This rather uninspired picture is an Armstrong bracket on the back of what I believe is a Parker 25. Normally these boats have an outboard on the back of them which is bolted onto a 'normal' Armstrong bracket but in this case what we are looking at is the prototype of a new bracket with a Yanmar diesel engine inside which drives through a stern drive unit. Thus the bracket and engine can be bolted onto the back of almost any boat that normally has an outboard replacing the traditional outboards with the economy of diesel power. I have to say that I have never been a big fan of any sort of bracket on the back of a boat as I think that they spoil the lines of the vessel but what is interesting about this concept is that Armstrong in partnership with Yanmar, both experts in their own fields, have taken a couple of bits of technology that have been around for a long time and made something new out of it. According to the press release this engine is a 260 hp but it is understood that eventually power units will be available from 170 up to 370 hp so this should mean that the potential market could be quite large. As yet this is the only one that has been made and installed and it is in Florida but I am hoping to test it the next time I head down that way. I'll keep you posted.
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