Short shaft kicker for 20 inch transom

[salvageyard saviour]

Boat is a 21.5 fiberglass cuddy with a 150 Johnson.
I'm looking at a late 80's 15 hp mercury Short shaft as a kicker for trolling.
I measured 20 inches from transom top to bottom, next to the 150 where it will mount.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of room in the splashwell area, I'm thinking the kicker will have helm shift and throttle controls. Steering from main outboard via link.

Will this work easily? Will I need a jackplate?

Should I keep looking for a long shaft?

 

[Sea Rider]

If the current transom is 21.1 inches tall a 15 inch short shaft motor won't work well, will sit too high and the motor will achieve excessive prop aeration. Doesn't matter at which trim position you end playing with...

Happy Boating​

 

[Texasmark]

They make brackets that attach to the transom and can be set to different positions. I don't know how far down they go but they are designed to get your lower unit out of the water when raised.

Agreeing with Sea Rider, you need "new water" into a prop's slip stream for the prop to pull against. If the new water isn't adequate the propeller's sucking action (area behind the blade) will seek the path of least resistance, which is the surface of the water and ventilate (suck in surface air)....around the edges of the anti-ventilation plate and loose thrust, with increased engine RPMs.

 

[Sea Rider]

I'm experiencing same tech issue when installing my short shaft 30 HP Tohatsu on a 22 inch tall transom. The only possible way to power my 15 footer Rib at a very slow and boring pace is to throttle the grip far enough to a point just before the prop begins to aerate badly. In such condition won't be possible to power anything heavy that floats if plan using a S shaft motor as a kicker, the combo will simply stay resting where it sits on water. Better get a L shaft motor. BTW a prop it's a propulsion device that pulls and pushes water at same time at both blade sides...

Happy Boating​

 

[Faztbullet]

All you need is this to use you s/s motor.. My walleye/sauger client use em with s/s motors everyday.

Garelick Auxiliary Outboard Motor Bracket 7.5hp - 20hp

The Garelick Auxiliary Outboard Motor Bracket is designed to work with engines with horse power between 7.5 & 20 max. Shop Wholesale Marine for motor brackets!

www.wholesalemarine.com

Sea you need a drop down plate....

Vance DDPL6375 6'' Setback Drop Down Plate

Our 6 inch setback drop down plate is American-made with the finest materials for a superior boating product. Contact our friendly and knowledgeable staff for help!

www.vancemfg.com

 

[salvageyard saviour]

All you need is this to use you s/s motor.. My walleye/sauger client use em with s/s motors everyday.

Garelick Auxiliary Outboard Motor Bracket 7.5hp - 20hp

The Garelick Auxiliary Outboard Motor Bracket is designed to work with engines with horse power between 7.5 & 20 max. Shop Wholesale Marine for motor brackets!

www.wholesalemarine.com

Sea you need a drop down plate....

Vance DDPL6375 6'' Setback Drop Down Plate

Our 6 inch setback drop down plate is American-made with the finest materials for a superior boating product. Contact our friendly and knowledgeable staff for help!

www.vancemfg.com

Thanks, that's what I was thinking of.

I'll call them to see if they can recommend a model

 

[Sea Rider]

Tech issues to bear in mind...

Those Garrelic are simple Auxiliary Motor Brackets intended to hold/sit an aux motor side of the main or side of the rudder in a sailboat.

If the OP plans to install both motors with a single installation to be steered and throttled with a wheel and a remote box will have the main sitting on a 21 inch transom while the aux sitting 4-5 inches or more down transom. For dual motor installs both motors must sit at same transom height for the steering rod to steer both motors at same time. Now add both gear and throttle cables to such uneven motor heights.

If plan usingt the S 15 aux sitting solely on said bracket way lovered for the prop not to aerate badly specially on windy, choppy water cond the tiller grip will remain at a horrible near vertical angle to thottle and steer comfy....

BTW, before the C-19 took over a friend of mine using same Garrelic model had his 2 stroke 18 HP L shaft Tohatsu which only weights 43 kilos going diving into the deep blue due to the motor's plastic support breaking exactly where the bolts bolts to the alum frame, that episode ocurred is a moderate sligt chop when the motor was powering a 30 footer sailboat at just 1/2 throttle. To add to his misfortune, extremely bad boating luck and total loss the motor was not secured with an extra rope to the sailboat...

Happy Boating
​

 

[salvageyard saviour]

Here's a picture of what type of setup I'm thinking of.

My transom is similar, as there's no way to reach tiller controls.

Will this type of steering link allow the kicker to be raised out of the water when not in use? And still use the main.

 

[Sea Rider]

I see 2 Long shaft motors scenario one sitting side, the other on the transom, plan going that route ? If so, your set up will be an installed L and a S shaft ones in which that horizontal bar won't remain horizontal as in pic to work steering your motor nicely at same time as the S lower leg's will sit way lower in water compared to the L one.

Add the bummer when raising the aux or main when one will not be in use with that kind of bar installation. If capable at best scenario solving that issue, how do you plan to gear and throttle the aux motor while sitting way down ?

Happy Boating​

 

[salvageyard saviour]

Yes, that picture is backward to my plan.

I would have L main and S kicker on transom corner with drop down bracket like the Garrelic.

I'll install second helm controls for the kicker.


You think I won't be able to raise the auxiliary when using the main with this type of bar?
If both were L shaft, would I have the same problem?

How about handheld remote control steering?
I'm hesitant to spend as much for steering as the 15 hp will cost. Also it's a mid 1980's, not sure if one's available. I want it right though.

 

[Sea Rider]

The main must sit and work right at middle transom and the S aux side of it held by the aux bracket bolted onto the transom's left side as seen from behind. If plan gearing, throttling and steering the S aux manually will surely sit way low, will work but if in need to throttle and steer the aux will be an unconfy bummer reaching a low steering arm on constant basis.

Check if possible to find a well priced L shaft kiker install it on a Garrelic aux mount for the motor to sit at a much better height than the S for manual operation including much less effort to fully raise it when not in use...

Happy Boating​

 

[JimS123]

I have used Garelick mounts in the past, but prefer the much better designs of Panther.

Also, the EZSteers are good mounts, but IMHO they are too low in the water to make installation easy when in the water.

My preference is to make my own. Quite simple. 5/16" threaded SS rods, covered in plastic tubing, and QD fittings on the ends. Mount the ball sockets on the kicker's handle bracket, and on the main's steering bracket. Easy to reach and the cost is only a fraction of the store bought models.

Different height motors is never an issue.