Connections vessel’s transom style and type of powerplant. For inboards with a full height transom, you need to procure either a manual spring-loaded or hydraulic outboard bracket to connect your motor to the transom. Same goes for the classic inboard/outboard transom setup. The bracket/kicker motor combo is typically installed either to one side or the other, splitting the distance between the keel and the chines, wherever it’s easiest to mount considering the boat’s transom access and/or outboard motor’s controls. Wherever the bracket and motor are finally mounted, it’s critical that the kicker’s cavitation plate and prop are situated
below the hull’s vee profile aft when in the down/deployed position. This ensures getting clean water when operating in auxiliary mode, even if the boat is rolling somewhat from side to side when underway. When the smaller motor is done for the day, it requires leaning over the transom and hauling it back up to the stowed position, which can be a challenge depending on the weight/size of the outboard, your physical strength, along with current sea conditions. On an outboard powered vessel, there are more possibilities for mounting a kicker. If a conventional cutout outboard transom boat is wide enough, there might be room to mount the auxiliary right next to the primary powerplant, being sure to allow for the larger engine’s rigging tube, swing
range and tilt/trim operations before finalizing the spot. If your boat features a full transom with a single external bracket, owners can install an aforementioned spring-loaded or hydraulic bracket similar to that employed on inboard and I/O powered craft. For those full transom boats with extended/overwide aluminum outboard brackets, I’ve seen a few scenarios where the kicker was mounted to the outside section of the bracket, once again being careful to allow for full clearance and maneuverability of the pri- mary outboard. Finally, with the trend of some of the latest fishing and family boats featuring fiberglass swim platform extensions on either side of a single primary powerplant transom setup, some creative boat dealers and owners have mounted special purpose brackets on the opposite side of the swim ladder platform to install an auxiliary outboard. Steering When Underway So once you deploy the kicker, how do you steer your boat when underway? There are numerous options, with the first being to simply assign one of the crew to work the manual tiller to control the vessel’s course. While this might not be practical for all situa- tions, the method that I have adopted historically is to lock down the aux motor’s steering tube (they typically have a tension adjustment) and use the larger outboard’s skeg (when deployed in the“down”position) as a rudder to control your course. While there might be a slight delay in how the boat responds to course changes, I have used this method on numerous occasions to limp 30-to-50 miles back to home port…it works! Yet another more contemporary steering solution for your kicker outboard is offered
by SeaStar Solutions in the form of their Kicker Cable Tie Bar. This unique product features a flexible cable that connects to an existing SeaStar hydraulic steering cylinder and allows for independent tilt and steering operation of each engine. However you mount your kicker, be sure that it is totally out of the water when underway at high speeds to prevent possible steering issues, and/or damage to the prop, lower unit and bracket assembly. Bottom line, it’s always a major plus to control your own destiny when out on the water…especially if your life might depend on it!
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