Matilda 20 Outboard Well

To cut a big hole in the bottom of your boat is a gutsy thing to do but in my experience it works very well. The one big disadvantage is the space that it occupies in an already small cockpit. However that space is partially occupied by the swing of the tiller anyway so not completely usable while underway. There is probably more noise but newer four strokes are quiet (mine is not new). There will be a bit more exhaust smell in some conditions. Also, the lower leg remains in the water and produces some drag. Judging from letters to the Matilda Website my speed seems to be typical. It is also interesting that by “trimming” the outboard slightly the rudder can be balanced and the boat will happily sail some points with little or no pressure on the tiller. 

I believe the advantages outweigh the downsides.

Philip Merchant  M20 “Storm Petrel”

(Click on images to enlarge)

	Below the water The steering seems to be quite responsive as the motor is positioned on the midline of the boat where the prop wash is directly in front of the rudder.  The lower leg is also protected behind the keel.
	Motor in cockpit The motor is very easy to start and service from a safe position sitting in the cockpit. I have read several accounts of people going overboard while trying to deal with an outboard hanging off the transom.  The motor is protected and not prone to be swamped by a following wave.  You have a large hole for water in the cockpit so it drains very quickly if “pooped” by a wave although I haven’t had this happen (yet).
	Transom brackets The transom that was in the boat was poorly done so I built a new setup. The cast aluminum alloy angles were salvaged and modified from a streetlamp base that found its way into the Whitehorse dump. One on each side would have been strong enough but two give a very broad base of support with good backing in the locker. Simple aluminum angle would work fine. The bolts are 5/16” stainless steel and the wood (also rescued from the dump) is a very dense tropical species which looks and works like teak. Space was left under the transom and in the corners to allow good drainage from the cockpit.
	Wider View The fuel line runs into the fuel locker through the small hole near the throttle handle.  The motor is run in a fixed position but the turning radius of the boat is smaller if both the motor and the rudder are turned.  Although not shown, the tiller just clears the throttle handle in the position in the vertical position in this photo.  And yes, if you are wondering, the fancy blue gratings ARE plastic bread delivery trays (Weston; diverted from the waste stream) that are the perfect width.