CONTINUOUSWAVE

Hello. How does an OUTRAGE 18 with a Sea Drive Blank transom and Armstrong bracket perform?

[The Sea Drive Blank] is a full transom option that lasted just a couple years, from 1985 to 1987. I used to own a [1984] Outrage that ran beautifully. I do like that full transom with live well.

Why was this [Sea Drive Blank] model only offered a couple years?

Has anybody ever been on one of these rare birds?

Thanks for your thoughts and opinions.--Kevin

I have that exact boat. Below is a picture of her when she still had the Armstrong Bracket. Performance was very good. However, I have subsequently eliminated the Armstrong Bracket in lieu of a 12 inch setback with hydraulic jack-plate. This particular setup provides a varied amount of adjustment to the height and angle of trim that gives me greater control over the ride. I would highly recommend it.

http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage24.html

Additionally, those boats were only sold for a few years as the cost made them undesirable along side the Outrage 20--virtually the same cost. Why buy an 18-foot boat when you can get a 20-foot boat for the same price. Now on the used boat market, they are attractive for the features and design, but are not very common.

For me, the most appealing element of an OUTRAGE 18 Sea Drive Blank model is the closed transom. An outboard engine boat with a closed transom, like a Boston Whaler boat with a WHALER DRIVE, has a different feel to it compared to the more common almost full-width notched transom design used on most Boston Whaler boats of the classic.

I find it curious that on some of the really modern and innovative designs seen in new boats, there is a return to an almost completely open transom style. This has become popular in high-performance sailboats involved in racing, where very high volumes of water come aboard the boat, drench the cockpit, and then flow out almost unimpeded by the open transom. Some modernistic power boat designs also have this same very open transom look.

Here are two examples of modern designs with open transoms:





These new designs really contrast with the closed transom of a Sea Drive or Whaler Drive classic Boston Whaler boat.

KD' asks:

How does an OUTRAGE 18 with a Sea Drive Blank transom and Armstrong bracket perform?

"Performance" covers a lot of aspects of a boat and engine combination. The general goals of using a set back bracket are discussed in two REFERENCE articles. See

Engine Brackets
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/engineBrackets.html

and

Standard Transoms and Brackets
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/standardTransomBracket.html

Hey, thanks for the links Jim! It appears the jack plate is the ticket. The two biggest problems I have with the bracket install is the added transom weight, stress and the inability to place a transducer in the optimal location. Right or wrong ?
Hi, Jm which jack plate are you using and what hp motor are you running ? Results?
Thanks again for the help fellas,
Kevin

Kevin,

As far as stress, performance and transducer - none of these are problems with a bracket. I simply chose to go to the next level after a fixed bracket. I had the fixed bracket for 12 years and was very pleased. The Hydraulic Jack Plate does offer one other variable, and that is the vertical lift afforded by the system. Of course, that one variable comes at a cost. With that said, the brand I used is Atlas. They came highly recommended by some friends that had direct experience with that brand.

Here is a link to their website: http://thmarine.com/th-marine-products/outboard-jack-plates/hydraulic-jack-plates/atlas-hydraulic-jack-plates

Thanks, Jim.
My sonar ( fish finder ) is critical and if the transducer can be mounted in ideal location then I would stay with the bracket. I've only seen a photo of the transom and it looks like there is not anyplace to mount other than far edge under chine ( turbulence ).
Kevin

Here is a look at the classic Boston Whaler OUTRAGE hull with a notched transom.



The closed transom of the SEA DRIVE Blank hull is quite a change from this design.

This is the GPS/Sonar model I use and it works perfectly: https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/on-the-water/fishfindergpscombos/echomap-chirp-55dv/prod529874.html#gallery-dialog

I don't have the boat at my home to show you the placement, but the Transducer (quite sizable at roughly 8 inches long and 3 inches wide) has an unobstructed view right above the second strake on the starboard side of the transom.

This was recently on Craigslist for sale. I really like the Armstrong bracket on the transom for this SeaDrive 18. Though I was they had done a better job color matching the transom work..

.

Also, Here is an interesting SeaDrive conversion that was for sale here in Detroit a few years ago. It had the closed transom altered into a modified notched transom.