DaySailer.org Forum

I have a new (to me) DS III. As you can see in the photo below, it has a cutout in the transom for a motor. I haven't seen this in any other photo of a Daysailer of any series. Was it standard on the DS III at any time, or is this the work of a prior owner? It's annoying, because the sides of the cutout prevent the motor from spinning 180 degrees given that there isn't enough clearance for the controls on the front of the engine.

Your suspicion that this is not original is most likely correct.

The reason will be that the shaft for your motor was too short (or if motor and boat are not from the same purchase, someone owned one with a short shaft).

You can always try to trade the motor for one with a longer shaft and reverse the modification.

One advantage of having the motor low is that it's out of the way of sheets, etc. but your DS seems to have center-boom sheeting, so that's not an issue.