Rookie question here…I’m interested in a 22 Cruiser, going with a 115 HP outboard and a 10 HP kicker for trolling and safety should the 115 go down. But I don’t know how the kicker is used. Do C-dorys integrate the kicker into the steering somehow? Or does it operate like a typical outboard by steering it at the engine (seems impractical). I’m currently looking at a 22 that only has the 115 so I’d have to add a 10 myself so I want to make sure I have the chops to do it! Thanks!
How does a kicker steer?
- Thread starter Nordmann
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There are a few ways steering the kicker can be accomplished with varying degrees of efficiency. The smaller motor can be physically connected to the main with a steering tie rod and steered from the helm. It can be, of course, steered with the tiller handle on the kicker motor. It can be locked in a straight forward position and the boat can be steered from the helm by using the main as a rudder without having it running if wind and current are not great enough to hinder that. Another, more elegant, option is to spend a couple extra thousand dollars on a fancy autopilot like the Garmin Reactor autopilot for kicker motors.
I was fishing with a friend earlier this summer who had a fancy bow mounted electric motor with a built it autopilot and spot hold feature. It cost about $4k all in with the lithium batteries and charger but was amazing in how well it worked. For ocean trolling he put the kicker down at ran it at low rpm while using the bow mounted electric motor to maintain the course and adjust the troll speed. When we were bottom fishing over the jetty he used the spot hold to keep the boat stationary above the rocks. I was a little nervous about it at first but it worked perfectly. So, if you are inclined to spend the extra for the autopilot I think maybe a little more for a fancy electric setup would be a better way to go. There is at least one recent discussion on here about them. I can find it for you but it might be an expensive read.
Really, though, it depends on how often you plan to use the kicker. If you are doing lots or trolling then a detachable tie rod might be the best choice, but if you are fishing and want to be in the cockpit with the gear then you might just decide the tiller handle is the best. If you expect it only to be used for a backup in case the main quits then you won't mind using the tiller handle if it gets you back home safely.
I was fishing with a friend earlier this summer who had a fancy bow mounted electric motor with a built it autopilot and spot hold feature. It cost about $4k all in with the lithium batteries and charger but was amazing in how well it worked. For ocean trolling he put the kicker down at ran it at low rpm while using the bow mounted electric motor to maintain the course and adjust the troll speed. When we were bottom fishing over the jetty he used the spot hold to keep the boat stationary above the rocks. I was a little nervous about it at first but it worked perfectly. So, if you are inclined to spend the extra for the autopilot I think maybe a little more for a fancy electric setup would be a better way to go. There is at least one recent discussion on here about them. I can find it for you but it might be an expensive read.
Really, though, it depends on how often you plan to use the kicker. If you are doing lots or trolling then a detachable tie rod might be the best choice, but if you are fishing and want to be in the cockpit with the gear then you might just decide the tiller handle is the best. If you expect it only to be used for a backup in case the main quits then you won't mind using the tiller handle if it gets you back home safely.
robhwa
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- Marcia C
Earlier, I had a Honda 9.9 HP kicker mounted on the starboard side of the transom beside the 90 Honda on my CD22. It had remote tilt, start and throttle from the helm with controls beside the main. Sounds nice, but it certainly wasn't. The 100 lb+ extra weight on the transom and the tilt to the starboard side and weight on the stern was significant. With the fuel tanks filled you had to add significant weight forward to bring the bow down, and to the port side for balance, or drop the starboard trim plate significantly to level the boat on plane, adding a big "rooster tail". The 9.9 was louder than the main trolling. You can see in the picture that I added an electric motor-mounted 80 lb Minn Kota above the antiventilation (cavitation) plate. I also added an 80 lb Minn Kota on the bow. Great for trolling. With the current 230 AH, 24 volt house battery, I can "get home" 10 miles or so at a bit more at a speed of about 3 statute mph, further at lower speed. Obviously, I can't go through Tacoma Narrows against the tide. Wind doesn't matter as much with the bow motor running. Adding a generator, I can add whatever distance I have gasoline for. I added a motor mount, about 10 lb, where the 9.9 used to be, and can add a kicker up to about 100 lb there. On trips, I carry a Honda 2 hp (the older one), or Cruise-n-carry 2.7 hp two stroke (about 20 lb) and am currently considering a more powerful electric motor (Torqeedo or EPropulsion) 3000 or 6000 watt motor. TyBoo touts the utility of the bow mount for fishing and to move the boat short distances. IMHO, the bow mount really is a "game-changer" for fishing, quiet, programmable, and the spot-lock and auto steer are fantastic.
shad
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- C-Squatch
I have been steering my kicker with a tie bar from the helm or from the tiller handle in the cockpit. The main issue is not being able to control the throttle from the helm, but I am thinking of getting the recently released "Accutroll" trolling speed control system. It's overpriced for what it is, but it seems like the most modern solution with NMEA 2000, phone app, and remote.
Next will be hydraulic steering and a Garmin Reactor for the main. In theory the autopilot should be able to control the main and kicker via the tie bar.
Next will be hydraulic steering and a Garmin Reactor for the main. In theory the autopilot should be able to control the main and kicker via the tie bar.