Suitable Kicker motor for my boat? 4.33m De Havilland

I tend to go out 1-4km out of the bay (Botany Bay here in Sydney Australia) or drive around in the bay looking for bream but the motor has failed on me close to shore once and it was becoming low tide so i couldn't paddle in but luckily i got a tow to the ramp (turns out it was fuel starvation beause of my tank being levelled incorrectly) I am looking for a suitable kicker motor for my boat and my fishing friend has a 4.5hp 1980 Mercury BRAND NEW sitting in storage being fired for 20 minutes every month. What speed am i expecting on boat with this motor and if im out in the water where the water is a bit bumpy and currently im getting dragged out into the ocean.. Will this motor get me back to shore?<br /><br />I got an old 650cc Mercury Thunderbolt 65hp 1970 as my main motor it sure is fine hasn't failed on me mechanically/electronically yet but still i'd like to be safe especially if a storm is coming etc.. As it is a common thing on botany<br /><br />Or what do you guys recommend?<br /><br />Thanks No i can't afford dual 50hp's

Re: Suitable Kicker motor for my boat? 4.33m De Havilland

Y2 - Never been to Sydney and you did not give us any info on your boat - - What I can tell you is that I had a 5hp as a 2nd motor on an 18' boat with a 100 hp primary. Was out in the bay near Norfolk, Virginia and the 100 died and had to use the 5hp to get 4 miles back to the ramp. I made it but barely. It just did not have enough power to hold in any kind of wind let alone tide. I would want at least a 9.9 for an auxiliary.

Re: Suitable Kicker motor for my boat? 4.33m De Havilland

I agree with SoLittle. 9.9 would be the ABSOLUTE MINIMUM on a boat for the ocean! if i were you, and if you have the money, i would look around for maybe even a 15 HP motor as a backup. The ocean can be mean at times and the 15 would help drastically! i live in Wisconsin...right in the middle of the Great Lakes...5 mph winds can produce 3-5 foot waves at times...9.9 would be ok for a smaller, easily-manuverable boat, but if you have a boat over 20' long...id seriously think about at least a 15.

Re: Suitable Kicker motor for my boat? 4.33m De Havilland

15 foot boat <br /><br />Quite a light boat and i only go out on the ocean maybe 3km on a very good day<br /><br />But often you know how good days never last

Re: Suitable Kicker motor for my boat? 4.33m De Havilland

y2jericho, <br /><br />you could always explain to your fishing friend that you are interested in his motor, but unsure if it would push your boat in the conditions you require it for. maybe ask him if you could try it out on your boat. you could offer to take him out fishing in so that you can both see how it goes. The lure of a free fishing outing (maybe with a couple of beeers supplied afterwards) might entice him.<br /><br />If you are looking at a bigger motor as suggested in some of the other posts, I just bought a 98 merc 15hp from a hire place for around $900Aus. Also consider the extra weight of motor and fuel tank that you'll be carrying too.<br /><br />Cheers - t