Wellcraft Nova undergoes a conversion from Sterndrive to Outboard.

[Smoking Joe]

The single sling approach is an easy way to fiddle with your desired CG. Your approach is pretty unique. It looks like you will use the "bearers" to allow for a platform for your weight simulations as you move the CG around to get it all right. Pretty cool approach, thanks for posting.

Thanks Greg, you are exactly right.

So the "bearers" are in effect full knees+stringers that run right up to the bulkhead, transferring all the loads and spreading them the full length into the hull. Kind of like extending the stringers right out the back. Hmmmm.

Greg that's correct the idea is that by using this design we are spreading the load right through the rear of the hull rather than hanging it all off the transom. This should give us a stronger platform to hang the engine or engines and potentially this will be a lighter structure than using similar materials to strengthen the transom and add knees.

These bearers will be glassed in and a motor hung on the structure? Or removed and a bracket added conventionally with hardware for the engine?


XstreamVking when complete externally the transom will look like any other mono hull with a pod on the transom with boarding platform. Once we work out what set back we need we will cut the excess off the longitudinal bearers, build a pod for additional bouyancy at rest, bolt on a hydraulic jack plate and then the V8. So the finished boat will look like any of the 23ft to 26ft mono V hulled boats with outboards on stern pods.

The difference in our boat will be the design and method of construction to achieve the result. I hope this explanation covers all the bases for you.

[Brabender]

By offset I mean how far back do you plan to go
Looks like 18 plus 6. really dont understand the point
of doing CG on a boat like that unless you have a refference point..

we used to do it when I raced small tunnels, it was important because i was always
50 lbs heavier than most other drivers. would run the boat first and then move weight
around based on its attitude.

The Constant here is the weight of the motor. 18 sounds right for your bracket
If the v8 is a 25" motor I bet the gearcase is a foot below the bottom from the looks of your
initial setup. I did one once ( will post pics ) and had to put 6 inch block to raise the motor.

18" is more than enough to get full trim out of the motor w the jack and I wouldnt go much further
back w a big heavy motor like the V8 or 2. I would focus more on gearcase in relation to the
bottom and do your CG when you can run w a 6 gal tank b4 u put everything back in the boat
IE tanks batteries etc, take it for a ride and see what she does and go from there.

Really really like ur bearers

my 3 cents

[Smoking Joe]

By offset I mean how far back do you plan to go
Looks like 18 plus 6. really dont understand the point
of doing CG on a boat like that unless you have a refference point..

we used to do it when I raced small tunnels, it was important because i was always
50 lbs heavier than most other drivers. would run the boat first and then move weight
around based on its attitude.

The Constant here is the weight of the motor. 18 sounds right for your bracket
If the v8 is a 25" motor I bet the gearcase is a foot below the bottom from the looks of your
initial setup. I did one once ( will post pics ) and had to put 6 inch block to raise the motor.

18" is more than enough to get full trim out of the motor w the jack and I wouldnt go much further
back w a big heavy motor like the V8 or 2. I would focus more on gearcase in relation to the
bottom and do your CG when you can run w a 6 gal tank b4 u put everything back in the boat
IE tanks batteries etc, take it for a ride and see what she does and go from there.

Really really like ur bearers

my 3 cents

Thanks Brabender for your comments. I would really like to see the final setup that you achieved, please do post pics.......
I have a 300hp with a 20 inch leg and will try that first however I plan to set it all up with the 25inch mid in mind as I think that will be the leg I will need to run. 18 inches of setback plus 6 inch jack plate is where I think it will end up but only time will tell. I would rather have to shorten the pod than have to add to it.

This afternoon I cut the ply for the section of transom between the bearers and got it glued in place. Currently I seem to be able to find the time to move this project forward.

[Brabender]

<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2gt6trl" target="_blank"><img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/2gt6trl.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

[Brabender]

not sure if you can see the x diminsion drawings
per mfg's instructions wound up 5 inches too low
for 25 Inch,

<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=2dvqvr7" target="_blank"><img src="http://i53.tinypic.com/2dvqvr7.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

[Brabender]

thats a whole tube of 5200,
had that baby well over 10 ft in the air many times
and never had one crack

man i miss my hair

<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=mhezqr" target="_blank"><img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/mhezqr.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

[Brabender]

<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=35i0svt" target="_blank"><img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/35i0svt.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

[Brabender]

<a href="http://tinypic.com?ref=24zkm7n" target="_blank"><img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/24zkm7n.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a>

[Brabender]

Hope I am not hijacking ur thread
U see how the bottom lifts up as it comes away from the transom
I also had them make a v in the middle so re entry
would be better. Hope this helps you. The boat was incredible
and I am sorry I sold it

[OFFSHORE GINGER]

Brabender , Hey ole friend whats up ..........nice work , and just curious why did you sell her ?

[Brabender]

More Projects !

[Smoking Joe]

Hope I am not hijacking ur thread
U see how the bottom lifts up as it comes away from the transom
I also had them make a v in the middle so re entry
would be better. Hope this helps you. The boat was incredible
and I am sorry I sold it

Thanks for sharing the photo's, great looking boat. I presume your pod is Aluminium??????? I am also lifting the pod base where it leaves the transom, just to give a little lift when in reverse. Where you have a V in your pod base I am going with flat base. The lakes here don't get that rough and as I will be also fishing from it I was thinking that being flat will help with stability at rest and at displacement speed. I am assuming your boat was inboard sterndrive. I would be interested in some engine/horspower discription of before and after. Any speed improvement with the outboards post the transformation???? Thanks again for the pics.

[Brabender]

Boat ran 72 w stock 150 Crossflows
never got the chance to see how it would run w a pair of hot motors

simply didnt have the funds

[Wingnut0302]

I like the idea of stringer/knee brace/bracket your doing,I wish I would have thought about that when doing mine

[Greg G]

Another way to handle the motor.......