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Please keep an eye out for any 'unusual' offer (i.e. not a dealer) from any individual interested in selling a new 2005 Nissan 18hp. 4 stroke long-shaft engine with electric & hand start that has scratching on the upper shaft cover area. This engine was taken off Zeno's Arrow sometime in the last few days by cutting the lock & locking bolts, and trashing the motorwell. Any info. would be helpful. Kind of ironic that no one in ant of the poor & 'dangerous' places the boat has been ever tried to steal an engine. Had to wait until the boat got back in the good old USA for that one (the real bummer was it was nor even fully paid for yet.

FOLKS that care about outher's property is rare these days...after all...how much "Crack" "smoke 'em stuff" "etc. could an engine be traded for these days....SO SAD !!

MaadMike...we feel your pain !! If you find him, the word is PROSECUTE ! Hope you recover that engine.

the word is "CASTRATE"....

that ought to limit chain saw use on transoms.

Mike - what is the serial number on that engine...Ill watch ebay for you...

Whatever tool is used to destroy and the transom and remove the engine should be the tool the owner gets to use on the thief

Why don't builders just start imbedding a 1/2" tool-steel rod in the top of transoms when they are being constructed? That would pretty much end that practice forever! (Would add a bit of reinforcement to the transom, too.)

kmclemore wrote:Why don't builders just start imbedding a 1/2" tool-steel rod in the top of transoms when they are being constructed? That would pretty much end that practice forever! (Would add a bit of reinforcement to the transom, too.)

I like the way you think

Divecoz wrote:

kmclemore wrote:Why don't builders just start imbedding a 1/2" tool-steel rod in the top of transoms when they are being constructed? That would pretty much end that practice forever! (Would add a bit of reinforcement to the transom, too.)

I like the way you think

Thanks, Divecoz.

Yeah, on second thought, just a couple of layers of Kevlar would do the job just as well and would be a lot lighter. That stuff is hull on chain saws.

#5 rebar runs only about a 50 cents a foot. Four feet would only under five pounds. Hmmm... now how do I get it embedded in my transom?

The problem with using any sort of steel, as I began to think about it, is that eventually it may get wet - via osmosis - and then it will rust and begin to expand, ultimately cracking the surrounding 'glass and making for a real mess to fix.

I am seroius about the Kevlar, though. For around $50-70 per boat they could virtually stop this practice. When they lay up the hull they only need to drop in a few layers of Kevlar and resin in the top of the transom area, then go ahead and follow it up with the remaining glass and core components. Easy and takes very little additional labor - just the cost of the Kevlar and the tools to cut it.

Kevin, I don't believe Kevlar is the right stuff. Though its adverstized to be pound for pound stronger than steel, and its used in helmets and flak jackets to stop bullets, its primary strength is in tension. Though it's cut resistant, I dont believe it stands a chance against a chain saw. I may be wrong, but I believe I have a better idea anyway.

In any case, theres no particular reason your embedded bar couldn't be corrosion resistant steel or other metal; 316SS or marine bronze I think would fare fine against osmotic chemical attack from the fiberglass; even galvanized mild steel or some other coating should stand up.

However, I believe that hiding a bar or plate (or Kevlar) inside the fiberglass is the wrong approach anyway. You've either got to count on the fact the bad guys already know it's there, or be prepared in that quite a substantial amount of damage could be done by the time he realizes he's hit the bar or plate with his chain saw; and thats not even considering you might just tick him off enough that he takes the saw to another part of the boat or motor just for spite.

Besides, I dont believe outright prevention is necessarily the best approach. If he really wants your motor badly enough, an abrasive saw like the rescue guys use can make it through almost anything you can think of in the way of reinforcement, or he can simply lop off the mounting bolts.

But you dont necessarily have to go for prevention. All you really need is a moderate amount of deterrence; just enough to make theft of your motor slightly more difficult to steal than the guys in the next slip. Sorry about that, guy in the next slip.

In order to do this, your deterrent needs to be fairly conspicuous.

How about this? Replace the motor spacer on the transom, which on my boat is piece of 3/16 HDPE, maybe Starboard, with a large rectangular piece of SS plate. A 3/16 1x 3 piece of 304 stainless will run you around $80 plus shipping, $105 if you want to splurge for the 316SS good stuff. At 23 lbs it wont be a huge performance killer. With that glued, screwed and shining off your transom, and the motor bolted through it, there will be little doubt that something way better than a chain saw is needed. Again, sorry, guy in the next slip. And one of the good parts (unlike Kevlar in the transom) it's easily retrofittable.

Chip, I like the idea. And you're right, It won't do a lot fo good unless the guy knows its there before hand...


With that said, I wonder if just a sticker warning of an embedded metal plate would do the trick?



Also, I don't think I have a motor spacer??? I'm pretty certain that the motor's bracket is directly on the transom itself... There is, IIRC, a bit of what looks to be aluminum angle there, but no spacer as best I can recall...

Chip Hindes wrote:How about this? Replace the motor spacer on the transom, which on my boat is piece of 3/16 HDPE, maybe Starboard, with a large rectangular piece of SS plate. A 3/16 1x 3 piece of 304 stainless will run you around $80 plus shipping, $105 if you want to splurge for the 316SS good stuff. At 23 lbs it wont be a huge performance killer. With that glued, screwed and shining off your transom, and the motor bolted through it, there will be little doubt that something way better than a chain saw is needed. Again, sorry, guy in the next slip. And one of the good parts (unlike Kevlar in the transom) it's easily retrofittable.

Not a bad idea.

It's a bit like the two guys who awaken in their tent to the noise of an angry bear outside... the one guy is about to take off running when he looks behind him and sees the other fella sitting there putting on his sneakers and says to him "What are you doing that for?"... to which the other guy says "Well, I don't have to outrun the bear... I only have to outrun you!"

Also, I don't think I have a motor spacer???

My '01X w/ 50HP Tohatsu has a motor spacer on the outside of the transom that brings the transom out even with the lip on the edge of the motor well. Even if your particular installation doesn't have such a spacer, I'd think there would be no problem adding the plate. Most motors are capable of handling transoms much thicker than that of the Mac.

I was thinking the 3/16" plate could be bent slightly to fit the curve of the transom if necessary, though obviously not if the curve is compound. For that matter, if it's rougly flat you could get 1/4" plate rather than 3/16 for 4/3 the cost and 4/3 the weight.