Motor/Rudder Mounting Bracket

So here's a picture of the motor/rudder mounting bracket as it is currently. Actually, I made this several months back when back in the U.S. and then brought it back with me in my luggage. One thing I noticed working with plywood in the states is that I'm grateful for the really really good quality plywood that is available here in Papua New Guinea. The stuff I've messed with in the states delaminates so easily. So back from the rabbit trail... Note the construction of the bracket varies a bit from what Gary shows in his book. Instead of a flat top and stainless steel bracket with bolts, I figured I'd build the sides up so that they fit snug around the crossbeam. Then all that's needed is a good lashing and the thing isn't going anywhere. Works pretty good and kept me from having to buy more stainless steel stuff. I don't yet have a motor. That may just be a pipe dream, but I am hoping that someday I'll be able to afford a little 2hp yamaha to slap on there. Meanwhile the bracket's primary function will be to support the kick up rudder. You may notice a problem with this picture. The rudder assembly is too low. It's low enough that I won't be able to kick it up because the tiller (which I'll eventually make) will hit the iako first. See where the top of the rudder butts up against the crossbeam? That's where the tiller will have to be able sit when the rudder is kicked up. I think the solution is simple; just relocate the pivot point for the rudder kick up about an inch and a half up from where it currently is.

Primer all done

Okay, let's try this email thing again. For some reason it seems incapable of delivering an email with its attachments. This is the message that was supposed to go with the last two pix.

Got Shan Skailyn's iakos (crossbeams) and both ama sections (the outrigger float) painted with primer today. Not just one coat, but three... all in one slam bam morning working in the warm sun. The stuff was drying fast enough that once I finished putting a coat on the other pieces, the first piece was ready to sand and coat again. So just busted it all out today. Next step will be to put the top coat on everything.

At little odd times here and there through the week I managed to put the strip of fiberglass over the keel line of the ama as well as the reinforcing wraps around the end of the crossbeams where the ama struts mount and exert lots of forces that threaten splitting the beams.

Really the only thing left to paint will be the motor mounting bracket which I have yet to build. For the motor mount, I'm seriously thinking about deviating a bit from Gary's plans and lashing the thing on the crossbeam, rather than using a bolting assembly. I figure if I modify the design just a touch so that the sides, instead of just resting flat under the crossbeam, are built up a couple inches higher and then given cutouts into which the the crossbeam sits snugly, then some nice tight lashing should hold the thing quite well. Can anyone with experience tell me if this is folly? After assembling Shan Skailyn the other day and seeing just how amazingly strong those lashings are, I figure with the proper modifications the motor mount could be installed the same way (still using Gary's recommending anti-torqueing line of course).