My kicker install.

[dxg4848]

I know it was done many times and I didn't do anything new, but I am just proud of my work and wanted to share some pictures.

Up position:


Down position:

[Lvoight]

So I bought that bracket already and have been getting close to actually doing it but was going to research the forum a bit beofre I jumped in... Here is my questions:

I see that you built a bit of a base, what did you use?

any issues that you ran into that you would do different now?

[dxg4848]

So I bought that bracket already and have been getting close to actually doing it but was going to research the forum a bit beofre I jumped in... Here is my questions:

I see that you built a bit of a base, what did you use?

any issues that you ran into that you would do different now?

I don’t know how much X is different from M. I had to build base because the surface is curved and because bracket handle is hitting the boat without base in up position. I used 4 (6” x9”) sheets of ¾” marine plywood for 3” total height. I drilled small 1/8” pilot hole from inside the boat to make sure the pad is lined up perfectly from inside the boat point of view. The pilot hole was in upper-left corner of the pad if you are facing the pad from outside (where it is actually mounted).

First I took one of four pieces of plywood, put a sheet of waxed paper under it on the boat and screwed plywood to the boat through that pilot hole in the upper left corner with a small screw. Then I drilled second pilot hole in the bottom left corner of plywood and screwed it to the boat with a second little screw. So that I had one sheet of plywood attached to the boat with two little screws in upper and bottom left corners with a wax paper under plywood.

Then I used two tubes of West Systems Six10 Epoxy Adhesive to fill inch+ gap under the plywood on right hand side. The gap is because of curved surface. It is a little more than 1” on the right and tapered down toward left. Six10 worked very well for that. I used waxed paper so that epoxy wouldn’t stick to the boat. Epoxy glued permanently to plywood and perfectly filled and duplicated the shape of the curve.

Then I drilled 5/16 holes through the bracket and the other 3 pieces of plywood and through plywood with epoxy and inserted 5/16 stainless carriage bolts in each new hole. Since I drilled through everything one hole at a time inserting bolts in each new hole, all 8 holes came out aligned perfectly.
I used two 2” stainless fender washers for each bolt (16 washers total) inside the boat as backing plates.

Everything worked out perfectly and I wouldn’t change anything if I had to do it again.

[Max Entropy]

Very nice mounting job. And an interesting motor / bracket combination - what kinds are they?

- Nick

[Russ]

Looks very nice. Like it was part of the original boat.

[bartmac]

Bit surprised how low that kicker is mounted....enough clearance when heeled??????Ours is mounted much higher with extended arms so we can reach the water but still store it high enough to allow heeling.
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/th ... b12005.jpg

[dxg4848]

Very nice mounting job. And an interesting motor / bracket combination - what kinds are they?

- Nick

It is Fulton MB1410 bracket 14.5” travel. And 5HP Briggs and Stratton outboard. I know many people don’t think much about this motor, but it works well for me and I really like it. It weighs 56lb. I use it as backup/trolling motor.

[dxg4848]

Bit surprised how low that kicker is mounted....enough clearance when heeled??????Ours is mounted much higher with extended arms so we can reach the water but still store it high enough to allow heeling.
http://www.macgregorsailors.com/modt/th ... b12005.jpg

Can you submerge your motor deep enough to use it as backup? It looks like we are using the same bracket. My outboard is 17.5” shaft and it submerges just deep enough for anti-cavitation plate to be just under the bottom of the boat. I think long shaft outboards have 21” shaft, which is not much longer. You probably use your kicker for dingy only.

[bartmac]

I know the photo does not show it but ours is mounted much higher up on the stern of our Mac26X(just short of the upper black stripe)...I lengthened the arms on the outboard bracket to give me more travel ie in and out of the water...given the tenderness of a Mac I was worried when heeling it would drag the motor in the water

[Catigale]

My kicker dips othe port tack, the effect on boat speed is usually grossly exaggerated by sailors. I can't measure any change in speed if I tip it up out of the water

It's pretty hard to find that perfect position which lets you tip motor out of water on all points of sail and yet lets you use motor as backup

[Catigale]

About a week after this post I ended up using the 4 HP short shaft kicker in 4 foot swells due to main engine failure. In these seas it was both cavitating and getting flooded with sea water and eventually choked out

We were able to sail to anchorage, just getting in at nightfall on an opposing tide.

To count on a motor like this as a backup power you need a long shaft or near calm conditions.

[Chinook]

About a week after this post I ended up using the 4 HP short shaft kicker in 4 foot swells due to main engine failure. In these seas it was both cavitating and getting flooded with sea water and eventually choked out

We were able to sail to anchorage, just getting in at nightfall on an opposing tide.

To count on a motor like this as a backup power you need a long shaft or near calm conditions.

That's been my experience as well. I don't count on using my kicker for anything much beyond getting into port if the main engine fails. Until I'm close to sheltered waters, I'll be relying on the sails.