posted 09-29-2003 07:42 PM ET (US)        

Again, this thread is for comments and questions regarding that specific article. If you have other questions, please post them in the appropriate forum.

posted 09-29-2003 11:27 PM ET (US)            

Great job.

posted 09-30-2003 07:38 AM ET (US)            

Very clean fabrication and installation.

What did you paint the bracket with? Did you have it powder coated or did you paint it yourself?

Why did you mount it on the port side? I thought to alleviate prop torque heavy stuff like the kicker should be mounted on the starboard. Did the original Boston Whaler bracket call for mounting on the port?

This one is for Jim. When I was reading the captions, it took me a minute to realize you where talking about the main engine in the second paragraph of the picture entitled Installed Bracket Stern View. I'm sometimes (ok many times)a little slow.

posted 09-30-2003 07:55 AM ET (US)            

The original factory bracket was mounted on the port side.

posted 09-30-2003 10:58 AM ET (US)            

Very nicely done. There's just something about quality fabrications that show as beauty.

I am also wondering what you painted the aluminum with.

I am sure others are wondering this so let me ask, what do you think it would cost to replicate this design now that you know how to do it?

posted 10-01-2003 10:36 AM ET (US)            

I doubt that there is more that $30 of raw materials in the bracket, and my local prop shop charges $35 per hour for miscelaneous welding. The bracket would easily come in under their 1-hour minimum.

The nice thing about aluminum plate is that it can be cut using a carbide toothed woodworking blade on a radial arm or power miter saw. I have a blade that I keep solely for cutting aluminum, PVC etc. Wearing good face/eye protection is a must because of the aluminum chips, but the saw cuts the aluminum just fine.

So if you can cut the parts yourself, I would guess that you are looking at under $100, including mounting hardware and paint and the wood.

posted 10-03-2003 01:40 AM ET (US)            

I have been on the road for a week and just got back to my computer - sorry for the delay in responding to your questions.

Mike, I can't help with your oyster tubs but I'll be in your neighborhood in a few weeks. Let's talk clams.

As Plotman pointed out, I was easily able cut the aluminum parts on my tablesaw with a carbide woodworking blade. I don't even remember where I salvaged the aluminum plate - it's been tucked away in my garage for years. I provided my neighbor, who is in the business of architectural metal castings, with a plywood mock-up so there wouldn't be any question about how the oddly shaped pieces should be welded together. He delivered the bracket the followng day and refused my attempts to pay him for his work. The bracket was painted with spraycans of Tempo outboard paint. First the yellow primer and then several color coats. The paint is holding up ok except where the screw clamps make contact. I really should have had it powder coated and may do so in the future. Total cost for the project was about $20 for the paint and SST fasteners. But I think Plotman's estimate of $100 is about right if you had to pay for the welding and aluminum.

My primary reason for mounting the bracket on the port side was to keep the tiller arm on the kicker from hitting the main motor. In most cases the boat can be steered using the main motor as a rudder, but for tight maneuvering the kicker needs to be steered independently. I have collected some parts to link the steering to the main motor but haven't worked out the details yet. At rest, the boat does list to port when the 12 gal fuel tank (also on the port side) is full. However with a driver behind the wheel it levels out nicely. Those of you with 15's know that lateral trim is easily fine-tuned by sliding one's posterior a few inches to the left or to the right.

The short shaft motor tilts just clear of the water at planing speeds and is effectively immersed at trolling speeds. Can't imagine why a long shaft would work any better.

I have trailered the boat with the 67 pound kicker mounted on the bracket for about 5,000 miles so far with no problem. But after reading recent comments on this topic I'll probably remove the motor for future travel.

Thanks again for the compliments

John

posted 12-28-2003 09:16 PM ET (US)            

Your 70hp by itself is already about the max weight you would want on the transom of a 15 footer. I'm guessing your 15hp is about 80 lbs, so the total of the two motors is 340# and when you move aft to pull-start or otherwise fuss with the kicker, there will be precious little freeboard left.

The short shaft motor will not cavitate at sub-planing speeds and 15hp will not put it on a plane. In fact I would be surprised if 15hp will produce any more boat speed than an 8hp.

I was running a 65 lb (6 hp)kicker with a 190 lb (50 hp)main motor - 255 lbs total. It worked ok but I though it was important to minimize transom weight and have now switched to a 35 lb (4hp) kicker. For me this seems to be the best weight/power compromise for this hull.

posted 04-21-2005 12:24 PM ET (US)            

Roy

posted 08-11-2006 05:40 AM ET (US)         

1. The bracket installs on the transom directly over the HID plate. Had to drill out the rivets, fill the holes with Marine Tex and relocate the HID plate to the starboard side of the transom.

2. With the bracket built to John's specs, my kicker motor didn't have clearance to tilt it up. Perhaps it's a problem unique to the profile of my motor (15 hp Gamefisher). I solved the problem by making the motor mounting plate and wood spacer 9" tall vice 8". The extra inch of elevation gives me the necessary height above the transom and still plenty of motor in the water.

posted 10-16-2006 12:12 PM ET (US)            

http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum3/HTML/005010.html

posted 11-01-2006 04:08 AM ET (US)            

Mine was mounted on a 22' guardian on the port side. The weight of two optima batteries on the stbd side and the kicker on that side made for too much of a stbd list, this configuration is much better and the boat seems to handle very nice with the equal weight ditribution.

posted 05-10-2012 08:56 PM ET (US)            

I bought some 1/4" plate boat aluminum, 5200 I think, and the cost was $50.00. I saw that I had a data plate on the left side of the transom, and modified the forward mounting plate (shortened the overall length by removing about 1.5" from the top). That required other modifications but everything worked out well. I made one out of cardboard, cut out the plate on the band saw and smoothed the edges on the disc sander and a file then gave it to the welder to fabricate. It took the welder about an hour. I measured twice and cut/drilled once and total time in the job was probably high at 3 hrs. of my time not counting a trip to Fasteners Inc. for stainless bolts and screws. If you could have one fabricated for you and you paid $250.00 I think it would be a bargain!
I put the finished part in the Alodine tank which put a gold finish on the aluminum and should protect it from corrosion. Since I operate in fresh water only with a 4 month boating season it might hold up but we will see. I located and drilled holes through the transom using a procedure I found on this site, thanks JimH. I drilled the holes slightly larger than the bolt size and coated the inside with epoxy resin and let it dry. I painted the front of the mount then mounted it to the transom using 5/16" bolts with fast dry 4200. I had a long shaft Honda 2hp air cooled kicker which I mounted and it has plenty of power to move the boat on a lake. I too need it a little higher but Honda says not to run with the motor tilted up because the mechanism isn't robust enough and you might break it. At 27 lbs. it is light enough to put on and take off for now. Thanks again John!