Motor In or Out

[Patsy Mac]

I recently purchased my first boat, 1998 Islander, single Yama 250. As a rookie, the previous owner spent some time showing me the ropes. One thing he cautioned me on was to keep the motor out of the water when docked. He stated something about stray electricity potentially affected my Grady. Not to mention corrosion. This was last fall.

I'm back in the salt water again, a a couple of folks at work were questioning why I lift the motor after use. They said I am exposing the prop to potential theft, and there is no reason to take the motor out of the water. Now I'm confused.

Sounds like a silly rookie question, but can the ole salts lend me some advice here? Thanks

 

[White Horses (Mike)]

IMHO - I think the whole point of an outboard is to be OUT of the water when not in use... I certainly leave mine up. I could just imagine the intakes getting clogged with growth... yikes.

 

[Patsy Mac]

Kind of makes sense to me as well, but these jamokes got me second guessing. Thanks for the input. See you on the Sound.......

 

[White Horses (Mike)]

It will be interesting to see if anyone posts some compelling reasons to leave 'em down. Every once in a while the Jamokes are right! I gotta think keeping them out of the salt water when you can is the right thing though.

Enjoy that Islander, and i hope we cross paths out there...

 

[ocnslr]

They need to be tilted up to:
1) reduce the very strong likelihood to fouling with marine growth
2) reduce the exposure to potentially damaging circulating currents - all to common in many marinas.

The only time to tilt them down is if the air temperature is going to be well below freezing. I have to do that a few times each winter - you will likely be on the hard, and your engines (not motors) will be vertical.

If the thieves are that thick in your marina, then shoot them, or move somewhere else.

Brian

 

[BobP]

You would have to apply antifouling from the entire midsection down. May not look good. Being in the water, there is more exposure to leaks of the lower unit seals. But if you have a concern about prop theft - read on .

Since the transom brackets and remaining engine are electrically connected together and made of the same metals, they are one in the same, so if you are going to get galvanic damage it will happen the same in or out of the water. In the water, additional engine zincs come into the play. That's why the manuf. put them there.

If there is no galvanic damage tendency on your boat, then the lower unit will not be damaged by it if stays in the water.

Any galvanic damage is no good, periodically inspect to observe change in conditions, take action promptly to mitigate potential damage. From season to season the condition of the zincs at end of season should be the same. Be sure zincs never get a chance to erode fully during the season.

 

[Tashmoo]

By all means leave you engine up out of the water, never leave the lower unit in the water when on the slip or mooring. As Ocnslr posted, fouling by all the same little critters that force you to paint the bottom of your boat is one reason, assuming you are in salt water. More importantly is the reaction caused by stray current in the water and the metal of your lower unit. My chemistry is not up to snuff so I can't explain why it happens but the zincs goes first (something to due with the number of elections in the outer most shell) and once they are gone the reaction will start on the aluminum in your lower unit. If you want to prove this to yourself look around at the most poorly kept boats in your marina and look at their zincs and lower units.

Also flush you engine with fresh water after every use, it does not show a result after a week or a month but pays big time over multiple years. You will not have problems with salt built up blocking cooling ports or corroding mating surfaces. Also run the lift rams all the way up put the engine on the transport bracket and then run your rams all the way in to protect them from constant exposure to the elements.

 

[fishingFINattic]

One my 265 there are twice as many zincs in the water when the motors are down. For this reason, my marina, a yamaha dealer, recommends that I leave them down....
I dont..... becaus I dont want growth to form inside of the water passage ways, and I dont want the lower unit seals in the water all of the time....

With that said, my old boat had a kicker that I always left down at the dock.... painted the bottom the lower unit and it was fine, for years....

Tim

 

[Patsy Mac]

Thanks all for the advice. Sounds like out is the way to go. Who needs all the headaches associated with leaving the motor down.

Appreciate the advice about raising, locking with the transport bracket and retracting the cylinders as well.

Thanks again.