Glen-L.com

I'm just about finished converting the trailer that I bought to fit my Squirt. The boat will have to be trailed with the motor in the up position so that I have enough ground clearance, otherwise it meant the boat being considerably higher on the trailer and it may have been unstable, and also difficult to launch from some of the local slipways where the water can be quite shallow at times.
I need to fit some sort of transom saver, to take the weight off the transom and also because my old Johnson only locks down and not up.
Can anyone point me in the direction of some photos of transom savers, ones that are actually fitted to the trailer rather than in a brochure, I just want to get some ideas of how best to make mine.

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Graham in Shepperton, England

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What are you looking for as you mention a 'transom saver'?
The correct way to fit the trailer to the boat would be with the trailer long enough that the bunks get under the transom. The rear end of the trailer frame should be about even with the transom, and then padded bunks support the transom, and go forward as long as possible. With the transom even with the rear of the trailer, you should get correct weight/balance for towing.
My motor didnt lock in up position, so I put a pad in the hinge of the motor, it just pinched the pad and stayed up enough.
You can also make a leg to go between the lower unit and the end of the trailer frame. It would have a padded 'Y' at lower unit, and fasten to the trailer frame at the other end. This leg holds the motor up.

That leg you're talking about is the transom saver. I've just made and fitted the new bunks and they do extend all the way to the transom, but I need to support the lower end of motor when it's raised to take the strain off the transom when towing, especially as I have to cross several large speed bumps to get to any of the local public slipways!
I'm just debating where to attach the transom saver to the trailer, there's a tubular steel cross member that I could use to attach a conventional style (i.e. single leg) transom saver, or maybe a vee shaped bracket that attaches to the rear ends of both bunks. The latter is my preferred method at the moment as the vee bracket would give lateral support as well as vertical.

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Graham in Shepperton, England

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I'm using a motoflex bracket, modified a bit to suit my trailer.

http://www.western-marine.com/page173.htm

I cut off the bit that is supposed to fit over a keel roller and I welded a bracket to the trailer cross-member, through which the silver pipe is bolted. At the other end, I'm just using a bungee to secure the t/saver to the engine.

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David McAdam
Squirt Gallery - Its BACK!!
http://one.xthost.info/boatbuilder/boat/
BOAT IS NOW SOLD

I just made myself one of those today David! A length of heavy gauge aluminium tube and the ends are made from 18mm plywood, it seems to work fine, mine doesn't have the spring though and it's held in place by a ratchet strap that goes around the back of the lower unit. The tension on the strap is enough to keep the saver in place I think, but I can always add a bungee if I need to.
I'll post some photos of the boat on the trailer in a couple of days. I think I'm all ready for my weekend launch now, apart from buying a tank of petrol everything is done, so I'll have some pics of her on the water by Sunday night if all goes well.

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Graham in Shepperton, England

Good, Quick, Cheap, pick any two.

I've had these types of brackets for other outboard powered boats in the past. They really DO make a big difference. I won't go to the water without one. If you don't have it, you can often hear the motor bouncing around and you can see it going through convulsions in your rearview mirror. That just can't be a good thing.

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