Rinker 270 With Outboards 😳

aero3113

WTF! LoL!!

https://instagram.com/stories/thequalifiedcaptain/2792304263849924295?utm_source=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=copy_link

rasbury

Would that not cost way more than a repower? Guess you'd have more power...over achiever.

Willhound

Wouldn't let me view unless signed up for an account....

rasbury

Can you imagine that engine bay becoming storage?

Aqua_Aura

Willhound

Thanks @Aqua_Aura
That's a 1999-2001 model like I had and I can tell you that nub of a swim platform is essentially hollow inside. Hope they braced it up. Also curious as to how the steering works....

rasbury

I saw a nice new 270'ish size going down the road heading to the daytona area...out boards. It just foes not look right...it's not the yacht look of a boat to me. I'm sure it's a sweet boat.

skennelly

I don't hate it, but it is hacked together.

YYZRC

Maybe it's just a proof of concept and version 2.0 is in progress?!

diggin2day1

Looks like it’s made out of 3/4” plywood. 

LaRea

I'd be interested to see how it runs on plane.  I mean, they took 1000 pounds and moved it back 6 or 8 feet.  That's gotta play havoc on the balance.  

YYZRC

They also added 200hp!

halifax212

Not a fan,  but I get it. If that model had a single engine he now has a back up for safety and extra power.

LaRea

I'll go out on a limb here:  I think it's ignorant and dangerous.  
<EDIT: Later I realized this comment was poorly written, and I rewrote it as follows:  If the mod was done in ignorance of the effects on stability, it's potentially dangerous.  >

For a 270 hull, the stability calculations assume the engine's weight is below the waterline.  That's how it's designed.  If you move that 1000 pounds of mass two feet ABOVE the waterline, the boat will roll like a pig and be more prone to capsizing.  And because it's so far back, the boat will be prone to swamping in following seas.  

YYZRC

What certification process is required of a boat manufacturer to get a vessel approved for sale in the US?

Edit: I went down this rabbit hole.  Maybe you can, too!  https://newboatbuilders.com/pages/index2.html

LaRea

I'm not sure.  Inspected vessels need a stability certificate, but I don't know about rec boats.  ABYC standards are voluntary.  

LaRea

Looks like any jackwagon with fiberglass and a mold can build and sell rec boats in the US.  And if you own a rec boat, nothing prevents you from making bad decisions about it.  

A few things are regulated, such as documentation and nav lights.  Stability and overloading are not regulated. 

aero3113

LaRea said:

I'll go out on a limb here:  I think it's ignorant and dangerous.  

For a 270 hull, the stability calculations assume the engine's weight is below the waterline.  That's how it's designed.  If you move that 1000 pounds of mass two feet ABOVE the waterline, the boat will roll like a pig and be more prone to capsizing.  And because it's so far back, the boat will be prone to swamping in following seas.  

I agree, I’m thinking that’s the maiden voyage. I want to know if it made it back to the ramp!?

Dream_Inn

Ok, maybe I  shouldn't comment this time of night, but I  think both ignorant AND dangerous?  Come on Chris!  We don't know the entire circumstance of what's going on. As someone with a BSEE, MSEE, MSME, MSSE....well, I think it's something that hey, maybe they're trying it out.  First, with motors moved back, bow would stay down.  Sure the CG would change.  Inertia and steering pivot point would change. If I were to put it in a CAD model, I  don't believe there would be any chance of rolling, let alone flipping.  Following seas?  I don't know, I  think you may be surprised.  It looks like something I'd love to do if I  had the time.  Now, this is not saying I like outdrives on the back of my cruiser!  Far from it and I love my platform way too much.  It would be a fun project though to compare it between  a model and real life. OK, back to watching my Paralympics hockey for gold medal. Go USA!

Michael T

.....then again you could use that empty engine bay for a reeeeally big gas tank either for when you found a deal on gas or to cruise the Caribbean.

LaRea

Haha -- @Dream_Inn you are right.  I should have said:  <If> the mod was done in ignorance of the effects on stability, it's <potentially> dangerous.  

My boat weighs 10 tons, and I can affect the running angle by relocating a 50-pound cooler.  A 270 weighs only 4 tons, and they relocated 1000 pounds.  That's 13% of the boat's weight.  

Most Rinker cruisers will swamp the swim platform if you're on plane and you cut the throttle.  Well, imagine doing that after moving 1000 pounds from the engine room back onto the swim platform.  You'll probably swamp the whole cockpit.  

Same with roll stability.  If you move 13% of the boat's weight 3-4 feet higher, that's a big deal.  Hull shapes are designed based on the weight and location of the machinery. 

YYZRC

From what I read on the link I posted above, most hulls are just copies of another manufacturer's hull.

Anyway, the empty engine bay would be a great place for a Seakeeper!

LaRea

I've never seen a builder offer the option of inboards or outboards on the same hull. 

YYZRC

Four Winns V355 Coupe was available with either sterndrives or outboards.  Regal 36/38 and 42 (pod drive) as well.

https://www.regalboats.com/fleet-search/

https://www.boatingmag.com/four-winns-vista-355-boat-test/

LaRea

Is it the same hull?  Or are there differences to account for the different load?

YYZRC

The boats look the same to me from the waterline up but I don't know for sure.  The pics of the 42 XO show the engine room repurposed as a giant storage space.



I don't think boat building is anything like automotive - vehicles are so heavily regulated in all aspects.  Boats, it seems like all you need is a HIN code, some warning labels and coast guard approved lighting.

LaRea

For rec boats, you are right.   

Another consideration is insurance.  The policy was probably issued assuming it's a production boat.  Removing the boat's engine and installing outdrives would almost certainly void the insurance.  

But -- it gave us something interesting to talk about on an abbreviated "spring ahead" Sunday morning!

J3ff

I'd want better engines, but it'd be great to have outboards on a 270!

YYZRC

I think version 2.0 should have wider spacing on the outboards. 

aero3113

YYZRC said:

I think version 2.0 should have wider spacing on the outboards. 

Agree 

LaRea

@aero3113 if you don't post more details about this boat, it's going to drive us all crazy.