motor up or down?

[jakemcarroll]

I trailer a 14' fiberglass boat with a 50hp motor on it, and I am new to the boating scene so I was wondering if it was best to trailer with the motor up or down (in the down there is probably 12-15 inches clearance) and then if I do trailer in the up position should I use a transom saver? The motor just has manual tilt and I saw that transom savers are usually just for power trim/tilt motors. Thanks for the advice!

[Daze Off]

Probably not a necessity but I have always felt like anything I can do to help take some strain off the transom is a good thing so I have always ridden with a transom saver although I am not sure how much of a pain it would be to use if you don't have tilt/trim....always had it.

A 50 hp is a load to manually lift in shallow water, no?

Daze Off

[Bobby Bass]

If you don't have a motor toter I would not trailer it with the motor in the up position. Besides adding length to your trailer the balance of the motor will add more stress to the transom when hitting them MN potholes. I run a 40hp Mariner and the toter came stock with the trailer. It is not all that hard to lift and set the motor into the toter.

[PerchJerker]

You want the motor as much in the down position as possible and still have enough ground clearance. A transom saver is money well spent.

[Steve Bakken]

We've replaced dozens of transoms that had fairly good wood in them yet, just simply because of the fact that the constant bouncing and flexing from the afore mentioned Minnesota roads eventually stressed the aluminum or fiberglass to the point of failing. You only have to fork out the money for a transom repair once before you realize the cost savings of a transom-saver.

[bassNspear]

steve, where you work?

[bassNspear]

nevermind i see you run a bait shop.

[Steve Bakken]

Not a bait shop, it's a boat repair shop and we're in New Richland.

[bassNspear]

Ahh I see. Have you been pretty busy.

[Steve Bakken]

Not too bad, yet. Mostly insurance work this time of year. The real rush comes about October when everyone starts pulling their boats off the water.

[Surface Tension]

Not having power tilt&trim to keep the outboard from bouncing will have more strain on the transom. Definitly get a transom saver.