Resourceful Sailor Series Asks, “What’s That Bracket Racket?”

Article by Joshua Wheeler

“What is that sound?” I could hear a ticking sound from the direction of the stern as I was gently rolling side to side. With the sails up and the motor off, the new and unusual sound warranted investigation. I finally tracked it to the outboard bracket mounted on the transom. It was showing some age, with corrosion and wear. Sampaguita, a 1985 Pacific Seacraft Flicka 20, came with the bracket when I purchased her and, apparently, when the previous owner did too. It was over ten years old. The bracket was not dysfunctional, but I had plans to cruise up the West Coast of Vancouver Island the following summer. Since I was not very keen on the bracket’s mounting, replacing it would also be an opportunity to improve that, thoroughly inspect the transom, and instill confidence in the voyage to come.

Corrosion had commenced in two places. First, it began with the knob used to tighten the bracket in the up or down positions. The knob was corroded in an open state, meaning the bracket was still usable. I ignored this until the second situation presented itself. The ticking sound I heard resulted from corrosion and wear in the holes where the stainless steel bolts passed through the aluminum bracket. These bolts held the bracket together and provided pivot points when raised and lowered. It caused increased “play” in the bracket. With 105 pounds of motor hanging off the transom, the stresses caused by the boat’s motion in a seaway were likely the culprit and would continue to exacerbate the problem. The bracket, the Garelick offshore model, is still manufactured and well-built. I would trade out the old for the new and skip the production of sizing and fitting.

Evidence of previous bracket replacements was clear. You could see various epoxy-sealed holes from the inside of the transom. The bracket was thru-bolted to the transom with only fender washers inside. There was no backing plate to spread the load over a large surface area. Also, a hollow, synthetic, lumber-like spacer material was used outside, between the bracket and the hull. Its footprint matched the bracket and did not aid in spreading the load. I wanted to improve both load-bearing features, and this was where the production would require more thought.