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Author Topic:   15-footer Auxiliary Engine

Bruce Keogh posted 10-14-2012 10:10 PM ET (US)
I am a first time poster and a new owner of a 1978 Sport 15. The boat is really clean, and I am very happy with the boat and its performance. I have been fishing with it off the central coast of California for the past year. I am considering purchasing a kicker engine for back up and trolling. Can I go with a 2-HP or 2.5-HP engine for back up? Any suggestions on power, manufacturer, or tips are greatly appreciated.
I currently have a 1983 Mercury 80-HP that runs good with good compression, and I am eventually considering a four-cycle outboard engine in the next couple of years. [Do readers have] any ideas on size for a four-cycle outboard engine? The current motor is oversized for the name plate on the boat, former owner was a water skier, I am more oriented towards ocean fishing, but the family still wants to ski. I am thinking 60-HP should be good, and recommendations on manufacturer or power would be appreciated. Any suggestions for gear storage would also be appreciated. Love the new boat. Thanks for any responses, good boating!
jimh posted 10-14-2012 10:20 PM ET (US)
I suggest you read John Anderson's article at
Auxiliary Engine Bracket for 15-foot Boston Whaler Boats
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/bracket15AuxMotor.html
Bruce Keogh posted 10-14-2012 10:25 PM ET (US)
Thanks for the response, I just checked and it appears that I have that bracket on my transom, thanks for the information, I will read the article and get a little more knowledgeable
Ferdinando posted 10-15-2012 09:18 PM ET (US)
Bruce:
I had a 15' 1985 SS which I purchased new and owned for 13 years. The max power for this boat is a 70 hp engine and it is considered a high performance boat if you have a 70 hanging off the transom.
If your in the ocean I would go with at least a 5hp engine (I had a 8hp on mine).
My recommendation for the main engine is an E-Tec. Strong pick up and go and great for skiing. The new 2 strokes are lighter and less complicated than a 4 stroke with great fuel economy.
This is a great little boat and I did enjoy it as mentioned for 13 yrs, I just got tired of driving it sitting down so I upgraded. Sold it for $500 dollars more than what I paid for it when new.
Good luck,
Fred
tedious posted 10-16-2012 08:48 AM ET (US)
Hi Bruce - congratulations on your (relatively) new Sport 15!
There are lots of choices at the 60 horsepower point. I went with a Yamaha F70 because I wanted to stay at the top of the power range, but if I were to do it over again, I might stay with a 60. I went with Yamaha because of good previous experiences, and because I was able to find a dealer who sold me the motor and the rigging and let me install it myself - I saved a good chunk of change there.
Having skied behind an older two-stroke 60, I can tell you that it's workable, but forget about starting in the water on one ski if you're a larger person. Once up and running you'll be fine.
Regarding the kicker, I would recommend just getting your new motor and trying it first. The 15 is somewhat sensitive to weight on the transom, so if you can get away without adding 60 pounds or so of kicker, you'll be better off - not to mention the complexity of rigging and the cost.
The newer motors (either 4-stroke or direct injection 2-stroke such as eTec) will troll all day with no fouling problems and get very good fuel economy doing it. My Yamaha has trolling speed control using the buttons on the tach, so you have very fine control of the speed, in 50 RPM increments.
As backup, a kicker on a 15 is going to be a get-home motor, but for fishing off the coast it's not going to have enough oomph to save you from trouble if there's any wind or waves. A good VHF radio (and maybe a backup portable) and a yearly tow service subscription would keep you safer at less cost.
Just some food for thought there - it's great you're starting the planning rather than just diving in. The one other thing I'll mention is that most motor manufacturers have good deals in the fall, so that's the best time to buy.
Tim
jadom posted 10-16-2012 09:43 AM ET (US)
Why would you put a auxiliary engine on a 15 footer?
elaelap posted 10-16-2012 12:28 PM ET (US)
My reasons for using a kicker on my old Sport 15 center console:
--Trolling, saving many hours of use of one's much more expensive main motor.
--Fuel economy re above (though the Yamaha F60 powering ol' Cetus got an amazing 10+ mpg).
--Get home motor in an emergency. Even a tiny kicker like this one might well be a life-saver if one cruises/fishes in the ocean. For example, I often fish in shallow water very close to our rocky Northern California coastline, and it's sure nice to know that if my main motor failed I'd at least be able to scramble off the inhospitable shore using my kicker while I sorted things out.
Here's a link to an earlier thread about my use of an aircooled 2 horsepower four stroke Honda as an auxiliary on my 15:
http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/006391.html
Tony
P.S. I miss Cetus! What a sweet boat on rivers, bays and (not Great-) lakes, but just too tender for the lumpy Pacific...for me at least.
mkelly posted 10-20-2012 07:08 PM ET (US)
I recently repowered my 15 with a F60 Yamaha & it's a peach. The F70 is similar weight so I would go with that to get the extra HP. The fuel economy blew me away...I estimate I'm burning around 2 GPH at cruising speed, maybe 2.5. I understand your desire for a backup motor but I just don't think it's worth the hassle & expense on the 15, plus the added weight that far back will not help the boat perform well. The new four strokes (& two strokes) are nearly bullet proof so I wouldn't hesitate going far out....just make sure you have a radio & that you have range where you go with that radio.
elaelap posted 10-21-2012 03:29 PM ET (US)
Again, it depends on where and how you use this sweet little skiff. Just about everybody fishing/cruising out of the small harbors north of SF Bay employ get-home power, 'cuz there just isn't any SeaTow or the like to help you out if you break down. Plus, as I said above, if you troll you will avoid putting a lot of unnecessary hours on your primary motor if you use a kicker.
Tony

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Author	Topic: 15-footer Auxiliary Engine
Bruce Keogh	posted 10-14-2012 10:10 PM ET (US) I am a first time poster and a new owner of a 1978 Sport 15. The boat is really clean, and I am very happy with the boat and its performance. I have been fishing with it off the central coast of California for the past year. I am considering purchasing a kicker engine for back up and trolling. Can I go with a 2-HP or 2.5-HP engine for back up? Any suggestions on power, manufacturer, or tips are greatly appreciated. I currently have a 1983 Mercury 80-HP that runs good with good compression, and I am eventually considering a four-cycle outboard engine in the next couple of years. [Do readers have] any ideas on size for a four-cycle outboard engine? The current motor is oversized for the name plate on the boat, former owner was a water skier, I am more oriented towards ocean fishing, but the family still wants to ski. I am thinking 60-HP should be good, and recommendations on manufacturer or power would be appreciated. Any suggestions for gear storage would also be appreciated. Love the new boat. Thanks for any responses, good boating!
jimh	posted 10-14-2012 10:20 PM ET (US) I suggest you read John Anderson's article at Auxiliary Engine Bracket for 15-foot Boston Whaler Boats http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/bracket15AuxMotor.html
Bruce Keogh	posted 10-14-2012 10:25 PM ET (US) Thanks for the response, I just checked and it appears that I have that bracket on my transom, thanks for the information, I will read the article and get a little more knowledgeable
Ferdinando	posted 10-15-2012 09:18 PM ET (US) Bruce: I had a 15' 1985 SS which I purchased new and owned for 13 years. The max power for this boat is a 70 hp engine and it is considered a high performance boat if you have a 70 hanging off the transom. If your in the ocean I would go with at least a 5hp engine (I had a 8hp on mine). My recommendation for the main engine is an E-Tec. Strong pick up and go and great for skiing. The new 2 strokes are lighter and less complicated than a 4 stroke with great fuel economy. This is a great little boat and I did enjoy it as mentioned for 13 yrs, I just got tired of driving it sitting down so I upgraded. Sold it for $500 dollars more than what I paid for it when new. Good luck, Fred
tedious	posted 10-16-2012 08:48 AM ET (US) Hi Bruce - congratulations on your (relatively) new Sport 15! There are lots of choices at the 60 horsepower point. I went with a Yamaha F70 because I wanted to stay at the top of the power range, but if I were to do it over again, I might stay with a 60. I went with Yamaha because of good previous experiences, and because I was able to find a dealer who sold me the motor and the rigging and let me install it myself - I saved a good chunk of change there. Having skied behind an older two-stroke 60, I can tell you that it's workable, but forget about starting in the water on one ski if you're a larger person. Once up and running you'll be fine. Regarding the kicker, I would recommend just getting your new motor and trying it first. The 15 is somewhat sensitive to weight on the transom, so if you can get away without adding 60 pounds or so of kicker, you'll be better off - not to mention the complexity of rigging and the cost. The newer motors (either 4-stroke or direct injection 2-stroke such as eTec) will troll all day with no fouling problems and get very good fuel economy doing it. My Yamaha has trolling speed control using the buttons on the tach, so you have very fine control of the speed, in 50 RPM increments. As backup, a kicker on a 15 is going to be a get-home motor, but for fishing off the coast it's not going to have enough oomph to save you from trouble if there's any wind or waves. A good VHF radio (and maybe a backup portable) and a yearly tow service subscription would keep you safer at less cost. Just some food for thought there - it's great you're starting the planning rather than just diving in. The one other thing I'll mention is that most motor manufacturers have good deals in the fall, so that's the best time to buy. Tim
jadom	posted 10-16-2012 09:43 AM ET (US) Why would you put a auxiliary engine on a 15 footer?
elaelap	posted 10-16-2012 12:28 PM ET (US) My reasons for using a kicker on my old Sport 15 center console: --Trolling, saving many hours of use of one's much more expensive main motor. --Fuel economy re above (though the Yamaha F60 powering ol' Cetus got an amazing 10+ mpg). --Get home motor in an emergency. Even a tiny kicker like this one might well be a life-saver if one cruises/fishes in the ocean. For example, I often fish in shallow water very close to our rocky Northern California coastline, and it's sure nice to know that if my main motor failed I'd at least be able to scramble off the inhospitable shore using my kicker while I sorted things out. Here's a link to an earlier thread about my use of an aircooled 2 horsepower four stroke Honda as an auxiliary on my 15: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum4/HTML/006391.html Tony P.S. I miss Cetus! What a sweet boat on rivers, bays and (not Great-) lakes, but just too tender for the lumpy Pacific...for me at least.
mkelly	posted 10-20-2012 07:08 PM ET (US) I recently repowered my 15 with a F60 Yamaha & it's a peach. The F70 is similar weight so I would go with that to get the extra HP. The fuel economy blew me away...I estimate I'm burning around 2 GPH at cruising speed, maybe 2.5. I understand your desire for a backup motor but I just don't think it's worth the hassle & expense on the 15, plus the added weight that far back will not help the boat perform well. The new four strokes (& two strokes) are nearly bullet proof so I wouldn't hesitate going far out....just make sure you have a radio & that you have range where you go with that radio.
elaelap	posted 10-21-2012 03:29 PM ET (US) Again, it depends on where and how you use this sweet little skiff. Just about everybody fishing/cruising out of the small harbors north of SF Bay employ get-home power, 'cuz there just isn't any SeaTow or the like to help you out if you break down. Plus, as I said above, if you troll you will avoid putting a lot of unnecessary hours on your primary motor if you use a kicker. Tony