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Mercury Outboard Powered 65' Motoryacht (no joke!)

Discussion in 'Popular Yacht Topics' started by YachtForums, Jul 12, 2011.

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  1. YachtForums, Jul 12, 2011
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    YachtForums

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    Mercury Outboard Powered 65' Motoryacht​
    McGyver Approved!​

    These pictures were taken by YF member "YachtJockey", who is too busy at the yard to upload pics. The photos were taken at Cable Marine. It is a 65' flybridge motoryacht with triple Mercury 2.5 outboards. The engines were mounted to a bracket that was bolted to the swim platform. Why, you might ask? To get the boat back to Texas (from Florida). Note the cylindrical fuel tank strapped to the aft deck. The hoses and control cables can be seen dangling over the fly bridge, leading to the transom.

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  2. YachtForums, Jul 12, 2011
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    YachtForums

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    The story is… the boat belongs to a yard owner from Texas, who ran the boat aground and ripped out the running gear. Not wanting to pay a yard in Florida to repair the boat because he owns a yard in Texas, he patched the hull, strapped on a trio of Mercs that previously powered his go-fast boat, had winglets made for directional stability, then installed a thruster for added control. All this to bring his boat back to Texas. Leave it the longhorn state to devise a new way to longhaul!

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  3. YachtForums, Jul 12, 2011
    #3
    YachtForums

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    You gotta love this... complete with Power Lift transom brackets and what appears to be a Mayfair hydraulic steering system too! Obviously all this was scavenged from his go-fast. Based on the raised Merc 2.5 at center, this configuration came off a cat, but the props were changed to thru-hub.

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  4. YachtForums, Jul 12, 2011
    #4
    YachtForums

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    Here's a shot of the winglets that were bolted on to for tracking. Why winglets? Because the gearcases on those Mercs don't sit low enough to add any directional stability. They appear to be 15" midsections (shorties), definitely off a catamaran. Notice the zinc? First class installation! Behind the winglet is the thruster tube. I'd love to buy motoryachting's "McGyver" a drink!

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  5. meblom, Jul 12, 2011
    #5
    meblom

    meblom New Member

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    That's a lot of trouble to go through...

    ...and alot of holes/backing plates drilled into the hull.

    Looks like it might be an older Azimut.

    Just when you think you've seen it all...
  6. Yachtjocky, Jul 12, 2011
    #6
    Yachtjocky

    Yachtjocky Senior Member

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    65 Pininfarina, not sure of the year
  7. YachtForums, Jul 12, 2011
    #7
    YachtForums

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    Image bookmark...

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  8. SHAZAM, Jul 12, 2011
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    SHAZAM

    SHAZAM Senior Member

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    This boat was named "Bella Veloce". Boat was run aground in the Bahamas, totaled and the salvage sold to new owner who created this contraption. Boat was a mess, rudders pushed through the hull and deck, stringers broken from beating against the rocks, etc, this is just the icing on the cake!
  9. meblom, Jul 12, 2011
    #9
    meblom

    meblom New Member

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    I don't know that I'd want to carry the amount of gasoline that it would take to push that boat from point to point, on its return trip to Texas.

    That's a lot of explosive power, strapped to the aft deck...
  10. YachtForums, Jul 12, 2011
    #10
    YachtForums

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    Yes, but 2.5 race Merc's will grenade faster than that tank. That 2.5 decal isn't a measure of litres. It's the life expectancy of those motors... in hours! ;)

    (I'm a 20 year veteran of Mercury's guinea-pig consumer program)
  11. Chevelle, Jul 12, 2011
    #11
    Chevelle

    Chevelle New Member

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    That. Is. Awesome. Any bets on how far it goes?
  12. NYCAP123, Jul 12, 2011
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    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Before she blows sky high? What marina would let that thing even come near. He better stay clear of anything military or considered a potential terrorism target.
  13. YachtForums, Jul 12, 2011
    #13
    YachtForums

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    Ed, you have always made fair and equitable posts, but how do you arrive at such a conclusion? Just because the tank is mounted externally doesn't make it any less safe than a tank in the bilge. If anything, it's sitting in a well-ventilated place, far away from anything that resembles combustion.
  14. NYCAP123, Jul 12, 2011
    #14
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    Oh, I have to assume, or at least I hope, that a yard owner would make sure it's safe, but it looks like a floating bomb. Then again, for what anybody enroute would know, maybe it was slapped together by some yahoo. Would you really feel comfortable finding that in the slip next to your boat? That looks like at least 500 gallons of gasoline. Are there blowers? That cockpit could collect fumes. How secure are the supports? If they hit rough seas, could it shift and maybe click against some metal part? Gas tank designs on boats are regulated. Has that been inspected by any safty agency? If he did it because he didn't want to pay Florida prices, how many shortcuts did he take to save money? Finally, if he wants the work done it Texas, why not just tow it there?
  15. Capt J, Jul 13, 2011
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    Capt J

    Capt J Senior Member

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    The tank is perfectly fine by USCG regulations being mounted in the open like that as long as the tank itself is approved. No blowers are needed on an open cockpit.

    What the genius that concocted this mess doesn't realize that those engines will be slurping about 75gph total to push that boat at hull speed and they'll have a range of about 75 miles with only 500 gallons of fuel. Not enough to make Texes. They should've put a sail on it instead!

    The story from someone in the know, is the owner of the Azimut does have a yard in Texas, he felt Cable's prices were too expensive and it could be done cheaper at his yard. He then felt the price of putting it on a barge was too expensive. He dismantled his 35' manta I think CC (or something similar) and took the motors, brackets, and such and bolted them to the back of the Azimut. they ALSO removed the Center Console and bolted the entire thing to the Azimut flybridge, and plan to run this thing back to Texas. Little does the guy know, it's probably going to take $200k in fuel to get it there....
  16. YachtForums, Jul 13, 2011
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    YachtForums

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    I doubt these motors were on a large center console. They would need to be at least 25" midsections. The mids pictured are 15" shorties, which are made specifically for low-draft, high speed apps. It's reasonable to assume these motors came off a cat.
  17. NYCAP123, Jul 13, 2011
    #17
    NYCAP123

    NYCAP123 Senior Member

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    As I look at this after a nights sleep I come up with a couple of questions, if anybody knows. Is that metal tank sitting, and not welded or bolted to, a metal frame? Are those straps the only thing keeping that in place? Even if that tank itself is approved, is it approved for that application? And finally, is the a Marine catagory for the Rube Golberg award? If so, I think we have a winner. Oh yeah, one more. Would any captain here be willing to take the job of running that thing from Florida to Texas?
  18. K1W1, Jul 13, 2011
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    K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    From someone who openly admits to drinking bilge water your worry about a bit of gas stored outside is admirable
  19. Marmot, Jul 13, 2011
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    Marmot

    Marmot Senior Member

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    It's a portable tank on an outboard powered boat.
  20. YachtForums, Jul 13, 2011
    #20
    YachtForums

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    Exactly. NYCapt, did you never run a Whaler as a kid???
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