25' Checkmate Convincor I/O to twin O/B's

[Instigator]

Might as well get serious!

[FUJIMO]

...the way you discribe things, it sounds like there is just plain too much weight at the rear of the boat. the motors, the brackets weight, the fuel tank towards the rear & the batteries/rigging, etc. it is what it is though, i get it. its only a 25 foot boat with a lot of hardware back there & no cabin. i would stay with outboard rotation, no matter the shaft length. with outboard rotation, the engine gearcases alignment would do better with the tow adjusted slightly outward. opposite of what is commonly thought of as proper. going with 20'' motors will help with cg a bit. good idea, only downside being more carefull in a following sea & slowing down more slowly. the only other negative on a twin vee-bottom twin or triple with a high x-demension or installed height on a bracket is that the reverse thrust slams up against the transom & works against you a bit at docking, working one motor against the other, etc. without wind working against you, its just something you have to get used to, throttle-wise & so on. prop testing & getting the right type props will do wonders for all your issues...

[Instigator]

Thx Mo!

Much appreciated and as expected.

And as we weekend on the boat, on Lake Erie, where it’s always windy……., if we return to dock and I forget to put the motors down, I put on a **** show!

W/the way the bracket is built, w/the 20” motors down, they’ll be same as the 25’s when up.
As in, **** show.

I can always switch back.

As to the cabin, I built/added a galley and all the funk to fill it, so there is some weight up there.

I also added a 115 water bladder to the anchor locker to supply the sink.

Next move will be moving batteries from back seat to cabin.

I tried that on the test float/mock up, in static for only.

[Instigator]

This is why we test.

Got a chance to sneak out today and went to the local pond.

Reversed rotation on the motors and took MO’s advice on gear case toe and set them to a 1/2” out.

Coming on plane, it still rolled to starboard and now that side prop breaks loose and spins!
Cant make this up.

I had what I think is a VRO pump caused fuel starvation issue on port motor and switched to what I thought was a good backup pump.
Wrong!

It set off the low oil alarm every 2 or 3 mins so….., I learned a little.

Picking up stainless sheet tomorrow to extend the tabs, will order a new VRO pump, and try it again.

Oh, and, prep and paint the 20” mids and finish the gear case conversions to the Lightnings.