Mounting kicker motor on my 170

[jeff23]

Hi All-- I have a 1979 Aquasport 170 that I bought last fall. This is my third boat, it's been in the water for the last couple of weeks, and I'm really enjoying it. I've always had a small kicker outboard on my boats (as well as a Seatow card). Over 11 years or so I've only had to use the kicker three times, but man, it really made a difference on those three occasions. Semms like when you need an outboard motor nothing else will do . The current motor is a 2001 Merc 75hp, runs fine.

So I am weighing the advantage of having the kicker vs. drilling holes in a 29-year old transom. I am thinking of simply clamping the small motor right on the cutaway on the port side, since the steering cable connects on the right side and would be in the way. Another solution would be to install a garelick bracket and locate it more toward the port side. Any thoughts on the best way to do this? At the moment the hull is tight as a drum--doesn't have any water in the bilge unless it rains. However, it has some fine cracking in the glass along the top of the transom, which was caulked when I bought it. Here's a picture of the stern:

img]http://www.classicaquasport.com/gallery/data/500/2306Picture_030.jpg[/img]  

Thanks for any help!

[jeff23]

No picture, thought I was doing the BB code right, but maybe not.  The URL to the photo gallery is :



I helped you out - copy the UBBCode line below the picture in the gallery and then paste it in your topic.  RickK

[Marcq]

WOW, she's in super shape, same year as mine and everything looks original   NICE boat

Would you consider an electric motor? That's a heavy motor you got there(300lb) and your scupper are already under water like mine. What size kicker did you have in mind ?

Marc..

[GoneFission]

Sorry, I don't think it makes a lot of sense to mount a second motor on a 170.  In order to get a motor that would do what you want, I think you would have too much weight too far aft.  

Just MHO, or $0.02.

[jeff23]

Thanks for the replies guys.  I don't think an electric motor would work out--and you're right, I'd have to get at least 4hp or 5hp kicker to drive the boat--we're in Long Island Sound, where the tide currets can be a couple of knots and there are rips everywhere.  I don't go very far--around five-6 nm out, and I can always drop the hook and call Seatow.

Just out of curiosity, I'd be interested to know what others with buried scuppers do.  At the moment, I have plugs in the holes and a bilge pump in the trough on the deck next to the transom.

I couldn't agree more about how she looks  8)  I love those clean  and upswept prow lines :-)

[Marcq]

.

Just out of curiosity, I'd be interested to know what others with buried scuppers do.  At the moment, I have plugs in the holes and a bilge pump in the trough on the deck next to the transom.

On mine, I'm in the process of re powering it with a smaller/lighter engine 85 hp Johnson to Evinrude 70 hp, shaving 70lb in the swap, also removed my bait well seat that weighs a ton for a leaning post. I also used to have that hole near the transom in the deck that I fiberglass it(no more water in the bilge for me).Eventually I would like to install a bilge pump on the deck where that hole used to be and cover it with a small box just to hide the pump. And finally I'm installing self bailing scupper (ping/pong ball type)

I hope it will help some

Marc..

[jeff23]

Thanks Marcq--good to know :-)

[Asport-Rog]

I've had a 9.9 mounted on the transom cutout of my 77' 170 since the boat was bought new. We do a lot of trolling in the Great Lakes and I need a kicker motor.

I have a 90hp Etec on the boat now. The scuppers have always been under water with or without the kicker. I run plugs in the scuppers and have 2 bilge pumps mounted in the recessed channel.

The 9.9 pushes the boat well in flat seas and has got me home many times when the main motor failed before I replaced it with the Etec.