15" Shaft Kicker on CD25

J

Jim & Dara

New member
I (perhaps foolishly) pounced on a Nissan 9.8 kicker with approximately 10 minutes on the motor for our new dinghy.

I understand that kickers on the 25 tend to have a 20" shaft but I'm hoping to find a bracket that will allow me to use the 15" shaft. Does anyone have experience with this set up or recommendations for a bracket that will work?

I don't fish much so trolling isn't an issue.

Thanks in advance!
 
You can do fine with one of the fold up/fold down brackets. We mostly used our 2.5 hp Sizzuki, but have also put the 15 hp Honda Electric start on the same bracket. The problem will be that you will not do well in reverse--since the prop will not be entirely below the water line--but with the setback of the bracket and the 15" shaft--you can still use the short shaft. The motor cowling will be closer to the water, but since the 25 stern lifts fast, we never had any problem with waves over the motor. If runnng it down wind/waves you might have some probelms with ventillation of the prop.
 
I've used the short shaft motor for our dinghy on the back our CD-25. We use an adjustable motor mount... with the mount all the way up, the motor is easily clear of the water; all the way down, it keeps the short shaft in the water.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Auxiliar ... 0987654321

This isn't the exact mount we have (not at the boat right now), but it is similar.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Although I have a 22', the bracket I used is the one being referred to. I likewise have a 15" shafted (Nissan 6hp) motor for my inflatable that can do "double duty" as a backup for the 22'.

If you go to the Swee Pea Photo Album page 4, there are quite a few photos of the install. The bracket has plenty of adjustment to lower the motor to a proper depth and still be able to steer. It is a good compromise solution. I also used a mounting plate so the bracket could be removed easily.

Hope this helps.

John
Swee Pea
 
The Nissan 9.8 outboard is the lightest of them all, but I bet it's a 4-stroke.

The outboard bracket Jim/Wild Blue shows above is labeled "Not for 4-stroke use". The one C-Dory gave us is:

GARELICK Model #: 71091
Aluminum Auxiliary Motor Bracket For 4-Stroke Motors
# Horse Power Rating: Over 7 1/2 HP to 25 HP motor
# Vertical Travel*: 15 1/2” (39cm)

Defender Item #: 303618
Manufacturer: GARELICK
Our Price: $395.99

Sorry the URL for the Defender page doesn't seem to work.

Boris
 
Thanks for all your responses.

I checked on the Cabelas site and did find a Panther bracket that works for 4 stroke as well. (Thanks for pointing that out Boris).
 
Jim & Dara

You might want to check out the other specs on that bracket. The only Panther 4 stroke bracket I found was a fixed bracket. If you have the short shaft outboard, I would assume that you would want the maximum lift, so that you can keep the motor out of the water when it's up and have it low enough to drive the boat when it's down. That's the good feature of the Garelick. Plus it's relatively easy to lift and lower the engine.

They do show a Marine Tech Outboard Motor Bracket for a 4 stroke, which is cheaper than the Garelick, but doesn't have any lift handles or any apparent stops.

BoatBandit has the Garelick mount for $250.

How do you measure the shaft length on an outboard? Journey On's Honda 9.9 measures 28" from the top of the mounting bracket (where it rests on the bracket) to the centerline of the prop. How does that translate into shaft length?

Boris
 
I have a Garelick 71091 with a Honda 8HP short shaft on mine - works fine with plenty of range to put the motor in the water, or hold it clear.
 
Boris,
You have a 20" shaft. My 15 Honda (same frame as the 9.9) measures 23" from bracket to bullet noise or center of shaft. It is close to 17" from top of bracket to cavitation plate--which as Joe illustrated--is the correct way to measure shaft length.
 
Boris,

Thanks for pointing that out. I hadn't realized Panther was a fixed bracket. I was leaning toward the Garelick I had seen on their website, now I'm sold.

Cheers

Jim
 
JamesTXSD":1bdkymo3 said:
I've used the short shaft motor for our dinghy on the back our CD-25. We use an adjustable motor mount... with the mount all the way up, the motor is easily clear of the water; all the way down, it keeps the short shaft in the water.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Auxiliar ... 0987654321

This isn't the exact mount we have (not at the boat right now), but it is similar.

Hope that helps.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
Click to expand...

James,
I'm looking for advice on an auxiliary motor setup which can do double duty with a dinghy. Your setup seems very functional. How well does the dinghy motor push your 25 if required? What hp are you using?
dan
 
Miafun1":1zd63eiy said:
James,
I'm looking for advice on an auxiliary motor setup which can do double duty with a dinghy. Your setup seems very functional. How well does the dinghy motor push your 25 if required? What hp are you using?
dan
Click to expand...

Hi Dan,

That small Merc is a 2.5 hp. I had the dinghy and motor before getting the C-Dory. The 2.5 will move the 25 at about 3 knots in a no-wind/current situation. I sure wouldn't consider it a "get home" motor if you were 50 miles off-shore. But, it will move the boat and with the main engine down, that acts as a rudder and gives you "vague" steering from the helm.

I like the little motor because it is lightweight; easy enough to move it from the motor bracket to the dinghy as needed. I've never had to use it to get home on the 25, only tested it to see what it would do. Having said that, our Honda has been reliable with 1,200 hours on it. My original intent was to get a 9.9 as a kicker... but, then I'd be hauling 3 motors around. Our cruising weight is heavy enough, as is. :wink:

Bottom line: if you think you're going to need the small motor to get home, get enough motor to do the job. I also have BoatUS towing insurance... and haven't used that, either.

I had a Honda 5 as a dinghy motor before the 2.5. It probably would work better to move the CD-25, but that motor was a beast to lift, vibrated like a paint mixer, and seemed to have a mind of its own regarding starting.

Good luck with your search.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Dear folks
I just retrieved my 5hp Honda from storage and have installed it on my CDory 25. My question is really about trailering. I am a little nervous that the 5 will fall off in transit. It looks so precarious sitting back there next to the 150 Honda. Do you have any suggestions? I thought about tying it up, but that seems a bit over top...
Amanda
 
We always used a line on the smaller motor which we have had on outboard brackets. Nothing like "belt and suspenders". The brackets are plenty strong--but I also use a heavy duty cable and a motor lock, both to help prevent thieft.
 
Hi Amanda,
Since I just finished installing the Garelick model 71091 bracket (15 1/2" swing) on the stbd side of my 25 cruiser I thought I would add what I learned. With this bracket and a 20" (long) shaft kicker the bottom of the bracket is right above the water line on the transom. This puts the anti-cavitation plate of the kicker at the boats bottom when the bracket is swung down (the recommended position). If a short shaft kicker is used the bracket can be mounted lower on the transom to get the anti-cavitation plate at the boats bottom in the down position. But then the bottom of the Garelick bracket will always be in the water and the power head of the engine will be nearer the water .

It all seemed to me to be a question of compromises, I got a long shaft 6 HP kicker and mounted the bracket above the water line but when I get a dingy of some sort I will be using a long shaft on the dink instead of short shaft, a little more weight, 5" more draft but it will still work. This is not to say that a short shaft used on a bracket positioned for a long shaft will not work. The short shafts anti-cavitation plate will be higher than the optimal position but will still drive the boat, maybe not as well in rougher water. I think the way I went is the best for using the 6 HP as a emergency kicker but not the best dingy engine and carrying a third outboard is not something I will do, at this time anyway.

As far as trailering with the kicker my plans are to not have it mounted on the bracket while on the road. I will either strap it down aboard Annalee or carry it in the bed of the truck, just to keep from worrying about it bouncing and moving around while towing. Of course the first time I wrench my 65 year old back mounting the kicker it just might stay mounted! I'll bet whatever you do will work and there is always the option to change things later.

Rich
 
Rich
Thank you for the information.
I wish I could put that little engine in the back of my truck and stick it on the boat when I get to the lake. Although I can lift the engine, I can not lift it high enough to get it onto the bracket. My sister-in-law helped me lift it up to the bracket and there it will stay (unless it somehow falls off...which is probably ridiculous thinking on my part).

The bracket was installed at the Starcraft dealership as part of my CDory deal. It is a very heavy duty one and has no moving parts. There is no adjusting possible. The 5hp just fits between the 150 and the port trim tab. The motor just turns all the way to starboard and all the way to port with about 1/2 inch to spare on either side. I am anxious to try it out soon, because if the little engine vibrates much, I am afraid it will rub against the trim tab and cause some damage. Before I can try it out though, I have to figure out how to un-winterize it. It has been in storage for several years. I followed the directions for storing it, now I have to find the book and follow the directions for getting it workable again. In the meantime, I will get a good bicycle type lock and chain to help secure it to the boat.

Thanks again for your most excellent information.

Amanda
 
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