Newer Tohatsu Outboard and Spartan Motor Bracket....

[s2sailorlis]

Anybody here have a newer Tohatsu 5-6 HP mounted on the Spartan bronze bracket…? Was at Defender yesterday, the 2021/2 is a nice design and has the wide front handle vs older units that had the narrow handle. Wondered whether the newer designs are able to tilt up and clear the bracket space as it’s only 8 3/8 wide x 7 1/4 deep…. (same issue with the Merhatsu's too).

[wikakaru]

I have used a newish (2018) Tohatsu 6 that has the shifter on the front on the Spartan bracket on my Typhoon. You have to pivot the outboard a special way to get it to tilt up, but it is doable. However, I think the CD22 has too much freeboard to use the spartan bracket. You may be able to get the prop to reach the water with an XL (25") shaft, though I have no personal experience with this. My CD22 had to have the bracket mounted on the transom. I think the best bet on the CD22 is one of those articulating brackets that lets you lift and lower the outboard. Ugly, but it gets the job done.

Here's a photo of the Tohatsu 6 mounted on my Typhoon. Note how the outboard is pivoted in order to get it to tilt up.

IMG_3602.JPG

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[wikakaru]

I just checked Tohatsu's web site (https://www.tohatsu.com/marine/int/outb ... s6c_1.html) and the new 6 is definitely different from my 2018 model. The engine cover is more rounded and the tiller handle is longer. I have to tilt my tiller handle up to tilt up the outboard, so it may not matter, but I don't know how good the advice I gave in the post above is, because it is definitely a different outboard design.

--Jim

[s2sailorlis]

Jim, thanks for the input. My current motor is the 25” “ultra long shaft “ circa 1995. Only ones available (5/6 HP) in that length are the Tohatsu and Mercury (made by Tohatsu). Your 2018 model is same design as the current Mercury 5hp, Tohatsu went to a new design “philosophy” in 2021.

I considered doing the classic-style adjustable bracket, I could then go to a 20” shaft so choices are much better…eg, Honda or Yamaha. Problem with that type of bracket on 22 is when you need to do a lot of throttle and shift adjustments in close quarters and rapid sequence….it’s a pain to reach down and over the poop deck. My marina docks stern-to using frog hooks, no finger docks, and with a typical cross wind and current there’s a need for me to constantly kick motor forward and reverse as it never tracks straight. See pix below.

If there’s no boat to my starboard (fairly often occurrence) and any breeze over 8 knots it’s difficult to land the boat without a LOT of throttle and tiller adjustments. If I had a mooring or normal slip there wouldn’t be an issue….

EB877588-0E0C-4503-9AEE-55324CFDE6D5.jpeg

[ quote="wikakaru"]I just checked Tohatsu's web site (https://www.tohatsu.com/marine/int/outb ... s6c_1.html) and the new 6 is definitely different from my 2018 model. The engine cover is more rounded and the tiller handle is longer. I have to tilt my tiller handle up to tilt up the outboard, so it may not matter, but I don't know how good the advice I gave in the post above is, because it is definitely a different outboard design.

--Jim[/quote]

[wikakaru]

Wow, what an interesting setup you have with the rods sticking out from the dock to keep the transom and long, tilted up outboard shaft clear of the dock! With an adjustable bracket and a shorter shaft outboard you may be able to rig it up in such a way that you can keep the shaft vertical yet still lift the outboard out of the water. That would allow you to get the stern much closer to the dock.

I understand how getting down to access the outboard on such a bracket can be a pain. On my boat, a previous owner found it necessary to fit a Tohatsu 9.8 with electric start and remote throttle/shifter in the cockpit. He never had to reach back there--all operation was done from the cockpit. I didn't have a need for such a complicated setup so I removed it, but something like that might work nicely for you. Here is what the 9.8 looked like on the bracket before I removed it:

DSC_1131.JPG

The bracket had long since corroded and couldn't be lifted up or down, so the outboard is sticking much farther out than it would be if the bracket could be lifted up.

Here's the remote throttle setup in the cockpit (which I also removed):

20190812_182253.jpg

From the photo you attached I can't tell where the cleats ashore on your slip are, but perhaps you can add some permanently rigged "boundary lines" in your slip from the pilings to cleats ashore. (See this article from Boat/US: https://www.boatus.com/expert-advice/ex ... -line-tips). With such lines, all you have to do when docking stern-to is get the transom somewhere close to the slip opening, then grab one of the lines and walk the boat back. The CD22 is light enough that you don't really need the motor to move the boat. Several boundary lines at different heights will keep you clear of the boats on either side and allow the system to be convenient even if there are tidal changes.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[s2sailorlis]

Thanks Jim, yes pictures suggest some yoga-like moves needed even with a forward mounted control like the tohatsu/mercury.

Boundary lines are verboten as there's no piling at the bow end to secure a line. if i have boats on either side of me, yes, i can walk the boat back. i currently have two cleats on the dockside and have tried making fast to the winch cleat it sort of works under some conditions.

i just installed a 7 pitch prop, old was 8 pitch, a noticeable difference in hole-shot power and it helped a bit in close quarter maneuvering.

[wikakaru]

Thanks Jim, yes pictures suggest some yoga-like moves needed even with a forward mounted control like the tohatsu/mercury.

Boundary lines are verboten as there's no piling at the bow end to secure a line. if i have boats on either side of me, yes, i can walk the boat back. i currently have two cleats on the dockside and have tried making fast to the winch cleat it sort of works under some conditions.

i just installed a 7 pitch prop, old was 8 pitch, a noticeable difference in hole-shot power and it helped a bit in close quarter maneuvering.

Glad the new prop pitch helps in maneuvering. I'd be interested in knowing how the new prop pitch affects the top-end boat speed under power.

I thought I saw some pilings in the photo you posted, but it's hard to tell from the angle of the photo exactly where they are. Is it a Med-moor with a mooring ball at the bow? I'm having trouble picturing how your marina is set up.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[s2sailorlis]

I’d say I’ve dropped about a 1/4 to 1/2 knot of speed, but I haven’t done a controlled test…

The only things keeping our boats docked are the 2 metal arms, they are called frog hooks. They allow for a much greater density of boats in our marina (I.e., adjacent boats are kissing cousins hence the need for fenders on both sides), which is our local town marina. It’s incredibly cheap, has fresh water and electricity access, and is basically a hurricane hole. The larger boats, 26’ and above use traditional pilings. Those are the piling you see in the dock across from mine.

Thanks Jim, yes pictures suggest some yoga-like moves needed even with a forward mounted control like the tohatsu/mercury.

Boundary lines are verboten as there's no piling at the bow end to secure a line. if i have boats on either side of me, yes, i can walk the boat back. i currently have two cleats on the dockside and have tried making fast to the winch cleat it sort of works under some conditions.

i just installed a 7 pitch prop, old was 8 pitch, a noticeable difference in hole-shot power and it helped a bit in close quarter maneuvering.

Glad the new prop pitch helps in maneuvering. I'd be interested in knowing how the new prop pitch affects the top-end boat speed under power.

I thought I saw some pilings in the photo you posted, but it's hard to tell from the angle of the photo exactly where they are. Is it a Med-moor with a mooring ball at the bow? I'm having trouble picturing how your marina is set up.

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[wikakaru]

I’d say I’ve dropped about a 1/4 to 1/2 knot of speed, but I haven’t done a controlled test…

The only things keeping our boats docked are the 2 metal arms, they are called frog hooks. They allow for a much greater density of boats in our marina (I.e., adjacent boats are kissing cousins hence the need for fenders on both sides), which is our local town marina. It’s incredibly cheap, has fresh water and electricity access, and is basically a hurricane hole. The larger boats, 26’ and above use traditional pilings. Those are the piling you see in the dock across from mine.

I have never seen those Frog Hooks before. I checked out their web site: https://froghooks.com/. I guess if a marina really wants to pack a lot of boats into a given space then that's one way to do it. Now I understand why you need to be able to reverse precisely into such an extremely small space. For small power boats that already have tie-down strap mounts on the transom which the Frog Hooks can connect to it's probably no big deal, but I wouldn't want to drill holes in my transom just to mount the hooks.

If you want to buy the new Tohatsu and you have problems tilting it up, you can always change the height of the wooden part of the bracket where it attaches to the bronze part. On my Typhoon I added a small 1x2 spacer on top like so:

20201212_102528.jpg

If that isn't exactly the right height, you can always re-bolt the existing wooden bracket at the correct height so the outboard tilts up. Just don't forget that raising the outboard at the top also raises it at the bottom where the prop is!

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[s2sailorlis]

I was on our towns wait list for 10 years before getting the spot. Was excited until o realized I had to drill this holes in the transom…. But as they say the advantages outweighed the disadvantages….

I’d say I’ve dropped about a 1/4 to 1/2 knot of speed, but I haven’t done a controlled test…

The only things keeping our boats docked are the 2 metal arms, they are called frog hooks. They allow for a much greater density of boats in our marina (I.e., adjacent boats are kissing cousins hence the need for fenders on both sides), which is our local town marina. It’s incredibly cheap, has fresh water and electricity access, and is basically a hurricane hole. The larger boats, 26’ and above use traditional pilings. Those are the piling you see in the dock across from mine.

I have never seen those Frog Hooks before. I checked out their web site: https://froghooks.com/. I guess if a marina really wants to pack a lot of boats into a given space then that's one way to do it. Now I understand why you need to be able to reverse precisely into such an extremely small space. For small power boats that already have tie-down strap mounts on the transom which the Frog Hooks can connect to it's probably no big deal, but I wouldn't want to drill holes in my transom just to mount the hooks.

If you want to buy the new Tohatsu and you have problems tilting it up, you can always change the height of the wooden part of the bracket where it attaches to the bronze part. On my Typhoon I added a small 1x2 spacer on top like so:

20201212_102528.jpg

If that isn't exactly the right height, you can always re-bolt the existing wooden bracket at the correct height so the outboard tilts up. Just don't forget that raising the outboard at the top also raises it at the bottom where the prop is!

Smooth sailing,

Jim

[radsailor]

I need to replace the wooden bracket on my Typhoon outboard mount.
Anyone know the type, length and pitch of the original screws ?
If not, can I drill holes in the vertical struts of the mount for bolts ?