Kicker Questions

[RedDB76]

Hi guys - I've been reading everything I can on here about kickers, and have some questions yet.<br /><br />I'm looking to pick up a kicker motor this spring to mount on a '86 Lund Renegade - I have a 90 hp Merc ('86 as well) on it for the main motor. I will use the kicker primarily for trolling. The boat has a 20" transom height...however, with the V in the transom, the height where the kicker will mount is approximately 17". So, here's my questions.... <br />1) Do I need a 20" shaft here, or would a 15" shaft give me what I'm looking for? <br />2) Would I gain anything using a mounting bracket over just clamping the motor on the transom (would the bracket make a 15" shaft work)? <br />3) I'm looking at 8 and 9.9 hp, I've had some people suggest going down to 6....but I don't want to be underpowered. What should be the minimum to consider - from what I've read on here I should be good with an 8? <br /><br />Thanks in advance,<br /><br />Dan

 

[roscoe]

Re: Kicker Questions

9.9, 20" shaft, mount directly on transom, no bracket.<br /><br />Brackets are a pain, must be removed while trailering, hard to reach, etc.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Kicker Questions

Welcome to the board. Best post I have ever seen for a first post. <br />I have a 21 foot Crestliner and a 15 Hp Johnson Kicker. My boat is a I/O so I have it mounted on a kicker bracket. For steering I use a EZ steer.<br /><br />Not sure of the length of your boat but I would reccomend at least a 8 Hp high thrust like the Yamaha T8. That motor is designed for kicker use. In all your lakes for trolling foward I think you can get by with a 15 inch shaft. If you plan to use in the great lakes or the ocean then I would suggest a 20 inch shaft. Also if you plan on doing a lot of backing then the 20 inch will work better. If you buy just a standard motor not the high thrust then go with a 9.9 HP and get a high thrust low pitch prop.<br /><br />My 21 foot aluminum I have a 15 HP Johnson 2 stroke with a 4 blade 10 inch by 7 pitch high thrust prop. In lakes and river for trolling it works great. I can troll so slow the lures will not work and top speed is 5.5 mph. I also use my boat in the Pacific ocean where average summer winds are 17 to 34 knots every afternoon. Summer Seas range from 4 to 10 foot swells with the bigger seas being as close together as 6 seconds.<br />Offshore even with a 20 inch shaft on the bad days the kicker will go completely under the water and the prop will still come out of the water. In ocean I use kicker for safety in case main motor should fail to start. Also drift fishing when the wind comes up I use kicker to slow our drift by backing into the wind. This allows us to slow drift so do not have to use too big a weight also will catch more fish drifting slower. In the ocean when it is windy and rough the 15HP is barely enough. Trying to steer into wind and sea the motor barely has enough power to make the turn up into the sea and wind.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Kicker Questions

ditto roscoe.

 

[Barlow]

Re: Kicker Questions

btw .. If I'm not mistaken the boat (Lund Renegade) is in the 16'-17' range with a 80" beam or so.. (?)<br /><br />probably a single console model with that 90hp..

 

[RedDB76]

Re: Kicker Questions

Thanks a LOT guys - good info. Barlow - the Renegade is a 16' single console - guess I forgot to mention that.... Not exactly sure of the beam width, but 80" is probably in the range. <br /><br />I guess I haven't looked at enough to have even paid attention to high thrust motors vs not high thrust. I've been doing a lot of net searching to look at what I should expect to pay, but I haven't seen the high thrust designation - or does that just apply to the prop (ie. would I make a high thrust motor by changing the prop)?<br /><br />This boat won't see ocean use. There is a possibility of taking it on Lake Superior - but not in the near future. 90% of the use will be on smaller lakes, and probably 10% on bigger water such as Mille Lacs and Big Winni here in Minnesota. <br /><br />Thanks again!<br /><br />Dan

 

[Boatist]

Re: Kicker Questions

There is a difference between High thrust motor and a high thrust prop. <br /><br />If your boat is 16 foot go with the a 9.9 and buy a high thrust lower pitch prop. 20 inch shaft will be better in all but a couple of places. Running in real shallow water or backing into a beach.<br /><br />Hight thrust motor have a lower gear ratio. This is like your car in low gear so motor has the power to turn a bigger but flater prop. They also relive the exhaust when in reverse. This way prop is not turning in exhaust gas/air but instead turning in water. They cost a lot more and on your size boat not worth it.<br /><br />Many 9.9 2 strokes 20 inch shaft were made for sail boat and they also releive the exhaust in reverse. Makes a big difference in backing a 10,000 pound sail boat out of it slip. The high thrust props also allow the exhaust to exit the front of the prop so they back pretty good also when you are making way.

 

[rottenray6402]

Re: Kicker Questions

For what it's worth I have had an old 6HP Chrysler on three different boats now and top speed seems to be pretty much the same. It was on an old 18ft SeaRay glass boat, 16ft alum. Sylvan, and now a 19ft Spectrum. On all of these top speed is right at 5mph at WOT. I'm not an engineer but I think it has something to do with hull displacement speed. Also I use a bracket that adjusts up and down so I can vary how deep the kicker is for water conditions. Also we go into some really shallow bays in Canada so I'm able to lift the kicker way up to prevent hitting bottom. Also if you are taking the kicker on and off for storage and trailering watch the weight of the motor you buy. I'm not a small person but about 50 to 60lbs is all I want to lift on and off. I hope this helps.

 

[Capn Mike]

Re: Kicker Questions

Boatist and I have each responded to these various "kicker queries", but his need is different from most of us. I respect his decision to go to 15 hp on his kicker (hey, if I depended upon my kicker to get through 10' swells, I'd want lots of HP too) but I believe he's using HP for boat control (specifically wind against his bow) in ocean conditions. On the other hand, I believe you really don't need a very big motor for your boat and purposes: 8 hp is maximum, and less would do fine.<br /><br />Remember the displacement boat formula: sq. root of waterline X 1.3=speed in knots X 1.2 = mph. So your 16' (sq.rt 16 =4 x 1.2 x 1.2 = 6.24 mph) theoretical speed is 6.24. Maybe add some speed for a light weight, almost flat hull, and you still don't need more than 5 or 6 HP.<br /><br />My old high-thrust 9.9 Yamaha pushes my 24' 5000-lb boat just fine: full throttle goes the same speed as 3/4 (just digs down more and makes more foam and noise). If I'm in the Columbia River gorge and 40 mph winds kick up a chop, I turn on the big Johnson.<br /><br />At the Portland boat show this year, 8-hp Yamys were ubiquitous on boats from 20 to 28' and there are lots of them on all sizes of boats in the Columbia and on Puget Sound. Don't spend more money or add more weight on something you can't use. <br /><br />Use it for fishing lures and good booze instead!

 

[RedDB76]

Re: Kicker Questions

I like your thinking Capn Mike! A man can never have too many lures or enough good booze!