Transom saver necessity?

[farmpond1]

I just read BrianinMDs question regarding transom savers. Not to steal his thread or anything (sorry Brian if it seems that way) but when is it really necessary to use a transom saver? I have a 17.5 foot welded aluminum boat with a transom that is at least 2.5 inches think. (It's so thick, I can barely fit my outboard (a 25 horse Evinrude) on it). I'm thinking, with such a thick transom designed for much heavier engines than mine, do I really need a transom saver? Is this a fairly safe assumption or should I spring for one?

[BrianinMD]

No problem at all, you got a good question.

I have talked to a couple people who suggested it, after towing it around last year and seeing some of the bounces it took on our wonderful roads I just want to make sure no problems will occur. For 40-50 bucks it makes for a good insurance policy.

[retiredbosn]

in a word yes.  I have seen far to many twisted or bowed aluminum transoms, and if it is fiberglass boat it isn't even a question.  For fifty bucks you are assuring the life of your boat.

[FD.]

Just ride behind a boat being towed without one for a few minutes and see if you want your boat to go thru that.

[farmpond1]

I'm sure you're right.  I just didn't want to add more hardware, etc. unnecessarily.  But I guess it's pretty necessary.

[Way2slow]

Like most anything else, just depends on who you talk to.  When you see a $3,500 lower unit busted because of one, you might question why you had it.  I haul mine on the trailering mount built into the motor.   I don't use transome savers because I've seen the damage they can do to the motor.  Most all modern motors are designed to hauled on the trailering mount and that's where most recommend it be hauled.  If your boat's transome can't handle it, I don't want to be on the water in it because I can assure you, the stressed placed on it by the motor running is a hellavalot more than any thing the road is going to put on it.  

[retiredbosn]

Like most anything else, just depends on who you talk to. When you see a $3,500 lower unit busted because of one, you might question why you had it. I haul mine on the trailering mount built into the motor. I don't use transome savers because I've seen the damage they can do to the motor. Most all modern motors are designed to hauled on the trailering mount and that's where most recommend it be hauled. If your boat's transome can't handle it, I don't want to be on the water in it because I can assure you, the stressed placed on it by the motor running is a hellavalot more than any thing the road is going to put on it.

The problem is that a bouncing motor on your transom is like going full speed ahead and throwing it in full reverse.  A hole shot pushes against the transom, a pot hole in the rod pulls away from the transom.  The fiberglass resins and fibers are strongest when being pushed not pulled.  Hitting a big pothole at 70mph puts a lot of strain on the transom, with or without a saver.  I personally like the ones that attach to the trailer, so you don't change the force of impact from the top of the transom to the point where the saver attaches.  How many used boats do you see with cracked transoms?  Most of the ones I've looked at have a crack along the top where the engine mounts are, the few that didn't the owners all used a saver.

[The Next KVD]

Raise your motor up and push on the end of it and in most cases no matter how thick the transom is it'll flex.  Put a transom saver on and try this test again.  It'll be rock solid and the transom won't flex.  The saver is transfering all the shock from the motor to the trailer instead of the transom.  Best $40 insurance ever!!  Just make sure you don't forget to take it off when your about to launch.  Seen one guy leave it on, backed his boat into the water and just as he started to get on plane the transom saver hit the bottom and it broke off and the prop hit it. He needed a new prop.  He was very thankful it didn't damage the lower unit.

[dman]

How about when storing the boat for winter?(I have a tracker with 40hp)  would it be ok all the way down?  this would give me an extra foot of much needed room when storing the boat...

[Wayne P.]

dman, in any freezing temp, the motor should be kept with the skeg perpendicular to the ground. That is to assure all water drains from  the lower unit or if stored outside that no water will collect in it.

[Way2slow]

Well, one of the first things I do when I check out a used boat is to raise the motor all the way up, stand in the curve of the mid section/lower unit and bouce up and down. I weigh 215 pounds and if that transome flexes, I walk away from it. I can assure you, my Javelin R20 with a 225 Evinrude on the back does not flex. There's a Stratos 201 in my drive right now, before I modified the motor on it for over 300 HP, I bounced on it the same way, it does not flex. Before I put a 300+ hp motor on my Stratos 285 Pro, I did the same thing and it did not flex.

The main thing about a transome saver, if you feel you need to run one, it's worth any amount of money just for the piece of mind it will give you. I just won't use one because of the damage they can do to the motor. Even a lot of the people that do run them don't have a clue as to the proper way to use it and it's doing nothing but riding back there anyway.

As for the slamming back and forth when on the trailering mount, the motor is at a balance point that actually places very little stress on the transome but again, if you feel you need it run it.  Run two or three if you feel that would offer you that much more protection.  

[bass or bass ?]

Absolutely necessary. Period.     Happy fishing.

~B.A.S.S.~N.A.F.C.~BoatU.S.~

[Catt]

Ok every so often answers come up that contain information that is totally incorrect and this is one of them.

Let me start off by giving some insight to my qualifications on this subject; I worked for 15 years in the Aerospace Industry below is my job discretion.

Coordinated between Customer, Operations, Production, and Quality Assurance, SQ&TP (Supplier Quality & Technical Processes and Engineering Design Organization(s) in/on problem resolution. Investigated damage to aircraft, reviewed repair manuals/drawings, choose proper repair/part replacement, & submitted to Designated Engineering Representative (DER) for approval.

Now I said all of that just to say fiberglass is just as strong pulling on it as it is pushing on it; the same amount of pressure is required for failure.

Most generally speaking transom cracks along the top of the transom is due to the boat being ran in rough water at Wide Open Throttle. If a boat is running at WOT in rough water what happens when the hull hits a wave big enough to cause the boat too momentarily pause? While the hull momentarily pauses the outboard is still pushing against the transom at full force correct? Something has to give and that something is always the weakest link which is the top transom.

Now back to farmpond1's question you stated that your boat is a 17' 6 (17.5) aluminum welded hull which from a quick research show it probably rated for a 40-70 hp outboard correct? You also stated that you had a 25 hp Evinrude on the back correct? I would not be concerned about the transom as I would the transom clamps of the outboard, if I were to install a transom saver it would be to take the weight off the clamps which would be more subject to failure than the transom.

[scott k]

I would like to know just exactly what these damages from using a transom saver actually are. I see lots of people referring to this but I havent seen anybody back this statement up with any kind of proof or first hand experience. What IS the problem or concern from using a transom saver? Thank you.

[TommyBass]

I agree that unless you drive like a maniac, your hull will hold it, thats what its designed to do and one of the reasons for HP limitations on your boat. That being said, I feel a good comprimise between the two is to use a transom saver with a spring.  I had one that had an internal sleeve with spring, so as your motor bounced on say a railroad track, its not stopped with a jar but rather a gradual increase in pressure as it compresses the spring.  But it was enough to keep it from over extending if the case ever arose.  Im not sure it ever saved me anything but I know it didnt ever hurt it either.

[retiredbosn]

I have a question now, I'm a little confused.  On older boats that had a wood transom wrapped in glass, I have always been told that the bouncing caused the stress cracks.  Where the confusion arises is that where I live most lakes are electric only, the few lakes that are unlimited horsepower a large lake (for here) would comprise less than 1000 acres, hardly any room for the water to get rough, most are a couple hundred acres.  What causes these cracks?  BTW I'm not being a smart elec, I'm honestly confsued.  I am guessing that the wood wrapped transoms are weaker by nature than a solid glass transom.  

[Catt]

I aint talking stress cracks; stress cracks can be caused by most anything

The modern bass boat transoms are heaps & bounds above what they were 10 years ago and the manufactories are constantly seeking ways to improve on hull integrity. I've been to the Skeeter factory and watch them bolt a 22i through the transom to a fork lift and pick the boat up 4' off the floor.  

[senile1]

I always liked for my transom to flex.  It makes it easier to squeeze between trees.  

[farmpond1]

For no apparent reason I am not always notified about responses to some threads.  I'll have to check into this.

So Catt, you're saying I probably have less to worry about with the transom (with a 25 horse evinrude) than I do the transom clamps on the outboard itself?  I'd sure hate to lose that puppy going down a road.  Either way, it sounds like a transom/clamp saver is worthwhile, huh?

[Catt]

On all outboards I've ever owned regardless of size that sucker is bolted on and anything under a 90 hp has a transom saver to lift the weight off the mounting brackets. Any damage I've ever seen on boat & motors that came from trailering was done to the outboard and usually the mounting brackets. These brackets are made of cast aluminum alloy not exactly high structural integrity goes into these babies on bigger motors yes but not on smaller ones.

[Way2slow]

Scott K

Not trying to make it sound like I'm beating a dead horse, I'm just answering you question. The way the motor gets damaged by a transome saver is like this. The motor is bolted solid to the boat, the boat is just sitting on the trailer with nothing but a couple of nylon straps holding it. The transome saver is wedged between the back roller on the trailer and the lower unit on the boat. When driving down the highway and you go over a rough bump like some railroad track crossing the road, the whole rig can take a hellava bounce. 500 pounds of motor and a 2,000 pounds of boat can still stress those straps some so the boat lifts on the trailer. Well, when it comes back down you have a big rod stuck between the trailer and lower unit that has been known on more than one occassion to break the loose from the motor. I've seen all the bolt holes broken out of and a couple that got cracked.

Now, I know everybody else always slows down for railroad crossings and have never gotten surprised by a rough section in the road, however, I have and I feel much better knowing that transome save ain't back their jamming on my lower unit.