Long(!) kicker bracket

D

Darkwater

New member
I recently had an outboard mechanic mount a long shaft 6 horse Yamaha kicker on my 2008 22 cruiser. I wanted kicker on the port side to help keep the boat balanced. KISS- no fancy electric tilt, electric start, alternator, or attached steering. Mechanic told me he would be using a bracket. When I went to pick up the boat I was a bit surprised at the large rearward offset of this bracket (nearly 15 inches). I believe the mechanic used this long bracket ($795 from Tanner mfg) to allow clearance for the Bennett tabs and tiller steering.

The little Yami on the bracket pushes the boat along nicely at hull speed with 1/3 throttle and the main leg in neutral doing the steering. However when running on main engine with kicker up, the kicker leg is often partially submerged in the wake, depending on speed and boat trim. It looks like there would be less submergence if the kicker was mounted closer to the transom, and this would also go toward improving fore-aft balance of the boat. Also with the kicker so far back, it's hard to manually raise and lower it from the cockpit (have to climb up onto the splashwell).

So I am thinking try to sell the Tanner bracket, and re-mount the kicker with a mini-jacker, and mount the motor closer to the main than it is presently. I believe there would be sufficient clearance for the trim tabs (they are 8" long, not 12" M120). It looks like there might be a fair range of steering too, especially if the kicker tiller is raised. (I have already experienced a loss of SeaStar steering on this boat, due to a fluid leak...)

Comments/experience?? THANKS!!

Kicker_Bracket.jpg
 
Both the bracket and the price seem like overkill to me on this boat (as I think you suspect). I have a Mini Jacker fixed mount on mine (around $150), and it kept my Honda 8 away from the Bennett trim tabs perfectly stock, and holds the (much spindlier of body) Merc 5 away from them with a small fiberglass shim plate (under the motor clamps). The Mini Jacker raises the engine around 3" (seems fine; handy for trailering too) and sets it back around 3" or so as well.

If you search you'll find many photos of Mini Jackers on 22's, most with trim tabs, and many on the port side (that's when I added mine for clearance; prior to that kicker was clamped right onto transom).

Here is just one on Voyager; it's on starboard but there's nothing really different about putting one on port side, that I can think of.

IMG_0897.sized.jpg
 
Looks to me like the bracket you have might possibly be mounted upside down? :shock: :roll: I don't like the proximity between the engine an the trim tab either..

I plan to do the same as Sunbeam on Captain's Choice II once I get a Mini-Jacker and pick up my 6HP 4 stroke long shaft engine from the dealer.

Charlie :|
 
Agree with Sunbeam, seems like a bit of overkill - esp. pricewise.

Its hard to tell from the picture but is the prop bellow the hull? One possible explanation for the choice of brackets may have been to grab more water farther aft if the prop is above or close to the hull depth. As you probably know as a boat speeds up it digs a big hole full of air immediately aft of the transom. Most boats require a drop down kicker mount. With a fixed mount it has some limitations. I made my own fixed mount which I installed on the port gunwale. With an extra long shaft 4.5 Merc. and the deadrise on my Thundercraft the prop does run in free water under the hull.

Might be something to check before you commit to another mount.

Regards, Rob
 
I have the mini-jacker and I think it's a good choice for the kicker, especially with trim tabs. However, mine drags in the water so I'm planning on raising it up about 3" or so. I know Jody on Voyager did this on his boat for the same reason I need to. So if and when you get a M-J, be sure you have enough clearance over the water.

IMG_0142.jpg
 
Captains Cat":8k45kkj3 said:
I don't like the proximity between the engine an the trim tab either..
Click to expand...

Actually, that looks fine to me. The Mini Jacker puts the engine closer to the trim tab shaft (if that is the part you mean). But it seems that as long is it clears all is fine, even if it's by a hair, as that part does not move. Even the trim plane doesn't move out of its arc (although the kicker shaft can lurch a bit when powering up, but seemingly not much).

Jazzmanic: I actually wonder how a short shaft would do on the boat. I haven't used my kicker in big waves - I suppose that's when the long would help. But I mean the Mini Jacker already raises it 3" over the plain transom, and a long shaft is only 5" more than a short shaft. So if raising a long shaft from a Mini Jacker... it basically becomes like a short shaft? This would open up a lot of selection/flexibility in kickers (if a short shaft would work well).
 
I made one of TyBoo's diy kicker brackets:

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?p=242084

It takes into account the angle of the transom, so that when the kicker is tilted up fully it clears the water. I don't have any pics of mine but someone else made one and has pics in their album(couldn't locate them--I'm using my phone right now and it's too damn small for any more searching!). I cut mine out and drilled it, then had a friend with a good brake bend it for me. If you can't fabricate it yourself it shouldn't be too expensive to have someone bend it for you and to then add plywood or starboard or etc. I can vouch for the design- thank you TyBoo!
 
I just picked up a 9.9 Suzuki kicker to go with my 90 Suzuki. I see in one of the photo's in this thread the boat with the Suzuki 110 with a starboard mounted kicker. I would like to know where you got the mounting plate? I'm going to have to mount to port as the swim ladder is starboard.

One more question, how did you connect the kicker to the main motor in order to steer them both simultaneously? Is it as simple as a some rod that ties the two motors together?

Thanks in advance for your comments/advice.

Lane
2004 C-Dory 22 Cruiser
Quincy,CA
 
Best bracket I've ever seen for a C-Dory is Mike Barber's (Tyboo) bracket that he designed especially
for a C-Dory. I had a couple of them fabled up to Mikes schematic and they are great. My Honda 9.9
was dragging in the water, Barber's bracket solved that as it's designed so it changes the angle so the motor is pretty much straight down. This totally eliminates dragging water with the lower unit and
also allows clearance for the trim tabs, while still mounting close to the transom. I have the schematic for the design if you want to have one fabbed up, or I have a new one in the shop that I could take a pic of to better show you exactly what it is like.
 
Too late tonight but I'll put a couple of pics in my Mighty Bite album tomorrow of the "Barber" bracket. I'd put it on this thread , but thats above my pay grade.

The real key is that this bracket changes the angle from the inward slope of the
transom to a vertical mounting posture for the kicker.
 
Amen, Mark!
Your description of the " TyBoo kicker bracket " was better than mine but right on! It is definitely the best design for a CD I've seen. Well worth getting one fabricated. My link above has the diagram but I couldn't find the pics of the finished product. I know there are some on the site (maybe of yours?). As I recall there is also a discussion about its fab.
Just found this discussion with TyBoo's comments and a picture of the stainless fabrication.

http://www.c-brats.com/viewtopic.php?t= ... er+bracket

I know there pics of the finished product mounted on the boat some where on the site. See if I can find them latter-I better get going now-work to finish!
 
Yes Mark, would be great if you could post some pictures of the Tyboo mount in the flesh. Having the mounting board in a more vertical orientation would help the kicker leg, in up position, clear the water. It would lessen the ability to get negative trim, but I can't see any need for negative trim on a little kicker like that.
 
OK, I put 4 pics of the "Barber" kicker bracket on my Mighty Bite Album
for anyone interested in what the finished product looks like. The board
is made up of laminated marine plywood, The bracket is Stainless steel
and was done by a pro metal shop.
 
Sunbeam- thanks for your response of your experience. One thing about putting kicker the on port side, is more potential for tiller clearance issues because tiller is on port side of the kicker. Good to have kicker tiller steering available in case the main steering goes out (which I have already experienced).

Rob- the kicker ventilation plate is is below level of hull and should get clean water if mounted closer to transom. If the motor were a short shaft 15 inch, some setback might be good.

Lane- What size kicker did you get? From what I have gleaned from various topics here, for short 15" shaft you would probably want a bracket such as Garelick that moves up and down and also provides some setback from the transom, and for long 20" shaft a mini jacker or the Tyboo mount. Need to carefully evaluate kicker mounting alternatives; there are tradeoffs on short vs long shaft, and on clearances among the tiller, splashwell, and main engine... This is why I hired a professional rigger, though I now regret not doing more research and providing more guidance to him.
 
Myriad ways of rigging things out. My strong preference with a single
main is using a long shaft kicker, Barber bracket, port side, threaded quick link connection kicker to main (going from the front of the kicker to the steering arm of the main). Simple & effective. the kicker on the port side balances out the weight of the driver at the helm. But..."whatever floats your boat" and works for you is cool!
 
Here are two photos (of four total) from the Mighty Bite album:

Barber_Bracket_4.sized.jpg

Barber_Bracket_3.sized.jpg


I like the kicker on starboard side because I prefer the swim platform to port, where there is a clearer passageway (no engine cables, etc.). I use the swim platform often though, and the kicker rarely. It does put the weight of the kicker to starboard, which can give a starboard list if not counteracted.
 
Thanks Mark, the photos really help visualize that solution! I see the schematic from the link above. This must be stainless but any additional specs on grade and thickness?

Also a similar and simple solution might be to get a mini jacker (about $100 online) and shim the lower bolt holes if needed to make it more vertical? anybody done that?
 
The Tyboo bracket does look nice. I don't know yet how my new-to-me Merc 5 is going to sit when in the tilted up position - will have to see.

Darkwater":26xxm4jy said:
Also a similar and simple solution might be to get a mini jacker (about $100 online) and shim the lower bolt holes if needed to make it more vertical? anybody done that?
Click to expand...

I don't know if anyone has done it, but since it is (I believe) cast aluminum, I would think you might would want continuous shims to avoid a point load on the bracket flange (I have see cast parts on sailboats break, is why I say that). And of course matching shims on the inside if you are through bolting (I did). You could cast them in epoxy. 'course all that's starting to sound like a pain for a supposedly off the shelf bracket. Or maybe not so much if you have shop tools to cut the shim pairs.

Alternatively, I wonder if you could go with shims under the motor bracket parts (between engine and Mini Jacker)? I made some pads to fit there to shim my Merc a bit aft to clear the trim tabs (but they are just flat panels, not angled). I'm hopeful the Merc will clear the water when tilted up and underway, but have yet to find out.
 
10 or 11 ga is plenty thick for the stainless. Stainless can vary quite a bit as I understand it. A good marine grade SS does the job. I had an identical bracket to the one in the pics on a 22' for 8 years and it looked as good at 8 as it did at 1. Mike Barber is the guru on bracket specifics, so he can fill in any blanks. Unfortunately I'm having to give up my boating activities, so this bracket could use a home.
 
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