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OK to keep outdrive trimmed up a little while on a lift
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 11:23 am
by VTENGR
The slip that I lease came with a lift already. I noticed that when the lift is 100% up and the boat is out of the water, a very small portion of the outdrive is in the water. I've been trimming up the outdrive slightly (maybe 2 degrees) to get this portion out. I'm curious if I should just go ahead and pay for the bunks on the lift to be raised, or if I'm OK with doing what I've been doing. I know it's not good to keep the outdrive stored with the trim all the way up because of the bellows but I wouldn't think this would be an issue if I'm just trimmed a little bit.
Re: OK to keep outdrive trimmed up a little while on a lift
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:00 pm
by bruceb58
Best to be completely down if you can. If it's just the skeg hitting the water, just keep it down.
Re: OK to keep outdrive trimmed up a little while on a lift
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:08 pm
by VTENGR
Yeah it's just the skeg. I was just concerned with corrosion (fresh water lake).
Re: OK to keep outdrive trimmed up a little while on a lift
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:38 pm
by bruceb58
VTENGR wrote: Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:08 pm
Yeah it's just the skeg. I was just concerned with corrosion (fresh water lake).
As long as there are no electrical issues at your dock, not a concern.
Re: OK to keep outdrive trimmed up a little while on a lift
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 12:40 pm
by VTENGR
Thanks!
Re: OK to keep outdrive trimmed up a little while on a lift
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2023 5:29 pm
by billk2632
Technically it's best to leave the drive down, but in your case if the drive will be partially in the water make sure parts of the propeller are not in the water. If parts of the aluminum outdrive and stainless steel propeller are in the water, but the anodes are not, there will be no corrosion protection - that's worse than trimming the drive up in my opinion (I changed my anodes to magnesium for freshwater - FYI). As far as the drive stored tilted up, I know it's not recommended, but our marina requires the drives to be tilted due to the space between boats in the dry stack. I don't like it, but that's how it is and in 10yrs there with my SeaRay and now the Cobalt, I have not had any issues related to trimming the drive up. The first set of bellows in my SeaRay/Mercruiser lasted 15yrs, my Cobalt/Volvo Penta is a 2014 and the bellows appear to be in like new condition.