Transporting a riding mower in a 175 osprey.

[Basketcase]

I know it's an odd question but I have a house on an island that is only serviced by boat. I need to get a riding mower over there. It's an average size craftsman lawn tractor. My boat is an 89 175 osprey with an etec 90. The ride is typically 10 minutes at speed but I imagine I would not want to go much above headway speed if I were to attempt this. I've seen this exact operation done on a 20' seacraft but I know that is more boat than mine. I estimate the mower to be 5 to 6 hundred pounds.  If I were to do this, I would most likely have to put boards perpendicular to the boat so I can get it on and off at the dock. Do you guys think in front or behind the console would be better? I was thinking behind would be more stable and lower to the water. This is a protected bay in RI and I can pick my day when it's calm. On the plus side, the mower was only 100 bucks so if I end up having to bail and make a reef out of it in the middle of the trip I won't be out much.

So. Is this possible? Too risky?

[mshugg]

Do I think it's possible?  Yes.  Do I think it's advisable?  No.  The mower is more than half the load capacity of the boat, and it must be placed either well forward or well behind the center of gravity of the boat.

Further the risk of bailing during the crossing isn't just a hundred buck mower, but a tens to hundreds of thousand dollar EPA fine.  I'm assuming a crankcase full of oil and at least some fuel in the tank.  Even more, imagine that 600 lbs all balanced on one gunwale, plus you and a buddy on that side of the boat as you push it overboard.  Can you say capsize boys and girls?

It's easy to think about ways that it could be done, but the risks are high.  I think it's smarter to pay someone with with the right vessel to transport it.  The only thing you loose is some money and maybe a good story.

[Aswaff400]

I'd make friends with someone who has a pontoon boat or a larger Carolina skiff or similar boat that can handle loads better

[Capt. Bob]

Another option is disassembly/multiple trips.
Fits your moniker.

You can clean and grease/prepare the beast for island life.

[Basketcase]

Thanks for the input guys. It's pretty much how I was feeling. Possible? Yes. Risky? Obviously.

The thought of disassembly did cross my mind. If I take the mower deck, hood and wheels off that would shed some weight and possibly even make it so 2 or 3 guys could lift it and place it in front of the console, parallel with the boat. I imagine the engine is fairly easy to remove as well. One of the guys on the island has an old WW2 landing craft that we use for trash removal and propane bottles but I believe the cost is around $4 to $500 for him to make a trip. If I can make it happen on my own that would be preferable. For $500 I'll probably just keep using a push mower like I have been for years.

Another option is to wait until my 20' SeaCraft is finished. I've been rebuilding one for a few years. It is pretty much the exact boat that I saw bring a mower over a few years back. I have at least 2 more seasons before that boat is ready to float though.

Thanks again for the feedback. If I decide to roll the dice I'll definitely take pictures and share! Wont be until spring though. It's a summer house.

[Basketcase]

Well. Turns out it wasn't such a bad idea after all. Spoke with some people that had done it before. It was actually quite easy. Roll on, roll off. The boat had no stability issues and it was honestly very uneventful. I found the specs on the mower and without the deck it weighs 350lb. On to the pics. Dont mind the duct tape. What old mower seat doesn't have duct tape on it?

[RickK]

Looks like it didn't phase the boat, weight wise.  Good job.

[GoneFission]

Good job!  We used to do this every year for my folks' summer place on an island in the UP of Michigan.  We did it with a 16 footer with a 55 on the back, and she did fine.  These mowers are not really THAT heavy - 300 lbs seems about right.  The biggest thing to be concerned about is the high center of gravity, so you want to make the trip when the water is calm. 

[Basketcase]

We did get fortunate with good weather to have nice calm water that day. The boat did not seem unstable at all, even with the weight that high up. My biggest concern would have been loading and unloading on bucking floats if things were rougher. Of course capsizing is always a concern too. A buddy of mine said "it's a good thing it didnt roll off!" and my response was "if things went wrong, just rolling off would have been a best case scenario!"

[CTsalt12]

We did get fortunate with good weather to have nice calm water that day. The boat did not seem unstable at all, even with the weight that high up. My biggest concern would have been loading and unloading on bucking floats if things were rougher. Of course capsizing is always a concern too. A buddy of mine said "it's a good thing it didnt roll off!" and my response was "if things went wrong, just rolling off would have been a best case scenario!"

Glad it worked out.  Now let's see some more pictures of your boat.  I also have a 1989 175.