does everybody have am easily removable plug that fits securely in the outboard well when not in use? Im a new owner, of an inboard that also has the well, and just realized the "plug" comes out easily with the removal of two thumb screws. I thought it was glassed. Just wanted to know if that is a standard bit, or if I got lucky? Certainly is a great option in my opinion!
The well was added by Pearson to the boats without inboard engines. If you have both, then a PO upgraded to inboard auxiliary power. BTW - all the ob wells came with a plug from the factory. For more information, please use the search function. Lots of discussions.
I was not aware of that, Bill. That means owners were losing outboard plugs at a much higher rate and percentage than bic lighters! I'm not a statistician, but I think that pencils out..Originally Posted by Bill
(Rest assured, when the winning lottery ticket comes in, I will make sure every A/C owner gets a replacement plug.)
My home has a keel.
I challenge anybody to SEARCH for something specific
[sorry, this repeated itself....]
Last edited by ebb; 02-23-2013 at 11:31 AM.
I challenge anybody to go into the SEARCH function
and come up with an answer to 'outboard well plug' - 'OB motor plug' - 'OB well cover'
The search function reduces your prompt to something shorter that makes no sense.
When you get the threads there are 60 or a 100 of them - with no clue where your goose is.
Like a page number or a post number......
We have a chinese search engine for a boat website. (No tickee, no shirtee)
Example: typed in
>outboard well plug<
into the Search request window.
Search verified with
>outboard, plug< [note the introduction of the puntuation mark - which makes the search phrase meaningless.]
and 36 site threads came up. I randomly select: Ariel 387 - "Arthur".
Scrolled through 40 posts to page 3 where finally saw the meaningless phrase accented in yellow, post 43.
This is a picture supported thread - our 'clues of probability' were in one or two photos along the way....
There happens to be on this thread a good example of the factory well hole flange, post 38
But NO example of the plug or cover or fairing plate or whatever it's called.
No satisfaction.
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If I type into the Search window >OB well<, it'll come back >OB, well< ....as if 'well' is considered an adverb - rather than a noun.
Like: OutBoard, well....... well, are you really sure you want to look up outboard?
Outboard, of what? Do you mean overboard? Onboard?
"The word is too common, or too long, or too short to be included in your search."
THAT is an actual quote telling me, the victim inquirer, why the search wasn't accomplished. Really.
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[VBulletin is a product of Jelsoft Enterprises, a subsudiary of Internet Brands, located in ElSegundo CA......
since they are right down the street, maybe we could ask them to reset their product >soft, ware< with a nautical dictionary?]
Last edited by ebb; 02-24-2013 at 12:03 PM.
Outboard plug? I was afraid to ask. But now that you bring it up. I'm wondering how much reserve bouyancy you gain by having a good plug that allows little or no water in the well. Ever seen the Harbor 20 with their swing out trolling motor ( no hole in the boat)
Very rough guesstimate....?
4 feet - one foot wide - across side to side at the transom....
add another 4 feet - one foot wide - across at the bulkhead....
make them one foot deep = 8 cubic feet.
Add another odd shaped 4 feet across UNDER the bulkhead ones....
Total 12 cubic feet volume.... ballpark.
12 X 64 (weight of saltwater per cube) = 768lbs, give or take.
Now add the pounds of water you might have in the cockpit in a storm?
What might the stability of the little ship be..... with a TON of water in it?
This... in more or less the OPEN end of the Ariel? Always possible, Right??
If the boat is down in the back end, what's going to keep the water out?
A bucket?
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It occured to me, what with modern reverse transoms with no rear bulkhead
that are completely open for drainage....."Martha, have you seen little Billy....?"
that if you open the access hatch just behind the rudder post in the Ariel, leave it open.
Take the lid/plug off the OB well and leave it open too. BIG scupper, goodbye water.
You'd have to seal that area (and the cockpit) with epoxy or rubber paint so no water
can find its way below into the cabin thru the stern* or cockpit locker lids.
Have yourself a huge exit for anything that comes on board....including a tuna fish.
littlgull has a version of this.....the cockpit and OB well are open and connected together.
Water can't stay in unless the plug is in the hole.
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It's another kettle of fish to keep the stern locker sweet smelling and dry.
Pearson didn't design it to be dry.
BUT, You have to have a working, tightly fastened, gasketed lid for the OB well. You are going
to need it when sailing....because water comes right in the well when the boat is squatting.
So it has to go on & come off in a second - if you have an OB.
Hence, the wingnuts! Must be something better than wingnuts?
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*Some owners have found that the bulkhead of their well (that's also the cockpit blkhd.) often has a leak.
Some have also found that the foam filled deck around the OB hole is filled with water and
probably gasoline. Water leaking in ends up in the sump or bilge.
Last edited by ebb; 02-24-2013 at 12:09 PM.
Bill, I'd like to believe the collective knowledge here is readily available but I have to agree that the search function is at best clumsy and extremely time consuming. Its a tedious process of sorting through piles of threads thrown back based only on a word search not real relevance.
As a newcomer years ago I was enough of an experienced web user to try the search function many times before I just started posting threads on what were obviously going to be much discussed topics among those who had been around longer than me. I've never failed to get an answer from fellow boat owners and enjoy the interaction with other sailors. Since that interaction is one of the most valuable results from being registered here I can't imagine why I'd go back to trying the word-search based "search" function. The fun of the conversation is way more valuable than the tedium of slogging through word=bingo searches.
Alternative to Forum Search
Let Google do it: at a Google (or another) search prompt, type the string below:
site:pearsonariel.org "OB well"
-OR-
site:pearsonariel.org "outboard well plug"
It's very slick and just searches the within web address after "site". Also, the quotes tell it to search for that exact string.
And yes, it's not quite as fun as the "conversation". ;)
NOTE: If you cut/paste the above, make sure you don't also copy the URL tags that the forum automatically puts in there.
Last edited by mbd; 02-24-2013 at 01:37 PM. Reason: Trying to get the forum to leave off the "URL tags
Mike
Totoro (Sea Sprite 23 #626)
Also, be sure to put a space following the "dot org" before you start the quote marks. Failing to do that, I just got error messages or links to "wells" and suchWe need to add this capability to the user instructions .. . .
Is it possible for the Search window [up at the top of the page here] to already have
www.pearsonariel.org
in the window - so that all a search person would have to do is type in (burp) "OB well" ?
Ok so the search has to be googlized. But google is everywhere.
Maybe a little google hatch could pop open on my server's address bars
when ever I'm on www.pearsonariel.org
that would have the site address typing ready to go....with me needing only to type in the request.
Is this something to ask my company's comptech to do?
Am I understanding that I have to leave the ariel site and go to my home site's address bar
(which I believe is "google-ized") to enjoy this specific access app? Zap!
Last edited by ebb; 02-24-2013 at 12:54 PM.
You can do it without the "www." too to simplify things. i.e. "site:pearsonariel.org sculling" (I edited my original post to reflect this.)
The FireFox browser will also let you add a "Search Engine" using this same idea. I'll have to research it though, it was a long time ago that I last did it.
Last edited by mbd; 02-24-2013 at 01:38 PM.
Mike
Totoro (Sea Sprite 23 #626)
I was looking at a Harbor 20 that has a swing out electric motor (trolling motor) that hides in the aft lazerette. Its a nice set up that needs no hole in the bottom of the boat and of course is only for light or no wind as it doesn't have much thrust. You can google Harbor 20 images and see a pic of the set up. I have never been very fond of gasoline on any boat and was thinking of engineering (southern engineering) something similar on my Ariel. Sounds like the outboards tend to leave the boat a little heavy on the stearn. Haven't heard much about the torquedo electric motors but they are a little stronger than the typical trolling motor. Anybody think that sounds crazy? If I had an inboard I would certainly consider the electric conversion
P.S. Bills job must be a pretty tough and thankless job as he has to keep up with all the new comers like me from just blabbing and posting away, so I just want to take my hat off for all the hard work he does. It takes a very vigilant person to keep up with all that. Thanks to Bill I'm already a little better about looking through the old wisdom on here.
And, to continue . . . please search on electric outboard motors, etc. There are a couple of people on the board presently involved with making such a conversion.
Searched and searched but didn't see a post on a swing out mount like the ones on the Harbor 20. Probably wasn't holding my mouth right. Maybe the Slocum approach to an auxiliary is the way to go. I certainly enjoy his company anyway.
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