Fixed kicker bracket build for the Country Angler

[Detritus]

So, my kicker bracket has always been questionable since I've had the boat. It was a Garelick stainless adjustable, and it had issues. It was rated for 115 lbs, and 20HP, and I've got a 20 year old Honda 9.9 long shaft hanging off of it. It should have been sufficient, but, it says right on the bracket, "Remove engine before trailering". Haha, yeah right.

Well, my friend I bought the boat from never did, and neither did I. Who would? It was bent, and not installed or adjusted very well from the very beginning. 4 little chunks of plywood and washers for the mounting bolts, and the adjustments in both the motor and the bracket were both maxed out to try to compensate for the crummy installation. You had to bear hug that greasy thing at the launch to raise it vertically, and in the water, it would only allow the motor to tilt up half way under way. But, the main reason for the build, is I really like the motor, and I didn't want to watch it sink, it fall off in the road. Pretty sure it was just a matter if time. I've never actually calculated the fuel consumption on that thing, but, I bet you I could get a good 18 to 20 hours of trolling on a 6 gallon tank. It's ridiculous.

Here's the old bracket, minus the mounting plate that I reused on my new bracket.

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It was installed such that the cavitation plate was either 2.5 inches above the bottom of the hull, where it would come out of the water in a moderate following sea, or about 3 inches below on the next setting down. Where, you couldn't go up on plane without having it drag. Or, so low, the cowl was close to the waterline. No good all the way around.

What it was good for, was using as a way to make a template for all of the pieces I had to cut out to make my new fixed bracket. Plus, I reused he motor mounting plate.

Here's what I built.

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I built it out of 3/16" aluminum, and reused he old transom holes. I set it up so the cavitation plate is just about even with one of the hull chines directly in front of it, which is a few inches lower than we always used to run it. Also, by making it the way I did, the motor can actually tilt up all of the way.

Also installed a real backing plate.

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I'm pretty happy with the way it came out, it's rock solid. I used to look back at it in rough weather on plane, and just look away, and wait for that thing to rip off. Can't wait to try this one out.

[Gecha (Gerry)]

Nice work Jack.