Short shaft kicker

[hazzard]

Ok, I am rigging my new to me boat it is a 2000 23' walk around Trophy it has a 150 hp outboard on it, the boat came with a Garelick adjustable kicker mount I have a Honda 15 hp short shaft that I can put on it. Will this work? The kicker mount instructions say that you can use a short shaft. Has any one used a short shaft as a kicker?

[hitnrun]

You'll have shutty handling and cavitation issues if your kicker doesn't sit low enough in the water. That's why they don't recommend it. I'm not sure about Honda's, but you should be able to get a long shaft conversion kit. You'll have to swap out the drive shaft, water pick-ups, and shift linkage. Ideally, you'd like the the prop of your kicker to sit just about as low as your main motor. If you go over to www.glangler.com, do a post under "ask a pro". Honda Cat will hook you up, with info! Here is his name and E-mail:
Frank Martin
Calumet marine
[e-mail]

[rudyg]

Pretty simple here hazzard.. measure your drop from the mount to the hull... then the length of the lower unit from the cav plate to the mount on the motor.. you'll know right away if your clearing the bottom of the transom.

Bottom of the cav plate on your kicker should be equal to or "preferably" below the transom.

here for more info:
www.smalloutboards.com/shaft.htm

[iffy]

I'm using an adjustable garelick with a short shaft 6 hp Johnson on my 18 ft Starcraft. I am satisfied with the performance. I adjust the motor to sit deeper in the water than it would off a regular transom. In rough seas the prop does break the surface briefly on occasion (but by that time I’m really needing to switch over to the main).

I would give it a try.

Also, when motoring and trailering, I use a ratchet strap to secure the motor to keep it from bouncing. It works really well. I run it from the motor forward into the boat, which pulls the motor up and forward.

[scrapper]

Iffy, with the motor sitting that low in the water, have you ever buried it in rough water and could that cause problems? Just thinking out loud.

[hazzard]

I was thinking the same thing. I use this motor on my bwca portage boat so I don't want to convert it to a long shaft but I really don't want to swamp it by having it too low in the water!!

[RedRider]

A brief splash/ wave breaking at the back,never been a problem with mine. The cover has a rubber gasket around the base as to prevent major water intrusion. I am sure its not recommend to submerse.

If its that rough that your constantly dipping the powerhead you don't belong out there.

I use a short shaft 7 1/2 hp Honda on a 20' Sea Ray and it works just fine. Mine is piggy backed on the out drive.

[fatcat]

My brother-in-law has a old short shaft 9.5 Johnson on his Alumacraft Trophy. Once in a while we swamp it in trailing seas, but the price was right. It's like waterskipping a snowmobile. It might end up inhaling a little water once in a while, but cheap fun.

[iffy]

Scrapper,

I have not see any issues with the motor plunging too deep, but that is a good point to keep in mind.

Usually, it's just the motor comming up on the odd wave, and really not for that long, just enough to get your attention. If the waves are getting big enough, I switch over to the main motor any way.

[hitnrun]

RedRider, makes a good point. When rolling with the waves every once in a while, mine kicker will get wet, but if it's happening a lot, we usually go to the main. I just converted that last year to a long shaft. The plus side, I can keep the bracket up a couple inches to prevent the engine bogging down if 2-3 guys are in the back fighting fish. (the exhaust goes under)