The original engine mount board in the well doesn't seem to be in the right place. The previous owner had a Mariner 5 2-stroke and had made up a new mount of rather complicated construction that bolted through the sides of the well rather than the aft-facing surface that seems to have been drilled for the purpose.

I now have a Mercury 4-stroke which didn't fit on the modified mount - it was much too far aft and the engine top fouled the back of the well. For the Mercury I have had to make a new mount, screwed to the original holes in the aft-facing face. It took a fair number of experimental versions from old bits of wood to get the motor in the right place and I made the final version out of 30mm Perspex which seems to do a good job.

My other problem is that with the "sailing" prop on the motor it doesn't easily go through the hole. It can be done and I did it once but it's much easier to take the prop off to get it up and down. Unless you happen to be at sea. So it's not really an option to take the motor out for racing though our handicap suggests that we ought to.

What have other 21s done?

Geoff 21/30 Cygnus

What you and the 235ers really need is a folding or feathering prop (which I often wished I'd had on my 21).

Interstingly - I came across a variable pitch prop for outboards - just to get you you thinking.

http://www.nauticexpo.com/prod/...-blades-23753-65685.html 

Regards

Don Harvey

Web Master

Parker 325 'Calypso'

I read with interest your comments on the difficulty of removing o/b for racing, on Parker 21s. My Parker 21, this is now my 3rd season, came with a fairly new Tohatsu 6hp, 4 stroke. This clamps on the original aft facing mounting plate with ease and it is possible to lift it out of the well, the prop just goes through the cut-out. However, for racing I decided that I didn't want all this weight on board at all, particularly at the stern! My solution was to fit a fairly small pivoting o/b mounting bracket to the transom, sufficiently far away (on the port side) so that it does not foul the rudder. On race night nights, my 6hp Tohatsu is ashore. I then use the 2.3 hp o/b off my tender to motor on and off the mooring whilst the sails are raised. During the race, the bracket pivots upwards so that the o/b is completely clear of the water. This also has the advantage that when we are cruising I effectively have two engines ready for action, if one fails to start. If you're interested I can send photos of the arrangement. The hardest part was having the courage to drill the first hole in the transom to mount the o/b/ bracket!

Best regards,

Peter

There isn't a problem with pulling the motor up through the hole with the standard prop - it's only the "sailing" prop which has much bigger blades that's a problem and I sometimes need the extra push if I've left it a bit late and have to push through The Run against the ebb (+the Avon +the Stour!). I haven't done anything about it since our racing handicaps are - like golf! - based on past performance and I'm already reckoned to be the fastest in Class 3 vs big Ben 311s and such so I'm on a hiding to nothing. If I go any faster I'll be in Class 1 with the hot shots in First 27.7s and Super Seals!

Geoff

You're obviously doing better than me! My local PY number last year (my first season racing in my Parker 21) was 1083, I struggled to get in the first 3 in the "B fleet" - PY numbers 1000 upwards. I am interested in your "bigger prop." My Parker came with a Tohatsu 6HP, listed as a "sail drive" but the prop does not look particularly large, and easily fits through the cut out. Any thoughts?

Have a good season,

Peter

We did win the Easter Series though with it whizzing round in the water, and now my number is down to 1038. Hope the powers that

be don't come to hear this or we'll have a hard time in the RIOW race!