".

The search for a suitable engine started weeks ago. I found a Mercury dealership not too far from here, in Reading, so after talking with them I decided to go for a Mercury motor.

I soon lost faith in the dealer however, and searched further afield. I found a main outlet on the south coast, in Chichester, which is accredited by Mercury. So I went there.

Some PocketShip sailors use a 2.5 or 3.5hp motor, which only weighs 18kg and is not an expensive investment. So this was my first choice.

The dealer however was not enthusiastic about such modest power. He thought it would be fine for a tender or a small planing vessel, but a relatively heavy displacement hull like PocketShip would need more power.

Mercury offer a 5hp model specifically for sailboats, called the Sailpower. It is still classified as a lightweight motor even though it weighs 27kg, so it is actually quite heavy.

Unlike the 3.5hp it has a gearbox, with forward and reverse gears. It has special gear ratios and a shallow pitch propeller to effectively drive a displacement hull. It is also a long shaft motor, which is necessary for a sailboat with a high transom.

It's more expensive than the smaller motor, but it was the increased weight that bothered me most. This realistically requires two people to lift it, so maybe not that lightweight...

I decided to go for it anyway. A dealer who sells motor yachts for a living ought to know what they are talking about, and I am confident PocketShip can carry an extra few kilograms. So I purchased a Mercury Sailpower.

It now resides in my study, because at the moment there is nowhere else to store it.

Here it is.

The engine cowling proudly proclaims its credentials, like this.

It has to lie on one specific side if stored lying down, otherwise oil will flood the motor. That would not be good.

It is taking up a lot of room, so I need to get a motor stand to keep it safely stored upright.

And we need a bracket to attach it to the transom.

More expense...

Outboard Motor | Change of Plan

Following our trip to Windermere and highly fortuitous meeting with Peter, the skipper of PocketShip "Mollie", I have decided to fit an outboard motor.

I have been thinking about this for a very long while - since the start of the build - and I can now see that a motor is pretty well essential.

Launching and mooring will not be practical without powered manoeuvring, and I can see that under less-than-ideal weather conditions a motor will be a very good safety consideration.

Initial research has shown that lightweight four stroke motors are available in 2.5hp and 3.5hp, so I am going for the more powerful model.

There is only one 'serious' outboard dealer near me, and it's about an hour away. It is a Mercury dealership, selling Mercury and Tohatsu motors. I think one of these will be fine.

This is the Mercury 3.5hp motor.

I will make a trip to purchase a motor and ask for advice on fitting i.e. do they recommend a make of lifting bracket etc?

As a result I have cancelled the planned move onto the trailer, and will now leave it until the Spring.

The only reason for moving "Journey" now was to completely finish fitting out, by installing the mast and rigging so I could get a survey done.

But that is not urgent and can wait until next year, and I can spend the next couple of months fitting a motor and perhaps making a couple of modifications which I gleaned from "Mollie".

We live and learn...

Launch Sites | Lake Windermere & "Mollie"

We settled on the 24th September for the big move back onto the trailer, and organised a crew of 'volunteers' to do the lift and shift.

So now would be a good time to discover suitable launch sites, while I had nothing outstanding to complete on the boat and a couple of weeks to spare.

One venue that I had long thought suitable was the Lake District, in northwest England. It is a lovely area, and would be good for a vacation as well as a place to launch and sail "Journey".

Fyne Boat Kits, who supplied the kit and most of the materials and equipment for this build, happen to be situated in the middle of the lakes, so I asked Phil (the owner) for advice.

He said that there is a good public launch site at Windermere, and another at Coniston Water. He said that Ullswater would be suitable too, but not to bother with Derwentwater - too small and shallow.

So off we went for a few days in the Lakes.

We found a lovely public launch site on Coniston Water, near the Bluebird café. But the access road was long, narrow and winding and taking a big trailer down there did not appeal.

We could not find anywhere on Coniston Water, so forgot about that.

Windermere, however, was excellent.

There is a really good gated public launch facility at Ferry Nab, with a good ramp and jetties, and pontoons to keep the boat on overnight.

This is it.

Please note - these pics are all from phones, so not up to the usual standard!

It has an impressive secure gated access, like this.

And here is the slipway itself. Note the two excellent jetties either side.

The warden was friendly and helpful, and the fees were not excessive, so we decided this would be a good place for a PocketShip adventure.

We then walked back along the lake through Bowness, which is the waterfront for the town of Windermere.

There are a number of pontoons along the front, and I was looking at the moored boats when I was astonished to spot a PocketShip tied up alongside.

We immediately went to investigate and were met by its owner, Peter.

He could not have been more friendly and helpful, and we spent a delightful hour or more talking with Peter and even having a trip around Belle Isle - under power rather than sail.

This is "Mollie", tied up at Bowness.

This is Peter, in the company of Alison (Mrs Boatbuilder).

Peter bought his PocketShip in 2025, fully built but unpainted and with no mast.

He painted and finished the boat and launched it this year, in 2026.

This included building his own trailer, so he did incredibly well. Much quicker than me!

Interestingly, he had a solid mast made by Frank Collar of Oxford - a well known UK spar maker. He said it weighs the same as the hollow, square mast specified in the plans and build manual. And it looks great. 

I learned many things from Peter, but here are some highlights.

Outboard Motor

Peter said an outboard is essential. He has a 3.3hp Mercury two-stroke, which propelled the three of us well enough on our trip.

From what I saw of the berths and pontoons at Bowness, you really could not get in or out without a motor.

So that is one definite learning point - we need an outboard!

This is "Mollie"s outboard from astern.

It is a short shaft motor on a lifting bracket.

Here is the view from inside the cockpit.

You can see that Peter has a shortened tiller specifically for use with the motor. It was very handy in practice.

Steering was by rudder, with the motor going dead ahead.

Ballast

"Mollie" has 80kg of internal lead ballast, under the floorboards. Peter says this is plenty and demonstrated how stable the boat is by standing on the gunwale. It hardly dipped.

I thought we also had 80kg, but on checking I see that "Journey" has 100kg under the floorboards, so more than enough.

Companionway Step

Peter has fitted a small elliptical step / seat inside the rear cabin wall, at the bottom of the companionway. It is supported by a bracket attached to the front of the centreboard case.

It is certainly a lot more comfortable to stand and sit on than the straight edge which we currently have.

Forward Deck Strengthening

Peter found that his forward deck flexed downward when supporting a person's weight, so he fitted three battens fore and aft between bulkheads 1 and 2 to stiffen it.

Launch Site

Peter had launched his boat at the Windermere Marina Village where he and his family had a rented holiday apartment, with its own mooring and slipway.

So... lots of things to think about.

I am definitely going to fit an outboard motor. I have been thinking about this for a long while, but I can now see it is a necessity.

And I think we will stay at the marina and make use of their slipway and mooring, some time next year.

And lastly here is Peter (and his wife) sailing "Mollie".

Note how the outboard is lifted out of the water on its bracket, and cocked up out of the way.

What a fabulous day! Thanks again Peter, if you get to read this.

Prettifying "Journey" | Cleaning & Polishing

"Journey" was effectively finished and ready to go back on the trailer, but she needed to be cleaned up before the final move.

Refinishing the hull had taken the best part of two years, what with all the trials and tribulations encountered along the way, and the paintwork had become rather dull and indeed dirty in places.

I sought advice on what products to use for cleaning and polishing Epifanes paintwork, and the ever-helpful Paul at BoatPaint suggested this.

It is an Epifanes product, and removes dirt and light oxidation while applying a wax shine.

It worked quite well, and certainly smartened her up. I applied two coats.

Here is the stern view.

And here she is viewed from the front.

That's much better! This is the transom, all shiny and new.

I was pleased with that, and so covered her up with dust sheets to preserve the finish.

Like this.

Now all we need to do is fix a date for the final move, and rustle up a crew!

Trailer | Getting Ready For The Move

With the boat complete and ready to move outside, it was time to prepare the road trailer for use.

It had been sitting on the driveway for a long while, waiting for its time to come.

Firstly I greased the tow ball and hitch and attached the trailer to the car. Then I connected the lighting board and tested the lights - they all worked fine.

Here are the car and trailer, ready to go.

Next came the trailer's very first road journey.

We only went as far as the nearest service station that has an air pump with a large enough bay to park the car and trailer.

The information embossed on the tyre walls showed that the required air pressure is 50psi.

After some fiddling around to get the air pump working, we found that the tyres were at a lowly 23psi - hardly surprising after three years without use.

So I filled the spare and both road tyres up to 50psi, and took the trailer home.

Time to schedule moving "Journey" onto her outside berth!

Centreboard | Final Touches

I wrote in a recent post about repainting the tip of the centreboard, following some minor repair work.

Three coats of gloss were applied which I assumed would be enough to cover the primer.

And it was, but the final coat dried to a very rough finish. I can only assume that a large amount of dust had found its way onto the wet paint.

So I wet sanded the tip again with a P400 grit, and carefully reapplied two more coats of gloss.

This time it dried with a lovely, smooth finish. Here it is.

Job done! There is nothing more to do now, so she is ready to go back outside.