Kicker

Hi all.
I have brought myself a sweet little BF2A that even though an older motor has hardly seen the water. My idea is to buy one of those up and own stern bracket things & mount it as a safety, kicker, trawling motor beside (port side) my BF50 on my wee Swedish fiberglass RYDS 485 16' cabin boat. Before I go drilling holes in my much loved boat is there anything I should be carefull of/ take into account? This is a first time project for me.
Wisdom & experience apprecited.

Before you buy it, check to see what the total travel up and down is. You want to be able to get it down far enough, but not too far into the water. Based on your serial number, download the owner's manual for your engine. http://marine.honda.com/support/manuals/models/BF

Look for the pages that address how far in the water that the motor should be.

If you are getting a mount made by garlick, their website shows the amount of travel and I seem to remember even drawings.

When you go to mount it, follow the instructions carefully. Since the motor is light, you should fasten it to the mounting and hold the whole thing in place against your transom. Once you determine that it will go into the water to the point that you want it, mark the transom with some tape. Then reset the mount to full up and see if the motor will come out of the water all the way.

At that point, then tilt the motor up (if you are going to tilt it up) and make sure that the hood does not hit boat and that the front of the motor clears the mounting.

Check it a couple of times. Measure a bunch of times, different ways (if you can)....to be sure that you get the same placement.

I should have said this first, but check on the other side of the transom that there is access that you can through bolt the mount. If it does not come with the mount, you may also want to make a backing plate to put on the inside to help spread the load.

Measure....check......measure......check.......measure......check

Put masking tape on the fiberglass so that when you mark it and mess up, you will not mark your boat. The masking tape will also help to minimize any cracking of the fiberglass when you drill. This will sound crazy...but.....when you drill you holes.....start drilling the holes with the drill going in reverse until you get through the layer of gelcoat. Then you can drill normally. I do this to keep the drill from grabbing the gelcoat layer and cutting into it too quickly, causing cracks and chips.

Of course, when you do the final mounting be sure to use a good marine caulk to seal around the bolts.

Good luck.

Mike

Wow that's great advice
thanks Mike!

Hi Deanmck,

I can't beat OR argue with anything hondadude said ( nice job Mike!) but just wanted to say a few words about an experience I had with a bracket like this on one of my sailboats. If you will be using the little screw clamps that come with the motor to attach it to the bracket as opposed to bolting it on....use a stainless cable "safety lanyard" to make sure it is there each and every time you look for it.

The lanyard can also be a sort of "security" device if you incorporate a padlock in it's securement.

What happened with mine (I think) was that the little clamps were tightened down on the wood attachment block and the wood, over time and with exposure to the elements, was compressed enough under the clamp "faces" that the clamps came loose. I think that they then sort of vibrated themselves "looser".

And then..... one day.... as I was tacking the boat...
... in a fairly brisk breeze...
...I heard a noise....
...I looked to see...
...my sweet little kicker....
...was leaving ME!

I got lucky! I jumped up and grabbed it just before it went into the drink! Had I been sailing alone that day...it may have been a completely different outcome...what with abandoning the helm in a panic and all. But my companion grabbed the tiller...and me...as I grabbed the outboard....and disaster as averted.

Anyway...I tell you this cautionary tale with the part about the padlock because there was much discussion about how the clamps "worked" loose. Some in my immediate circle thought it was the result of an interrupted theft. Maybe! But my experience over the years tells me all those wooden blocked and even some of the composite blocked attachment surfaces "shrink" and allow the outboard to become loose. So at least give it a check and a "tighten up" every so often.

In addition to that....I have since found a small kicker bracket that I think is FAR superior to the "scissor, springs and lever" sort of brackets being marketed today. It is one that simply slides up and down. It only protrudes from the transom a few inches so it is "low profile" compared to the Garlick and others and provides much less "torque" against the transom when operating the outboard. I love it! The only problem is...it came with an older sailboat I purchased and I believe it was manufactured back in the 60's or early 70's. I haven't seen another like it.

Good luck and SAFE, HAPPY BOATING!

Teriffic advice thanks guys you have given me a clear plan to move fwd with. I have found a bracket with 33cm travel that slots into an alloy runner so the bracket can easly be removed that should do the job nicely & well priced, great if I'm towing the kids around on a rubber ring I can just leave the thing at home. That also means I can bolt the kicker to the block thing to secure it fast, but will also use a lanyard just to make sure.