Lightest emergency kicker for 25 Cruiser?

B

BillE

New member
I've done the search and read the threads but wanted input on a specific situation. I do not need trolling or get home capability, only looking for "get out of the way of trouble" capability for river cruising---as in "here comes a barge!"--- in a package that is truly portable and within my comfort zone to manhandle on my boat. I am looking for something that can be mounted on the transom and removed when stored, as I have been told that small kickers sometimes go missing where my boat will be stored.
The 52 lb. Suzuki 6 would be about the most that I would want to handle and would like less, if possible. Any ideas for a limited kicker? I will not be going out in the ocean just now!
 
We have used a Mercury 3.5 HP two stroke wt. 30#. We have a Garhauer davit set up to lower it onto the bracket, or transfer to an inflatable dinghy. You can probably find other used two strokes on E=Bay or Criag's list. The 3.5 hp will give steerage way and get the 25 moving at about 3.5 knots in calm water. I lost my transmission on a 62 foot 65,000 lb motor sailer, going into the Rue d' Brest, FR. (Like the Golden Gate), and dropped my hard dinghy which had a 4.5 HP Evinrude on it--that got the boat moving at 2.5 knots and steerage way, to keep off rocks etc....Got the 13 foot inflatable blown up, and the 25 hp outboard on it--gave me 5 knots. So it does not take a lot of HP to move a boat. My dad's 26' sailboat was a hard chine, arc bottom, with a freeboard and displacement as much as the C Dory 25, used a 5 hp 1932 outboard for many years as the only propulsion. It worked as well as a 9.9 when we could not longer get parts for the older motor. We would do 5 knots with the 5 hp.
 
We used to have a Honda 9.9 as a "get me home" motor, which was used up in Canada to find an emergency dock. It powered the C-Dory 25 at 5 knots, which I thought at the time was a minimum. I certainly would not get a motor less than 9.9, definitely not a 6. We used a hoist to transfer it to the dingy.

That said, the Honda was a pig. It was sturdy, well built and heavy. We put it on when we launch the boat and it became too hard to lift at 110 lbs (adv.) So we sold it and bought a Tohatsu 9.8, 82 lbs, both to use as an emergency motor and on the dingy. Get a 15" shaft.

BTW, I have a Johnston 6 hp 2 stroke, best motor I ever owned, but I'm not willing to use it on Journey On. Great for the dingy @ 400 lbs loaded, didn't sound good for a 7000# C-Dory.

Boris
 
My post above had an error--the auxiliary on my dad's sailboat was 5 hp, not 25 hp...that extra 20 snuck in.

Edit by TyBoo: I fixed it, Bob. Normally we don't edit but that is a pretty key piece of this discussion. Thank you for being so helpful. BTW, those 20s can sneak up fast - somehow I got and extra one tacked onto my age.

I will try my Torqeedo and 3.5 on this 25 sometime in the next week, and see what type of speeds I get.

A lot depends on what you plan to do--just keep out of trouble, or go a long distance. A 8 HP high thrust, motor or even a 6 HP high thrust motor may well do better than a 9.9 hp egg beater, with a small prop. The "sail drive" have larger feet and swing a lower pitch larger props.
 
The smallest I've used was a 2.5hp 2-stroke Merc that we used as the dinghy motor. I tested it out twice when we had the CD-25, and it would move the boat between 2.8 and 3 knots. We had a height-adjustable motor mount that allowed us to use that short shaft motor. Without the adjustable mount, you'd have to hip tie the dinghy to use the motor. I also have a 3.5 Tohatsu that we used on a newer dinghy, but i never tried it as a "Get Out Of The Way" motor.
 
i was wondering if my 2 1/2 Suzuki would push my cc-23 along if needed Its a short 15 in engine so would need a articulating mount
any suggestions jim
 
The Suzuki 2.5 4 stroke, is what we had for both dinghy motor and kicker on the 2003 C Dory 25 we took to AK. It will give you about 2.5 to 3 knots WOT--and should allow you to maneuver. We had it on an articulating bracket.
 
I wonder if i need it for our Sept cruise .The Suzuki is only 30lb so I guess any of the smaller alum holders will work .any suggestions which work the best in salt water ?
 
We will have the 3.5 HP Merc as kicker, and the Torqeedo for the dinghy (most likely used for our continuation to Knoxville etc.., rather on the main part of the cruise.

I have used the Garlick brackets, but have not left the boat in salt water for any prolonged period of time...The bracket can be mounted above the water line (preferable) I have had some corrosion in the past, but never to a point of impairing the function.
 
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