Heavy-Duty Outboard Motor Mount

By Larry Calfee, Top Priority #375

I purchased a new outboard motor and became concerned about trying to mount it on the stern rail. With the 94 LB unit attached there seemed to be a significant amount of fore and aft movement that might eventually cause metal fatigue and damage to the rail and motor. A local rail shop installed an additional stanchion about 8 inches from the original and a stern support rail which removed all perceptible movement from the rail. The stern support rail has the additional function as a hand rail when using the swim ladder. Motor mount plates were fabricated from two pieces of starboard plastic which were grooved to accept the rail that was sandwiched between them. The grooves were made with a router but required considerable adjusting to accommodate the curved top section of the stern rail.