Shaft length range for kicker

Ken O

Ken O

Member
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Messages
135
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4
C Dory Year
1990
C Dory Model
22 Cruiser
Vessel Name
Ravens' Roost
Hello,

I almost own a 2000 C-22 Cruiser (just need to go and pick it up...). It has a Honda 90 main but no kicker. It sounds like a Mini-jacker is the bracket of choice to mount a kicker. What shaft lengths will work on a C-22? I imagine "longer is better," but I want to know what I can look at. Their are several good used 10 hp motors available near me. Thanks!
 
I have a mini jacker with a 6 hp short shaft works fine. I started with a 9.9 long shaft and it was always dragging in the water. So I added a plate and raised it 5 inches and it doesn’t drag anymore. I switch to the 6hp so I could move it to the dingy and back. The plate is still there and the short shaft is plenty deep. There are pictures in my album.
 
What ever shaft length you choose don't buy a motor with a single cylinder. The noise and vibration will drive you crazy.
 
The vibration is worse if you are trolling. At higher rpms it is not that noticeable. I agree though for slower speeds
 
Thanks folks. Those are the answers I needed. I'm looking at a Nissan/Tohatsu 9.8 twin. It sounds like it will work fine.
 
forrest":3qiaox51 said:
What ever shaft length you choose don't buy a motor with a single cylinder. The noise and vibration will drive you crazy.
Click to expand...

I don’t know my Suzuki 2.5 and 6.0 and 9.9 all run pretty smooth and quite. Maybe it’s a brand issue.
 
jkidd":i82afc78 said:
forrest":i82afc78 said:
What ever shaft length you choose don't buy a motor with a single cylinder. The noise and vibration will drive you crazy.
Click to expand...

I don’t know my Suzuki 2.5 and 6.0 and 9.9 all run pretty smooth and quite. Maybe it’s a brand issue.
Click to expand...
Same here at least with the Suzuki 2.5 & 6
 
I don’t know my Suzuki 2.5 and 6.0 and 9.9 all run pretty smooth and quiet.
Click to expand...

So you're saying the 6 HP single cylinder runs as smooth as the 9.9 dual cylinder at trolling speeds? That falls into I would have to "see to believe" category.
 
I have run a 4hp Merc, a 6hp Yam, and a 9.9 Yam on my 22. I have a motor mount that allows dropping the kicker about 4-6in below the mounting point on the transom.

The 4hp Merc could push the boat 2-4mph in calm water, the 6Yam about 4-5. The 9.9 Yam does 6-8mph on my initial testing.

The drop mount allows the short shaft motors to have their props just clear the bottom of the stern. My 9.9 is a 20" long shaft that is 3-4in below the stern when I lower it down.

I don't know if it's the depth, the power, or both, but I definitely make way more quickly with the 9.9 long shaft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwO8E-1IGZc
 
I'm needing to make this same decision for our CD22. Not for fishing, but since we want to head out to the barrier islands off Virginia's eastern shore, we want backup power. Been there many times when we were virtually alone.

It seems to me that with the trim tabs where they are, it's a tight fit back there to allow for much steering, which I assume is preferable to steering with the primary motor. Is steering with the primary motor even practical ??Lotta drag....

I picked up (literally, as I found it at a dumpster) a lifting bracket that could help. It expends out far enough that the lower unit would be behind the trim tab. I wonder if mounted there, it might be farther from the centerline than desirable??

But depending on how high on the transom it is mounted, it would either allow a long shaft to be raised well out of the water, or perhaps a short shaft could be lowered enough to function well.

I would prefer the simplicity of mounting directly to the transom if it would be fully functional. I think that would dictate a long shaft. We have a "swim" platform on the port side, so would need to deal with the control cables, etc on the stbd side, but not that much of an issue.

I'd like to settle on a motor soon (found a Merc 6hp long shaft at a local dealer priced well) but with more than one way to skin this cat, I'd appreciate the experiences of others.

Oh, and on the smoothness of 1 vs 2 cylinders, my experience, although limited, is that a 4 stroke shakes way more than a 2 stroke, same number of cylinders.
 
I have always used a articulating bracket on the C Dory. On my Caracal Cat, I used a fixed mount on the back of the swim platform--it can be fairly easily removed--but the platform is still usable, so we leave it in place.

I have always used a short shaft for a kicker, but I have also always used the same motor on my dinghy.

Some of the articulating brackets are far more robust. What is used for a 3 to 5 hp may not be suitable for a 9,9 t0 15 hp kicker.
 
Thanks! This helps.

So you have pushed from the swim platform... that would be well offset from the centerline, so must not be a problem.

Two things I'm being cautious about...or make sure of before I do it. Drilling holes in the transom which might end up being in the wrong place, and spending money on what might be the wrong motor. Shaft length that is.

I have an old Merc 3.3 short shaft I could try, which means using this lifting bracket, and be prepared to fill any miss-placed holes. This bracket looks like it could take at least 6 hp, which was the most I wanted.
 
ggray":2mt40i89 said:
Thanks! This helps.

So you have pushed from the swim platform... that would be well offset from the centerline, so must not be a problem.

Two things I'm being cautious about...or make sure of before I do it. Drilling holes in the transom which might end up being in the wrong place, and spending money on what might be the wrong motor. Shaft length that is.

I have an old Merc 3.3 short shaft I could try, which means using this lifting bracket, and be prepared to fill any miss-placed holes. This bracket looks like it could take at least 6 hp, which was the most I wanted.
Click to expand...

I would not recommend the swim platform for a kicker. Yes man boats have offset kickers.

With some way on, the main motor can be used for steering like a rudder--but in rough conditions or heavy winds that may not be enough. There is some drag, but it helps keep the boat on a steady course.

You want the kicker lower unit to be out of the water when on a plane with the larger boat.

You will be best served with thru bolting the kicker bracket. This may involve removing the starboard fuel tank on the 22. Also one should undercut the core, put thickened epoxy in the area. Redrill the hole for the bolt. The bigger the motor the more important this is. Even the 6 hp kickers are in the 50 to 60lb range.
 
No, I wasn't thinking of mounting to the swim platform, but the possibility of mounting that far off the centerline.

Right, drill fill drill!

Thank you for your suggestions!
 
Years ago I got a good deal on a 4.5hp Merc Xtra long shaft. I welded up my own aluminum mount on top of the transom port side. In this position and with the deadrise of this boat it put the cavitation plate just slightly above the hull bottom.

Results - from memory I believe it pushes this 16' boat around 5mph. With this setup(and deadrise) I could theoretically put the main up and still run this prop until keel grounded out.

Steering with main - out on the lake where steering input is in gradual increments, the main works fine and down or up effected negligible change in speed so I don't think the drag is worth worrying about.

Tighter turns - with this setup turns to starboard are tight - thrust on the port corner and the main acting as a fairly large rudder. Turns to port however very gradual because you are fighting against the port side thrust.

Yes when running on the main keep the kicker locked in up position - it throws up quit the rooster tail.

Added 2 pics in this album - http://www.c-brats.com/modules.php?set_ ... _album.php

Regards,

Rob
 
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