Re: Putting kicker motor on a bowrider?
Inland water take a couple of good anchors, some food and water and a VHF Radio and anchor up. Wait for help as it will not kill you<br /><br />Ocean water or the Great Lakes Get a second motor. Maintain both is top condition and if either does not start before you head out then makes the needed repairs before heading out. Ocean with no power can be DEADLY. Also get a good sea anchor just in case you have to ride out a storm or need to slow your drift until help arrives.<br /><br />We have towed in two from the surf in the ocean, One within 15 feet of a big rocky shore with no beach and 6 foot swells. They had no anchor, no radio, No Life Jackets on, no brains but a cooler full of beer. They were at the same launch that we Launched at in the AM trying to get the motor started. When we found them they were in about 10 feet of water in the breakers and one guy sitting on the bow with a beer in one hand and a rotted 1/4 inch poly ski roap in the other. Lucky for them My Family Crew has help in a lot of easy tow. They knew exactly where our tow bridle and tow line were and had set up before I could back the boat into position. Within 3 swells the told him he had to tie line to a rail or something and could not just sit on the bow and hold the roap. Also to get rid of the beer.<br /><br />Sure you can pay for a tow service and they will come get you sometime, but if the weather turns bad and there involved in another tow it could be a long time. Here on the West Coast it not uncommon the here the tow service contact a boat and give them an ETA of 6 to 8 hours. Usually because there head out to get another boat and tow in then come get them.<br /><br />Lots of ways to install a kicker on the transom. They have spring loaded brackets to raise motor up to 13 inches. They have hydraulic lift brackets. They have Swim platform brackets but I think a very poor choice. With the swim platform bracket it put motor about 2 feet aft of the transom. Even with a long or extra long shaft motor in big swells prop will some times come of the water. If it does and you have much power on the motor then the motor will rev way up and when the prop drops back in many times will break the flywheel key and you will be dead in the water.<br /><br />I sure IBOATS sell the kicker brackets, also Calela's or Bass Pro.<br /><br />I went out the first time with one motor, no VHF, No Loran C (Before GPS) but when the fog came in early at our port while we were fishing up north in the sun I relized how big a risk we took. Never Again. Be prepaired for contitions and the unexpected, Wear Your lift Jackets offshore.
<br /><br />It was funny when they would get mad at me when i would make them anchor when we got to less than 5' of water they could not understand that i had 4'of draft