Bracket mounted auxiliary motor?

Dear Board,

I have what probably will sound like a dumb question but I'm not bashful so here goes.

My 16' Smokercraft Mag has a 35 HP long shaft tiller steer motor on it right now. The motor runs fine but there are several lakes nearby that are restricted to 20 HP maximum. I am planning on looking at a 20 HP long shaft motor on Tuesday but before I buy another engine I was wondering about using a short shaft motor on a bracket for those HP restricted lakes.

I have a perfectly good running Yamaha 4 HP short shaft with F-N-R gears but I don't know if I could mount it on a bracket and get the motor in the water deep enough to operate properly? I know it will not push the boat around very fast but if it moves it, then it will give me an option other than relying on just a trolling motor. I like the idea of redundant propulsion systems and I'm thinking of giving it a try. If I could spend $ 100.00 - $ 200.00 for a bracket set up and use my Yamaha I'd prefer that to spending 4 or 5 times that amount of money for a 20 HP that will not see continous use.

So I'd like to ask if anyone here has done something like that and if you did how did, or does, it work? If you did it do you still use the little motor or was it such a bad idea that you wound up doing something else? I'd only use the Yamaha for trolling or the occasional 2 or 3 mile run, the lakes where I will be using it are all 1500 acres or less.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Google "kicker motor bracket" and you should be able to find what you are looking for.

Dear Board,

OK, I googled and saw many tiller kicker motors but what I didn't see was a a short shaft kicker paired with a long shaft primary motor.

I talked to several boat dealers and they all agree that it is absolutely possible to use a short shaft kicker paired with a long shaft motor but I'd like to hear from someone who has done it. I know I will need an extension handle for the kicker but I have that covered already.

Anyone else care to chime in before I give it a try?

Regards,

Tim Murphy

If I am thinking right. You could do some sort of a reversed jack plate if that makes since. Ive seen where people would build them out of 1/4 angle.

a 4hp yammy is a nice kicker because it has a built in tank.
reverse jackplate is a cool idea, as long as you can provide enough setback to give your kicker room for tilting. you can also make a cut-out in your transom for the short shaft. this might be too drastic, but it's quite a common solution for fitting a short shaft on a tall transom.


but going back to your reason for wanting a kicker, i'm not sure if you'll be allowed on a 20hp lake having a 35hp motor hanging on your transom. since lake authorities won't be keeping an eye on you 100% of the time, they'd have no way to ensure you won't use the big motor except take your word for it.