Cape Dory 26 Refit Tour 

The nice thing about boat with no inboard is that you don’t have to spend time to remove it, glass thru-hulls. There is no oil i the bilge, no smells, no noise. For me diesel inboard on such a small boat is an overkill.

The motors I use for similar sized boats is the Tohatsu 6 SailPro and the closest I can tell so far is that it should just barely fit when tilted up. To confirm if it will fit, check that there is at least 27" between transom and rudderhead/tillerstrap at the horizontal height of where the motor would sit on its mounting board, which is 8" above hull at 15" aft of rudderhead. Sounds confusing but you could sketch it out to clarify. I'm scheduled to do this job on a Cape Dory 27 soon and it looks like that is an easier fit so you might consider getting a 27 for this modification. Or you could use a smaller motor like a 3.5HP with 20" long shaft, although that is underpowered for many situations and has a shorter shaft that doesn't work as well. Or an ePropulsion electric outboard.

We bought the Dwyer DH2150 available here for $75: store.sandiegomarine.com/products/dwyer-hinged-mast-plate-4x6-5-%7C401050.html I would guess it is marginally sized for a CD28 but could be used if your mast guy lines and gin pole were perfectly aligned to reduce stress on the hinge plates. Just yesterday I lowered Atom's mast using a heavier duty hinge system I fabricated myself. Besides wanting something stronger for my 35' mast I needed to have extension plates on the hinge so the mast raised off the deck several inches as it came down to clear the stepped coachroof of the Pearson Triton. The CD has a straight coach roof so that may not be an issue for you or you can place a teak block under the step for some clearance. I'll have a video uploaded in a week or two showing my mast raising system so you may want to check that out.

By the way, I've enjoyed your YT channel. If there's anything I can help you with or you want to stop for a visit in Brunswick, contact me through atomvoyages.com

Thanks. I have about 110-120 hours into it, working mostly alone with my wife assisting as needed on some jobs. There were many small jobs done also that I didn't have time in the video to cover.

@@atomvoyager BTW, after listening to your 3 previous books (twice) I am thoroughly enjoying the final book in the series. Just sad it’s almost over. Thanks!

Hi. I would love to see details on the installation of the Dwyer mast step hinge that you put in. I have a CD26 and the hinge on order. Beautiful work! Thank you.

I spoke to Jack on the phone and suggested he only taper the outside and just overlap fiberglass on the inside.

If you have further questions you can post them on the Plastic Classic Forum. I'm a moderator and answer questions there: plasticclassicforum.com/forum/

I used 3/16" x 3/4" closed cell foam weather-stripping that comes in rolls at Home Depot or online. Even though it has an adhesive back I always use 3m black Super Weatherstrip adhesive to attach or it will peel off eventually.

That's true and is why I now call them a dry toilet since they don't use water for flushing. My most recent and improved DIY toilet video acknowledges this point: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JCdCPFZxXWY.html

Some of the jobs were done a year ago then the boat was sailed around the Great Lakes this past summer, where the bridge scene was shot, and then the owner brought the boat back a couple months ago for a few more jobs. For most boat owners with a boat that's new to them, it makes sense to do a few jobs, go sailing and see how things work out, get some fresh ideas of what's needed, then take care of those rather than try to do it all at once.

I meant - do you store the CD on the trailer, or lift it off?

​@@tmack_agingintoawesome The trailer is made by Sail Trailers in Columbus, GA and I've purchased several similar trailers from them, the most recent one a few months ago: sailtrailers.com/ The owner of this boat uses a travel lift for launching. It can be done but the problems with trying to launch a boat this size on a ramp is you need a float-off type trailer with keel guide boards, a tongue extension to get the trailer deep enough into the water (and not all ramps are suitable), there is corrosion from saltwater particularly on the brakes.

Thanks for the info!

I don't recall any fasteners hidden under the overhead liner. The fasteners near the toe rail are accessed by reaching around the open flange of the liner where it meets the hull.

Outboard brackets on the transom are awkward to use and the motor is ugly and less functional hanging out there so I wouldn't do that. The existing non-tilt well design is at least handy to control the throttle and shifter and gives the motor some protection from waves. But it has other issues such as fouling and corrosion of the motor and drag when sailing. If you want to go with the adjustable bracket you could mount it on the centerline if no windvane self-steering is going there. You'd have to cut an access hole in the liner and seal it with a large deck access plate. I'd add backing plates of G10 fiberglass board or something similar. I'd use the highest lift bracket available. The Garhauer OB-125 is good. They don't list it in their online catalog but you can order over the phone. I think it's the same as this one from Catalina since they are made by Garhauer but the Catalina one costs much more: www.catalinadirect.com/shop-by-boat/capri-22/hull-deck/stern/motor-mounts/outboard-motor-mount-two-spring/ You'd need a throttle extension handle on the motor. Then maybe you could fit a removable cover plug over the motor shaft hole in the hull. I wouldn't glass it in though since you or a future owner may want to change it back. A loose fitting cover board would allow the hole to drain the cockpit footwell. If you want it permanently sealed maybe you could add some new drains out the transom with flap valves on the outlets. having said all this, the owner of this boat so far doesn't mind the issues of keeping the well as it is.

@@atomvoyager I'm probably going to end up keeping it as is. I have a tohatsu 9.8 in there and it fits but just barely. It's not to heavy for me but it is awkward to get in and out. The boat is in saltwater most of the year and I'm trying to eliminate the hassle of putting it in and out. The drag is not much of a concern for me for this boat. The motor is 11 years old and has it's signs of corrosion on the lower unit (previous owner repaired it and kept it painted with bottom paint, seems to work ok). I'm thinking of getting something smaller like a 6hp when I need to. Thanks for your input.

We bought the Dwyer DH2150 available here: store.sandiegomarine.com/products/dwyer-hinged-mast-plate-4x6-5-%7C401050.html It was a similar height to the original base so the standing rigging still fit.

It's a Windpilot Pacific Light and yes it is mounted to the upper transom with four bolts only. Here's the link to the installation: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZQYZ-AhnpYg.html

@@atomvoyager thanks much!!

It could be done but I haven't done it and it would require a lot more work than I'd want to get into. A more practical alternative is to lower the cabin sole as I did on the video below to get 6'4" headroom on a Tripp 29. You lose some width of the sole as you lower it and may not be doable on some boats but there are many boats where this is an option: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-QhDofrNUb64.html

Not an engineer although I did work as a youth at my father's engineering company while going to trade school. Then apprenticed at boatyards and later worked for Hans Christian Yachts as production inspector and then production manager at their Asian factories.

I also don't like a non-tilt well for the fouling reason you mentioned plus the added drag and well flooding issues. The CD26 lazarette is a little too tight for this mod unless we extended the center part of the transom to make it fit or had the tilted motor overhang the tiller slightly - both not great options. But the owner of this boat so far only keeps it in the water for a few weeks at a time and hasn't had any issues yet. In your case the smaller motor may be a good choice. I don't know about a 2.6 model but some motors come in 2.5 and 3.5HP versions and since they are the same overall size and weight it makes sense to go for the highest rated. Also, last I checked only the 3.5 has the 20" long shaft option which is the minimum useable length for reasonable performance. A 3.5 pushed my Pearson Triton 28 at 3.9 knots so I expect you'd get at least 4.2 in flat water with a clean bottom.

This is my boat. I keep it in the water for 2-4 months at a time, between trips. Before each trip I smear the lower unit of the outboard with petroleum jelly. It works well for keeping barnacles from adhering.

Just started this modification. You can get the motor out of the water but not all the way up. There is some structural support for the back stay that is in the way. I went with caution and stayed a safe distance from it. You can see it through that inspection port but not fully until you cut away the liner. You will not be able to close the hatch fully with the motor up but it does not interfere with the tiller. I'm thinking of a solution to modify the lid by raising the height so it will close fully. My ultimate goal was to keep the lower unit out of the water while in the slip. I have a tohatsu 9.8 in there. I would note that there is a lot of creative thinking involved with this modification I've been thinking about it forever and would say that there is no perfect solution because the area is just a bit too small but it is better than it was before.

It's a $20 toilet bucket similar to the Luggable Loo: www.amazon.com/Reliance-Products-Luggable-Portable-Gallon/dp/B000FIAPXO/ref=sr_1_1? Then we put in a vent hose and deck vent with fan to help dry it and eliminate odors. The vent shroud and fan are from: airheadtoilet.com/product/extra-fan-shroud-right-angle/ This is a simpler, lightweight cheap alternative to the C-head composting toilet but doesn't have a way to stir the pot, so to speak, or a urine separator. The owner has a separate pee bottle so the bucket waste has a chance to dry out for less mess and odor. By the way, after a deposit you cover it with a cupful of something like coconut choir, sawdust or horse bedding pellets: www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb

@@atomvoyager thank you! This is just the info I needed.

I assume the factory made a hole in the hull to pass the rudder shaft thru and then glassed a fiberglass tube over it between the hull and cockpit footwell. That is a fairly common construction technique and I've never seen one leak. This one has been strengthened further by our added bulkhead.

@@atomvoyager thank for your info. I'm avoiding onboard engine due to the prop shaft. Prefer a holeless haul.

@@cliffordlee1166 The only chance of this type rudder shaft leaking is if the rudder were to come off its shoe by getting hit hard on the side causing a crack in the shaft tube joint which is unlikely with a keel hung rudder. As a further insurance against this, on my own boat the tube is sealed within a watertight locker. Or you could just add some extra glass inside where the shaft tube meets the hull.

@@atomvoyager thank you. Was looking at least maintenance sailboat to own without any holes in the haul and may stay months without marina or any support berthing. Not many sailboat in my region(Singapore) and places I want to go. Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. Was thinking of a swing keel Catalina but it seems like I need to trailer it to maintain the swing keel every year.