How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

[Marlinman10]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I have a 1995 Yamaha 85 with no kicker. I've owned three boats over the years and have never had one. I have gone 70 miles off shore and have never needed a tow. My boats are highly maintained but I do belong to a local tow company just in case. 125 bucks a year and they will come and tow you back to your dock or trailer.

 

[kenmyfam]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I should really have answered "Yes and No"

I am just finishing rebuilding a 7.5hp Merc that I inherited and plan to store it under the bow as a "just in case" motor. Still have to fit the transom bracket for it though. Extra weight yes, security yes. I will run it regularly to make sure it will work should I need it though.

 

[RickV1955]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

With my 19 ft. Proline CC and 115 Mercury OptiMax......if planning on sometimes heading out in the Gulf (Bradenton, Florida) 20-25 miles.....
What would be a good "kicker" to have on the boat as emergency power"

Would something like a 15 or 20HP be good? (Too big/small??)

Thanks

 

[gss036]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

My kicker possibly saved me a couple weeks ago. I was running low on fuel, intentional y because our salmon fishing ended on the 15th and doesn't reopen until 1st of July, so did not want the boat to sit 3 month w/old fuel. I was also running in rough water and had gone about 15 miles and was about 200 yards off the shore line when the fuel primer bulb sucked shut from debris in the tank. I knew what the problem was right away, but still by the time I got my 3 gallon spare tank hooked up and the T9.9 Yamaha running I was within a 100 feet or so of the shore. Long story/ short end, the tank was full of junk and ended pulling it and in the process of replacing it, also found wet foam soaked w/gas. If you have an older tank, mine was 20 years old, suspect you have accumulation in the tank and corrision over the years. By running in the rough water I probably broke a lot more loose from the tank, even though it had 4 baffles inside. That was the first time in all my boating (40+) years that I have had a primer bulb sucked flat.
JUST 1 MORE REASON TO HAVE A KICKER!!!!!!!!

 

[Downrigger39]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I have a 17ft alumweld with a 9.9 kicker for trolling and a 90hp both mercs

 

[riverrat66]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I just installed a 2009 Mercury 9.9 hp four stroke on my 2005 Proline 21Sport along side my Mercury 150 hp Saltwater engine. I haven't had a chance to try it out yet but hopefully by next week I can let you know how it works.

Where do I find out how I can tie in the fuel line for the kicker engine to my main engine fuel line so I can eliminate the 3 gal. gas can you see in the transom.

Here's some pictures:

 

[gss036]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

There should be an extra outlet on your fuel/water separator filter. You do have one don't you?
I still carry my kicker gas tank, just in case as I talked about in my other response above.

 

[riverrat66]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I would not go out without one. Mine saved my butt on Wednesday and kept me off the rocks until I could drain a plugged fuel filter and get the big motor going again.

Because I'm a new guy, I haven't owned a boat in over 30 years (and then that was just a 16' fishing boat) I would have never thought about a plugged fuel filter rendering both engines inoperable. I don't mean to hijack this thread but I'm getting a real education here. Most of my boating experience comes from my duty aboard a river patrol boat in Vietnam (43 years ago) and that was not your typical pleasure craft/fishing boat.

I was leaning more toward aesthetics then function. I dislike the way the fuel can looks in the transom but I may have to reconsider my thought about joining the two fuel lines unless there is a way to install a separate filter for the kicker motor.

I fish mostly the upper Niagara River and Lakes Erie and Ontario. It would not be a good idea to have engine trouble on the upper Niagara (that's above the Falls).

Thanks for the advise.

riverrat66

 

[Mike Robinson]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I have a '94 Johnson 150 2 stroke and a '86 Yamaha 9.9 "High Thrust" 4 stroke kicker.

We do a lot of trolling for salmon so the kicker gets used all the time. We have a steering link to the main engine and a throttle control for the kicker at the helm, it saves us lots of fuel.

The kicker has it's own battery that the electric downriggers are also connected to and it's own fuel tank (5 gallon plastic). If we lost battery power to the main engine and electronics we carry jumper cables to jump from the kicker's battery.

The next thing I want to do is wire up a second bilge pump to the kicker battery.

 

[fenderbender]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

Hi Riverratt,
You're kicker setup is sweet. I just bought a 2004 Caravelle 210 W/A with a 150 Yammie salt edition. I want to do what you have done. Did you do the install yourself? What brand jack plate did you use? Does that 9.9 trail when the bracket is in the UP position? Have you figured out how to splice in fuel lines yet?

 

[bryanwess2000]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I have a 1989 8hp mariner I bought for $400. It's cheap insurance to me.
I have it mounted on my newly acquired 1982 aluminum sylvan 16' sportster.
I just have it mounted on the transom on the left side. I still have plenty of room for the main motor, a 1977 85 mercury. The main reason I have a kicker
is for peace of mind, since I started taking my 17month old daughter out on my boat. The 8hp pushes my boat about 6-7mph gps, good enough to get me back to the dock. I've only broken down on the water once, when I blew up my 50hp johnson, but I couldn't get anyone to help me when I did and several boats came by just looking the other way. It took me 2 hours of trolling motor then paddleing to make it 1.5miles to the nearest marina.
Luckily one of the guys at the marina offered to drive me to my truck at a
nearby launch. So if your considering buying a kicker go ahead and get one,
just one experience like mine will have you wishing you had one. I get funny
looks at the launch every time I go boating for having two engines on my
boat, it doesn't bother me atleast not as much as paddling a boat back to dock. So far mine is the only boat i've seen around here that has a kicker
motor.

 

[AuSable Junkie]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

If I had the extra money, yeah I'd have one. Until then, I have to trust my 55 hp Chrysler.

 

[Lightnig]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

Does it count if the kicker is the main motor???

heheh.


Still in the process of rebuilding the boat itself, so I currently do not have a main motor. But the motor I have in the garage will be going on as the kicker.

 

[rolmops]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I have what is probably the only long shaft remote control 1964 9.5 Evinrude in North America.
It is hooked up to my 75 merc with an eazysteer setup and I run it of the main fuel tank with the help of a 3 way valve so there is no issue with false air in the fuel lines.I use it both as a safety backup and for trolling, which I do a great deal of, fishing for salmon and steelhead on Lake Ontario.

 

[Nasbinator]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I have a kicker on my 15' starcraft jet. I have a 1961 40 hp johnson. With a engine that old, you better have backup!

 

[oldgradywhite]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I don't have one BUT...... I wish I did rowing sucks!

 

[cedarjunki]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

As i boat mostly on the St Lawrence seaway (lots of current)

lots is an understatement! i remember running over 1/4 throttle sitting still trying to fish one of the dams.

Though by law you have to have oars there ,s no way your ever rowing this pig!

agreed the only thing oars are good for on these boats is to push away from rocks!

If I had the extra money, yeah I'd have one.

i agree, money is the major issue! i have an old 5 and a 6 horse but i dont think they have enough power to move my 18'.

I don't have one BUT...... I wish I did rowing sucks!

sucks big time! hopefully my rowing days are over.

lets add to the poll..............what size kicker is recomended??

 

[1kruzer1]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

'76 Sylvan (Starcraft) Supersport with '76 Evinrude 70HP and '73 Johnson 6HP for trolling. The 6 horse gets more running hours than the 70.

 

[trendsetter240]

Re: How Many Boaters with Kicker Engines?? Poll

I have a 1995 70hp as my main and a 1990 4hp as my kicker. I use it mainly for salmon trolling but also for emergency. it's great on gas and allows me to troll at a slower speed than the 70.

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=383626