The only issue I can see with it is the angle.. I wonder if the 2.5hp outboard would mount straight up and down so you could get correct thrust out of it. A trolling motor's mount has ratchets on it that would let you clamp onto the back and give a correct angle.

The other issue (yes I said I had only one issue)... is that if you are sailing the boat, you will need your rudder back there. In that case I would rig some type of side motor mount, control the throttle with the motor and do all the steering wiht the rudder.. just some ideas.   

   Thanks for your thoughts on the motor mounting for the NE Dory Pat. That angle is the big concern, but out boards do swing/tilt up and I was thinking that would give you the right angle for the leg and prop to meet the water. The out board i'm considering is a Mercury 2.5 with a weight of only 34 lbs. fortifying the transom is the main concern though.  Yes when motoring around the inner harbour no sail requierd. Motor will be removed and left ashore when out for some serious fun on the water. Cheers.

Or possibly a side mount:

http://t.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shops-Canoe-Motor-Mount/product/67133/?utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F

Or consider the Passagemaker. A very fun boat to sail

John

Would a motor hanging off the back of the Dory "ugly" it up a bit?

There are some sail boats that mount the motor in a well inboard of the transom. Then when the motor is unshipped they install a plug from the inside that fills-in the bottom of the hull.    

I've seen side-slung mounts on Northeaster Dories, but I can't muster much enthusiasm.  A small electric motor like this one would be plenty.

1.  In a boat that weighs less than some dogs, the armchair vision of shifting between sailing, rowing, and motoring collides with reality.  You really don't move around a whole lot in a Northeaster Dory.  Crouching in the stern to fiddle with a gas outboard will require good balance!

2.  In a boat that so beautifully optimized for rowing, the appeal of a motor escapes me.  

3.  No motor installation on a Northeaster Dory will pass muster with Coast Guard regs.

To adapt a Northeaster Dory for an engine, you start adding features until you end up with the Southwester Dory.  

The Northeaster Dory is incredibly good as a light, quick-and-easy-to-build rowing-sailing boat.  Really almost without peer in its class.  I haven't priced the Southwester Dory yet, but with twice the parts-count I'm expecting it to be around twice the Northeaster Dory, and double the build-time, too.  

I don't begin to know the answer but I'm wondering if an outboard motor hanging off a NE Dory would be heavy enough to meaningfully and negatively affect trim, either for rowing or for sailing or for both. But that's not why I'm posting.

If I lived in your neck of the woods, Sincronite, and hadn't already committed to NE Dory, I'd be  looking very hard at John's new Southwester. What a boat! Don't get me wrong. I've seen enough video and heard enough testimony to know that the NE Dory is a very capable boat. But this new boat looks in many respects to offer notably greater capability at a good price. And the bonus for you is that it's specifically designed to accommodate an outboard and has a motor well that's placed amidships. If my stomping and sailing ground was the PNW (I should be so lucky.), the Southwester would be high on my wish list and just might bump the NE Dory out of my first choice slot. If you haven't seen it, look here- 

http://www.clcboats.com/life-of-boats-blog/New-Boat-Kit-Designs-for-2015.html 

Good luck! Sullivan

   I am not aware of any special regs when putting a motor on a boat other than..

1. you must register it

2. It must meet floation regs (which the NE Dory already does due to it's built in floatation).

3. Lighting...

I recently completed a project where I mounted a trolling motor on a kayak and except for the above I had no "problems with the law". Now, it remains to be seen if it will prove practicle.

Once I have built my NE Dory I plan to build a mount very similar to the one above for my trolling motor. I plan to use it to. well.. troll as my NE Dory will be primarly a "fishing tug".

If it were me, and I wanted more than a trolling motor could provide I would still stay with electric and go with a Torqeedo or similar. I just can see myself putting a gas engine in the boat. I would even consider adding a wind generator at the top of the mast to extend trolling time if necessary., but that is just me.

 I have tossed around the pros and cons of adding a motor mount to my Dory, and I finally did make a rig to handle my small 2 hp outboard.  I use my boat mostly for sailing, but adding a motor capability allows me to use it for fishing.  I plan to troll this spring for trout and walleye.

I agree that adding a motor is kind of ugly on the Dory, so I tried to make a mount that could be used occasionally and not damage the boat.

The mount clamps to the gunnel with wing nuts.  I used leather pads to prevent marring the boat and also provide a good grip surface. I have a drop in rod that holds the motor tiller in a forward postion after I back away from the shore.  I steer with the tiller.  I did my first water test this past weekend.  The boat cruises at hull speed at half throttle, and slows down to a good trolling speed at idle.

This motor is light, around 20 lbs, and since I am using the tiller extension, the boat kept good trim.

Attached are some pics of my mount. 

 I applaud your clever solution for mounting an outboard motor without affecting the trim of the boat. But I don't really see the point. This is a boat that rows like an absolute dream. Some of my fondest memories are of growing up in northern Wisconsin and going out with my father to fish for walleyes during the cool summer nights. We'd row the boat, and troll, and talk. None of that would have been as good with a loud motor rumbling. 

I admit that a motor can be nice to get you to your fishing spot (but unnecessary in a boat that rows as easily as the NE Dory), but to fish with the motor running? Not for me . . . but each to his own.

   Birch,  I agree the NE Dory rows like a dream, and I would not use a motor to reach a fishing area on a small lake or within a short distance.

The places I am planning to fish are on large open reservoirs that require 3+ miles to reach.  Using a motor will allow me to reach these fishing areas quicker.  I also agree a motor can be annoying, but I was pleasantly suprised by how quiet the 2 HP evinrude was at slow idle.

So I guess the point, if there is one, is that you can add a motor mount without altering the NE Dory.  Just wanted to share my experience with others who expressed an interest in using a motor....

On reflection, I'm convinced that you are right. You really have found a brilliant way to mount the motor. And I suspect a 2 hp motor is very quiet. It's great to find ways to make an adaptable boat even more adaptable!