How do you use your kicker?

J

jstates

New member
I had a long talk with Les [EQ-Marine] this weekend - wow is he knowledgeable. I may have the wrong idea about a kicker. I am used to using the twin 40-s on prior CD. I am trying to decide whether I should get the lightest kicker [tiller, manual tilt, start] for rare emergency use like he was kind of suggesting or one with remote from the helm [power tilt, start, throttle] so I can use it as a second engine. He suggested I consider tiller model so I could control when in the cockpit - never thought of that. I appreciate his thoughtful approach to simplicity, repair, cost, use, and his fairness and honesty when discussing options not available at his shop.

I had planned to use kicker lot for traveling at Hull speed - partially to keep my hours down on the main - plus I like going slow - sometimes and fast others. I don't expect fuel economy differences to be the big factor at slow speed- these engines seem to work better when used more often. He said few people use kicker much> - Les if I am mis-stating you - please correct me.

Clearly economic, weight and install advantages to manual start, tiller, and tilt.
I was thinking more about using it regularly for mellow travel in S Sound - One of my friends has a 33 foot Harbor craft with two huge Yamaha's, he runs his kicker most of the time - fishing on Lake Roosevelt.

Should I get power start, and remote control - I think manual tilt is OK.
[I don't have a clue about fishing - maybe someday - so trolling at 2 knots is not major concern] [don't plan to move kicker to dinghy as I would rather paddle the Aire Superlynx kayak]

Thanks - Jim
 
Jim,
I went with the tiller model on our 25. It is nice if you want to stay in the cockpit fishing or nice sunny day. On the other days I use an inexpensive motor tie bar (see album) so I can start the kicker, set the speed, and then steer from inside (only recommended for low speed as your throttle and controls ARE in the cockpit). It has worked fine for us. Looking forward to seeing your new boat.
 
Jim,

We have an "all manual" Honda Classic 8 next to our Honda 90 and like it that way. It is used for emergency purposes and trolling on the Great Lakes. I frequently fish be myself and like being in the cockpit where I can monitor my lines and make course corrections.

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
I have a manual 6 hp tiller model. I used it yesterday to work my way back into Rocky Bay looking for salmon. I was in water 2 to 3 feet deep and I had never been in there. Didn't want to take the chance on using the main.

I use the kicker for the following reasons

1) emergency power when main is lost. I can steer with the main down as it acts as a big rudder, or use the tiller from the cockpit.

2) shallow water use to protect my main

3) Sometimes I like to sit in the cockpit and putt around enjoying the sun and fresh air.

I mounted the motor bracket myself, so the only rigging cost was that of the bracket ($80). The kicker will push my 19 at about 5 knots.

Robbi
 
You have the right idea in considering how to use the kicker. Please remember that it also can be used for any inflatable you may have. Carrying a third engine for the inflatable probably isn't a great idea, especially on a 22.

We have a Honda 9.9 for both an emergency get-home motor and as the inflatable motor. That is one big heavy motor. Les had the right idea on getting a light engine, and a simple one. All the accessories add weight, especially on the 22.

Look at a Tohatsu which is both lighter (20# lower than our Honda,) and cheaper.

Boris
 
Mt 2 cents-

Considering your described use- remote control eletric start sounds like it will be most convenient. Add a small tie bar and you'll have steering when you want to use the kicker.

BTW- Power Tilt usually comes with the remote / electric start models.
 
I have a 9.9 Honda kicker for trolling. It is tied to my 150 like a twin set-up. Remote steering, remote start, power trim and tilt. On occasions I wish it had a tiller. If it werent' for trolling (which I do a lot of) I would have went with twin 90's. I don't consider it a good "get home motor" @ 5mph, especially in rough seas.
 
I have the Honda 9.9 along side my 90.
I chose the power tilt/start but retained the tiller and it can still be started with a pull. I just did not want to be pulling the motor up and down and starting by rope.
As I noted on another thread, the 9.9 must be mounted on the starboard side so the tiller arm does not limit turning due to contact with the motor well.

You can have the best of both worlds when you keep the tiller, tie in the steering with a removable bar to the 90, and install a fishpro servo for remote throttle.
With this system, I can have total control in the cockpit and at the helm and the fishpro system is easy to install. I have the small control box attached to a 6' leash so I can use it in the cockpit as well for fine speed adjustments.

Now, as for use of the kicker for other than trolling shallow water and as a backup, the comments here are accurate for most of us. Your situation is different though, with trips starting in Shelton. I have made that run from the Olympia area and it is quite nice to take the trip at low speed and with the tide or at slack. If I had my boat where you do, I would be inclined to make that pleasant run at slow speed and to use the 9.9 and save $30 bucks or so round trip.
Most of us put in at big water locations where frankly, it is more pleasant to be up on plane and moving a bit faster. For your first hour out of port though, you are not exposed to open water chop and so long as you are not fighting a flood tide on the way out, you would do fine with a 9.9 as your power.
 
We use ours to troll and as "emergency get to shore" power. We troll both lake and the Gulf. We have a Nissan 8 and it moves the boat about 6 mph or so. It is electric start w/rope for back up, manual tilt, with tiller. This really gives you the best of options. Slaved off the main with a connector bar from Cabela's, steer it from the helm. Steering cable breaks? Use the tiller from the cockpit.

We also have a Troll-Master remote throttle unit installed. The only thing I can't do from the helm is shift gears. This is a must have in my book. Very nice to be able to adjust speed of the kicker from the helm.

Rick
 
Based on good advice gleaned from here, I recently purchased the 6 hp Tohatsu, tiller, manual start, longshaft. I also bought the $30 steering tie bar from Cabelas. Just finished with the break-in and am very happy with the set up. 3/4 throttle pushes our CD 22' at 5 mph and consumes about 1/2 gal/hr.
 
Based on a previous experience with a kicker we opted not to get one on the C-Dory for a number of reasons. We had an electric start 4 stroke 9.9 on the Whaler. It's a great kicker, but we never used it. We don't fish, so we don't need to troll. We (thankfully) have never had an engine problem. We like having 120 less pounds hanging off the back. We like having one less engine to maintain.

Perhaps the biggest problem we had with the kicker on the Whaler is that it just wasn't strong enough. Twice we broke the aluminum mount on the 9.9. This was both expensive to fix and made it so we couldn't use the boat until the engine was removed. Granted, the Whaler is run hard (much harder than the C-Dory)...it cruises near 40 mph and doesn't like being run slowly, so it's almost always run fast and has in several occasions been completely airborne.

Finally, because we never used the thing, I had doubts as to weather it would really work when I needed it. Engines need to be used regularly and the kicker wasn't.
 
I was concerned about weight, too. The Nissan/Tohatsu are one of the lightest. If I remember correctly, our 8hp weighs 86lbs. It hangs on a Mini Jacker mount.
 
I’m the rare bird, have a 90hp main and no kicker; just don’t see any reason to hang an additional $2000.00 weight off the stern. Guess that comes from being an engineer on 2 commercial fishing boats with single screws and trusting your ability. I also fly around occasionally in a single screw PA12, that’s been flying around for over 60 years on one engine.

My safety net is 600 feet of anchor line and channel 16 on the VHF, call me crazy.
 
Besides trolling and emergency propulsion I use my kicker for other things. My kicker is a electric start that also has a pull start and this is crucial as is a alternator. I have used my kicker to charge up my batteries more than once. if you have the pull start and a alt. you will never be stuck with a dead battery. Just fire her up and let it run for a half hour and then fire the main. has saved my ass a few times.
 
I really appreciate the input - I reread each post several times. You can tell I am a slow shopper - once I buy my gear however I use it for years. My first mountain stove Optimus 8r is 40 years old and still running.

Sounds like with a kicker shouldn't need a generator for battery power back up. Might if you wanted to use a 110 v device but I don't need that type of device when away from shore power.

Tiller is good idea - I didn't realize how many folks run the kicker from cockpit and Steves Idea of remote control throttle sounds good as well. -

Any reason not to get one of the older [but never used ] Honda 8 carberated - [lighter engines] vs the newer fuel injected> Terry and Anne mentioned in the other post they used one.
Thanks again
Jim
 
Back
Top