Engine well plug

After looking at the picture of "Atom's" outboard's lower unit poking out of a nicely fared off and fitted transom plug, I've been thinking of how to do it with Haabet (#133). Has anyone ever tried cutting the engine well plug in half, and then scribing a cut out for the lower unit, cutting it to fit fairly tightly and then adding a gasket to help close any gap that might remain when you fit the plug back in (clamshell-wise) around the lower unit.

It seems like it could work. Of course, it would mean cutting your existing plug in half. So I was thinking of either trying to find one that no one wants (a homeless plug) and experimenting with it or really thinking it through before trying it with mine. Does anyone have a spare, or one that they would be willing to part with?

I've never used the plug that came with Haabet. The engine is too big to just lift out and sail away. Once it's in, it's in for the season ... even with the Garhauer lifting davit. But I am trying to minimize the drag and the potential engine damage caused by the boat's wave coming up into the well when we approach hull speed.

To save the original plug, why not duplicate it? One might fill the well with foam (lining it first with something like Saran wrap and covering the opening in the hull) and then create something using the foam plug as a mold. Or something like that. I'm sure there are more ideas out there . . .:cool:

Theis did something similar with his engine well plug. Its on the second page of this thread:


http://www.pearsonariel.org/discussi...5&pagenumber=1

Theis, how is that working out?