Anything's possible since you're the builder :-)

More seriously, it'd complicate the stern since there's a tiller and rudder already back there. You'd have to offset either the motor well or the existing steering gear.

You'd also be eating up a fair bit of the cockpit with a motor well, which would ruin the surprisingly spacious feel of such a small boat.

Other minicruiser designs that I've seen just hang an outboard off one side of the transom and work pretty well with that.

If I was building one, I'd go with a scull. It's cheap, quiet, you get to face forward and see where you're going and its carbon footprint is basically the huffing & puffing of the crew.

In Maryland, at least, not using a motor has a big effect on the cost of the boat. Not just from the price of the gas, but because there is no motor, there's no annual registration and no 10% exise tax.

Laszlo

Thanks Laszlo,

With almost no sailing experience, I would be edgy in not having a motor, especially for mooring. Now, the scull, although medieval it might sound, could be practical. Do you know of any pictures in the web of such thing?

Thanks a lot

Ito

  Dear Ito :

 Here is some sculling info :

 http://images.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http://www.geocities.com/nelstomlinson/boats/scull7.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.com/nelstomlinson/boats/index.html&h=717&w=744&sz=41&hl=en&start=9&um=1&tbnid=yRr3u06voWbQaM:&tbnh=136&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSculling%2Bboats%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

    it does not take years , or even months to learn how to dock  a small vessel with  sails alone... or even  a larger one.. I had   a friend with  a 34 footer who used to make it   a point of honour to dock " Silently "

  After  an  engine   breakdown, I (Just once) docked  a 46 footer rented  sailboat  silently.  IMHO, what you need mostly whilst doing that is  absolute silence from all your crew.

  If you are still nervous about doing that, I would  get  a small 3 hp, outboard,  and  a stern protector,  and use that until your skill level is  up to where you feel safe.   Then  remove it  and sell it.

 Inboards  are  always way  too big, smelly,  and  just as unreliable as outboards.  And don't forget, that in heavy weather,  almost no engine will get you home  as safely as  reefing, knowledge of how your craft handles,  and  good seamanship.

 I have sailed with several un-thoughtful  boaters who drop sail,  and turn on the  kicker , when the weather acts up. ... Safety is to do exactly the reverse.

 SilverDave 

Good points made by the replies to your ??  I had the pleasure of sailing the Pocket Ship and it rounded up to a mooring VERY well in a light breeze. An outboard maybe, a sculling oar for sure, but I don't think you want an inboard in this boat. SEEYA Jack