My 21 came without one of these. Bruce Parker sold me one, but it was for a 235, and would require more enlargement of the well than I fancied. I would be very grateful if anyone could post pictures of a 21 plate, since I suspect I'm going to have try to knock one up myself. I am assuming there is not much chance of a second hand one. Does it stop the outboard lifting when under sail?

I hope someone can help.

Jon

P21 Shivra

Jon

I will take a photo when next down at the boat. You must sail much faster than I do. I don't bother with the fairing plate, and the outboard never kicks up. Can you tighten the pivot bolt?

From memory, the plate is just a fibreglass piece, maybe 5mm-10mm thick, 20-30mm overlapping the hole, and depressed into the hole. I guess if you taped some ply flat beneath the hole, laid clingfilm in the base of the well, and did a gel coat/grp layup inside, you would wind up pretty much with what I have. The forward end would need trimming around the outboard leg. There is a safety line attached to it somehow, to prevent its loss if dropped down the hole, but I can't remember how it is attached.

There are two turnbuckles screwed directly into the base of the well to hold it in place. I don't particularly like this idea of screw holes in the grp below the waterline. They are quite hard to reach when the outboard is in. If I were starting from scratch I think I would seek another way of fixing it.

Whilst I do not use mine, (it needs re-profiling since my change of outboard), I do not want to part with it, but you would be welcome to borrow it as a pattern.

I find it hard to believe that the absence of a fairing plate makes an appreciable difference to performance and, since I don't leave my outboard immersed when I leave the boat, I have dropped it from the routine. I would have thought though, that you would get a fair amount of noise transmitted to the hull through it, and would lose paint off the o/b leg, if it were relied upon as a backstop.

Good Luck

Jim

Thanks Jim, I'm not sure I'm that fast, although we shocked a few larger boats sailing from Arran to Rothsay last season, but they're quick boats. The leg of my Mariner 5 short shaft kicks up when sailing, unless put in reverse. the sailpower prop causes some drag. I was also hoping it might improve the pathetic performance of the engine in reverse. I hit a pontoon quite hard last season because it was unable to beat a light following wind. Mike Stansfield sent me a photo of one he made up from a 5 ml rubber sheet. The sheet covers all the floor area of the well, has a cutout for the outboard leg, and, he says, stays in place without fastenings.

On a totally different subject,how did you cope with the toe rail fastenings when you replaced your liners? Totally different subject no 2 have you had ago at dropping your keel yet, if you did, how did it go? The friction in my keel lift seems due to a jammed rear roller with a completely non standard axle/fastener arrangement, I may well have to have a go. Anyway, thanks for your help thus far.

All the best

Jon