Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

bumrunner

Seaman
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
53
I am mounting a kicker motor next to my main motor and am wondering if there is a difference on which side I mount the motor? Thanks all?
 

JoLin

Vice Admiral
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
5,146
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

Makes no difference whatsoever. Wherever it best fits and you can easily operate the tiller.
 

wellsc1

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
328
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

There is one side to make sure it's on, regardless - the outside. :D

I couldn't help myself!
 

bumrunner

Seaman
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
53
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

WELLSC1 - LOL!! Crap I knew I had it wrong, I fired it up and chewed up my deck floor!!! I didn't go very far either!!! Ha ha ha ha.... On the bright side, I now see the water I driving through through a nice hole in my floor....
 

kenmyfam

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Aug 10, 2006
Messages
14,385
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

Just take your usual load into consideration. If you are often alone and sitting one side of the boat when under way then i would choose the other side to help even the load.
Just my 2 cents.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,954
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

If it has a tiller, the handle will be angled to port. Steering it will be much easier if you mount it on the stbd side.

If you can't mount it stbd. because of interference like a swim platform, go ahead and mount it on the port side. It will work OK there, just a little less convenient to use.
 

INJUN

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 29, 2008
Messages
358
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

wellsc1 had the right idea but didn't specify outside, on the transum.
 

gss036

Commander
Joined
Jan 18, 2003
Messages
2,914
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

I would say 95% of kickers I see are mounted on the port side. Port is the nautical term (used on boats and ships) that refers to the left side of a ship, as perceived by a person on board facing the bow (front). The term is also used on aircraft, spacecraft, and analogous vessels.

The port side of a vessel is indicated with a red navigation light at night.
 

PGFISHER

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Jul 21, 2009
Messages
321
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

Port and starboard came from europe. The north star was on the starboard side as they sailed to the "new world", and on the port side as they sailed back to port.
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,954
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

Port and starboard came from europe. The north star was on the starboard side as they sailed to the "new world", and on the port side as they sailed back to port.

In the olden days ships were steered by a rudder with a handle that was located on the right side of the ship. Since this "Steerboard" got in the way of docking, ships were moored on the left side, or the side that was toward the port.

Words tend to get confounded as the years pass, due to different accents and pronounciations, thus the spelling often changes as well. Another good example is gunnel. The old term was gunwale.

Probably more than the OP wanted to know. The moral of the story is mount your little OB on the kickerwaleboardside.
 

wellsc1

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 7, 2009
Messages
328
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

Thanks for enjoying my jest.

On the serious side, I recall a steering connector between the tiller and the outboard. I don't know if it works with the outboard up or down. If down, it seems like additional drag will slow down tiller speed.
 

180shabah

Rear Admiral
Joined
Mar 26, 2005
Messages
4,995
Re: Should kicker motor be on the starboard or portside of the boat?

moxnix...
 
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