Transom Saver

[WetRaider]

I always called it a "kick-stand" ... on my previous Yamaha & my current 1150, I've got a metal tab that rotates into place and prevents the motor from dropping any further.
With the Yamaha, I did what V153 suggested ... flipped the tab down, trimmed it down tight, disconnected battery and away I went.
With the height of the 115, I see the center of gravity being much higher.  Despite the "kick-stand," I can imagine that trailering would result in the motor wanting to rock forward (trim up direction) away from the tab.  I can't imagine a transom saver would hurt & it was probably developed as a solution to a weak/flexible transom intended to generate a slightly longer lifespan out of something that was already failing.  ??

In my current case, the best transom saver would not have prevented the problem of a half-way job done on replacing the transom by the PO.  I've got solid wood, but no structural support for it.

[terry]

I USE THESE COST ABOUT 12.00 MOST MARINE SHOPS.BE SURE TO BUY 2 ONE FOR EACH SIDE.

[David CVX-16]

T H Marine also has their version called "Motor Stick"

http://www.thmarine.com/product.cfm?PRID=212

[74 Carlson the II]

100% Agree!!!

Boat moves down for a sec, while trailer hits a bump, jamming the motor up against the transom.  No thanks.

Not sure I see how my boat is going to move down on the trailer while hitting a bump. If you have the boat strapped down correctly and you hit a bump the boat will at most lift off the trailer a fraction of an inch if any. If a boat is moving enough while going down the road that a transom saver would jam the motor up against the  transom then something is terribly wrong and the boat would be all over the trailer. How would a boat move down on the trailer? That would mean you bunks or rollers just dropped.

You'd have to hit one hell of a bump or a foot deep pothole to get the boat off the trailer enough to cause that to happen. A good transom saver will have some sort of suspension built in and will absorb any, if any, slight movements while towing. Mine has about 2" of suspension. If set up correctly your boat is resting on the bunks an/or rollers and the t-saver is extended to the motor. The boat can not go any lower unless the bunks drop. It's going to travel with the trailer by the suspension. The saver would have to magically extend it's self to jam the motor up far enough to damage the transom.

I used one on a glass boat for 10 years and towed that thing close to 25k miles over highways, gravel and some dirt roads that were bumpy as all get up and that transom was rock solid and not a crack in it.

After all that being said. It's not really intended to "Save the transom." most of the manufactures highly suggest not towing with the motor supported by the tilt/trim system or the tilt lock bar or lever. You're just taking the load off of those items.

I'll stick with mine.

[Jason]

Thanks for the transom saver KIP!