Thanks for the replies (I'm the OP - just forgot to login on the original post...)

That seals it. I'm not going to take it off and on next time. To me, it seemed like there was more risk of dropping the motor over the side during the repeated transfers than any risk of damage while it was on the dink but I did it anyway. I tied the jib furling line onto the handle during the transfer so if I *did* drop it in, it wouldn't go the bottom but still I had a constant fear that I would tweak my back and ruin the trip.

Tom