I really love my wife

[starcrafttom]

I am sitting at home playing on the computer making no money what so ever because of the weather and my wife calls. The first words out of her mouth is " tom go buy a kicker for the boat with electric start" you know I just love this girl,but my first thoughts were "great something else for them to steal". We had not been talking about one or anything it came out of the blue. Seems she thinks that if we are going to be boating up north and on the coast we need one. So who am I to aruge with a lady?

So heres the question. What do I want. I want ele. start and a charging system so my down riggers dont drain the batteirs. Honda would match the 90 but the nissian is 40 lbs lighter. What size? is a 4 or 5 enough or do I really need a 9.9.? do I mount on a bracket or just to the transom? I understand that some motors mounted to the transom drag in the up position, is this true? and how bad? I have a really heavy duty mount in the garage so thats a option. If I use a mount then I have to use a ez-steer?They are up to $250 now. This will give me a motor for use on my drift boat come duck season. So what are the thoughts of the pub?

[rogerbum]

[TyBoo]

The brand probably isn't as important for your use as the alternator output. But I don't know if a Datsun next to a Honda is a good idea.

About the bracket - if it wasn't for trim tab clearance, I probably wouldn't have bothered putting one on my 22. The skeg and part of the housing did drag the water when on plane, but every time I checked the prop wasn't spinning. And the extra rooster tail wasn't a problem for the guy driving who couldn't see it. Try it without first. It's much easier to drill holes later than to fill them. But after you decide for sure how it will stay mounted, drilling and bolting might slow the thieves down a bit.

[starcrafttom]

I raced datsun 510's in high school and really loved them more then any honda I have ever owned so a nissun kicker is ok with me. I called e-g marine and they said in the 3 years of selling them they have had only one warranty call on the datsun.

[Sawdust]

Got a Datsun on my 13' Livingston -- a Datsun on the Rampage -- a Honda on the 22 CD. Love 'em all. Golly, love my wife too! What's left. Gotta go fishin'

And if'n TyBoo Mike sez do it - just do it!

Dusty

[TyBoo]

[DaveS]

[tpbrady]

I don't have another wife yet, but the first one that shows up with a new motor, windlass, or gas money may win.

On the kicker, I went with a 9.9 and by mounting a Garelick backboard directly to the transom I was able to both clear the water when it is up and clear the trim tab when it is down with a very strong mount. I was also able to use a stainless remote steering rod sold by Cabelas to tie the kicker to the steering on the main engine. The whole thing was less than $80 or so. I do have to remove the rod when the motor is up and lock the motor in place when not using it since there isn't enough clearance to be turning the motor.

[Sea Wolf]

Tom-

You probably don't have to have a 9.9 or 15, but about 7-8 hp is much better than anything less, which iwould be underpowered where you fish.

I'd go with a specifically designed High Thrust motor dessigned for use as a kicker on a boat like the 22 rather than a small boat outboard with just a 20 inch shaft stuck on it.

The High Thrust motors (real ones, not just those called that), have larger lower ends on them and lower gearing(like 3:1) with larger propellers. They transfer thrust (really momentum) much better than the regular outboard lower end which spins a lot faster with a smaller prop, etc. It's like the difference in trying to row a rowboat with a pair of nice long oars making long smooth strokes versus using some very short oars which give you a bunch of short, quick, inefficient splashes on the water's surface. The energy and momentum simply get transfered much better with the high thrust motors. They were first developed to push larger sailboats around quietly and efficiently and work very well on a boat like ours as a kicker.

At least one of them, the Yamaha T-8, has, an optional hydraulic power tilt mechanism that allows remote pushbutton deployment and storing of the motor. This may sound a bit unnecessary, but it's much easier than hanging upside down over the transom in your new PFD, hoping you won't have to use it momentrily.

We discussed kickers a few months back as part of the discussion about which motor to buy as a main, and I'm sure there are a lot more ideas there. I seem to remember there was a partiularly good fit betwen this motor and the top of the line TR-1 autopilot and all it's capabilities.

Hope this off the top of my head bunch of thoughts can help get you started!

Joe.

[Brooks Cooper]

8 hp plenty on a 22' cruiser, look at the yamaha T-8. They have it in an electric start and power tilt. You also can't go wrong with the honda. I use a front bar to connect the motors. It works great about $25.00 at any marine store. Oh ya I love my wife too.

[Norm S]

My vote is Yamaha T8. As soon as I can afford it I'm selling my almost new Johnson 15 that came on my boat and buying the yamaha. Electric start, power trim and tilt.... I'm getting lazy in my older yrs. Love the easy stuff.
Norm

[Mr. Fisherman]

Tom, If you are going to consider going offshore at all don't settle for anything less than 8hp. My Honda has been my hero several times and I love it but it is just a bit small in my opinion. A few years ago my main motor went down hard and I had to rely on my kicker to get me back. The best I could so was 3 mph in building seas. Not fun. I will eventually get at least a 9.9 and a high thrust is a strong consideration. The guys with the T8s seem to really like them, the Merc Bigfoot is nice too.
I'll be looking at this thread and look forward to a report when you have spent some time with yours. Controls for the Yamaha are gonna be expensive so brace yourself.

I ran my kicker for years without a bracket. When I added the trim tabs i had to put a bracket on for clearance. I never liked dragging my kicker anyway. Now I need to modify my EZ steer control arm.

If you are going with electric start with tilt and trim I doubt you will use it much on any other boat. It will be too much of a hassle.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

[Pat Anderson]

Tom - just put an ad in the personals:

"Wife wanted. Must have new outboard engine. Send picture of engine."

[Cutty Sark]

Hey Tom, when I was talking to Susan the other day, I kind of went off about kickers and safety. And how waiting for a tow in 5 foot seas just drifting wouldn't be much fun, especially near a bridge or rocks or something hard and pointy. I know she's Mrs. Safety and figured that would do the trick . But to the question at hand. I'd go at least 8 hp. you know my brand of choice, but I'd also look at the yamaha high thrust. Max and Jay have one and love it. You will definitly want a bracket, I need one too but haven't decided yet. I like the simple ones like alot of people have fabicated here, the ones with the lift seem a little sketchy to me while trailering. As far as connector rods, I'll probably go ez steer, I had one on my arima and it worked well. But here is the cabelas one.

Cabelas Link

I personally also prefer a pull start on a kicker. Kiss principle, and if my battery is dead it doesn't matter . Not that you can't start an electric one with a rope wrapped around the fly wheel. But my kicker is very easy to start and almost always fires on the first pull. See you tonight at PSA.

Sark

Link edited by Da Nag

[Alyssa Jean]

Hey, Bill and/or Mike,

How come when a long website address is put into the messege the whole message stretches out to forever?? (Like above) Or is it just me and I don't have some setting right?