16ft angler kicker location?

T

tokelandpete

New member
Hello again,
My older 1984 16 ft angler has a new honda 50 yea. My dilemma now is finding room to mount a new kicker motor. The kicker say an 8hp 4 stroke due to engine controls is wanting to be mounted on port side of the main 50hp. The dilemma is when you steer hard to starboard the steering ram extends to port encroaching into the limited space for the kicker.
also should the kicker be a long or short shaft?
Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Peter
 
For a 16, I would think that a 3.3 or 4 HP would be plenty of power for a kicker--do you want it as a 'get home" motor or slow speed trolling motor?

It is best if the kicker is a long shaft, to keep the upper part more out of spray and water. However, I would mount it on a bracket, and keep the weight down. I would favor mounting on the port side, due to weight distribution.
 
I agree with Dr Bob about shaft length and port-side mounting, and also that the 8 hp may be overkill depending on its intended use. But it sounds like that's what you've already got. If you will be alone in the boat much (or if any regular passenger is likely to be much lighter than the driver) you will almost certainly want the kicker on the port side for weight distribution.

I had a Honda 40 and Honda 8 (both 4-strokes) on my 16. It was very tight, but worked great. However, those were 2001 model engines and Honda still made the kicker in what they called the "classic" model - which meant it had a more squared cowling. I don't know if they still make the "classic". The newer models have a more rounded look. There are slight differences in the outside dimensions of the cowlings. While the older style fit on the port side, my recollection is that the newer model wasn't going to without some serious work. I think the right jack-plate might have been the answer for the newer kickers. (I know all this because my original "classic" kicker was stolen, and finding a replacement "classic" to fit the set-up I already had was a bit of a PITA.)
 
Having used both 8hp and smaller kickers on a 16, i can't thnk of any reason to go with something smaller than an 8.

A Honda BF8 Classic weighs very little, so there's no real advantage to a smaller kicker there. Smaller kickers are single cylinders, and are nowhere near as smooth as a twin...something you'll appreciate when trolling for hours. The smaller kickers don't have the same charging capacity, something you'll appreciate when operating electric down riggers all day. And lastly...while there might be a fuel savings with something smaller than an 8, it's insignificant compared to the above advantages. One can troll all day long on a BF8 on 2-3 gallons of gas.
 
When I had my 16' Cruiser, I had a BF 8 mounted directly to the transom on the starboard side of my 50 HP Honda. It was connected by a tie rod to the 50 HP so I could steer from the helm. It proved to be an extremely functional set up.
You can view pix of it in my photo album.
 
I agree with DA NAG i would go nothing smaller than an 8 for the reasons he mentioned. on my 22 I have the 9.9 mounted starboard due to space issues. not what i wanted due to me kicker and duall battery set up being starboard, and it did list this side this year but was controlled with trim tabs this coming year i will counter boat with the water tank so it is more even, not sure a 16 has this option or not. also I agree with DaveS connect kicker to main via a tie bar set up is the only way to go for trolling hours on end..
 
Just to continue this discussion. I realize that having the kicker on the starboard side is not the best for keeping the vessel level....especially, when at the helm and no one seated in the port seat, but one needs to consider the other reasons for having the kicker on the starboard side. My swim step was mounted on the port side so a person doesn't trip over the fuel lines and control cables that originate on the starboard side. If the kicker is on the port side and you have a swim step on the starboard side you would be tripping on those lines.

Since there is no water tank on the 16', the weight can be counter balanced by sliding the "Big Boy Cooler" to the port side. :lol:
 
I have an Etec 50 and a Yamaha 9 High Thrust and would not give it up.... I had an 8 before and could troll all day (12 hours on 1.5 gallons, ~1.8-2 Mph) Both kickers have been mounted on the port side to help with balance and connected directly to the main via a custom control rod. The steering is impaired only slightly on starboard turns, not at all to port. I chose the high thrust for it's improved control in very windy conditions, and it performs trolling tasks admirably. The 9 uses about 2 gallons all day, and will push the boat @ ~7 mph. The long shaft is perfect. The Avatar shown on this post was the 8hp but was an extra long shaft that had been on a previous boat with a 25" transom. A 15" would be too short unless you use a drop down bracket.
 
Noreaster":1p7yx3f1 said:
I have an Etec 50 and a Yamaha 9 High Thrust and would not give it up.... I had an 8 before and could troll all day (12 hours on 1.5 gallons, ~1.8-2 Mph) Both kickers have been mounted on the port side to help with balance and connected directly to the main via a custom control rod. The steering is impaired only slightly on starboard turns, not at all to port. I chose the high thrust for it's improved control in very windy conditions, and it performs trolling tasks admirably. The 9 uses about 2 gallons all day, and will push the boat @ ~7 mph. The long shaft is perfect. The Avatar shown on this post was the 8hp but was an extra long shaft that had been on a previous boat with a 25" transom. A 15" would be too short unless you use a drop down bracket.
Click to expand...
Here's an image of his current setup
DSCF0678.jpg
 
Roger,
Is that the stock size prop the the 9.9 Kicker. It looks almost the same size as the prop on the 50HP. I have a Nissan 9.9 and my prop looks like a little pin wheel compared to your 9.9
Rich
 
Rich, maybe it's a female kicker with prop augmentation? :mrgreen:

If it fits under the cavitation plate, it's probably OK, may have been changed though...If it runs, trolls and gets him home it's great! IMHO

BTW Roger is not the plastic surgeon, he's just an unemployed fisherman (according to his profile, actually from FB I know he's a prominent climate scientist) that posted the picture for Noreaster. :wink:
 
Lanlocked":dr6734rq said:
Roger,
Is that the stock size prop the the 9.9 Kicker. It looks almost the same size as the prop on the 50HP. I have a Nissan 9.9 and my prop looks like a little pin wheel compared to your 9.9
Rich
Click to expand...
Rich,

I don't know - that's a picture of Lenny's (Noreaster) boat. I just put it up so the original poster could find the image more easily.
 
That is the stock prop. The engine is a 9.9 HT (high thrust). It was designed for heavy/large boats like pontoon/house boats but does a superior job of keeping me straight in a strong head wind. You can get alot of thrust with out a huge throttle adjustment. The relative flat pitch also lets you acheive lower speeds at idle.
 
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