Kicker on a 2120

[credx2]

Folks, I have a 2120 SC that I use more as a water-born camper than anything else. We just ran it 700 miles down, and back up the ICW. The F150 ran exceptionally well, cruising consistently at 20 kph @ 4100 rpm and getting 3+/- mpg. Good for what it is, but pricey none the less and a lot of hours on the big motor. I'm thinking of installing a kicker to run at trawler speeds in anticipation of starting the "Loop" next spring. I know very little about kickers. I'd like to run it from the helm seat. So here are some questions I have: I assume there is a mechanism available to start, run trim and steer from the helm. Anyone have any experience with this?, any recommendations? Also what size. The motor will run 6-8 hours a day most days for weeks at a time. Is a 9.9hp adequate or should I run something bigger (15hp) at lower RPMS. (I've played around at displacement speed and my boat seems to like 8-9 mph regardless of rpm. Any faster than that and it wants to try to climb on plane). What kind of mount do you recommend? I see various options. How long of a shaft do I run? I assume it can be tied into the existing fuel system and wont require a separate fuel source? I'm wide open to suggestions and guidance before I go shopping. I read once that "the best boat to do the loop is the one you have", and this is the one I have so I'm going to make it work, and, of course, budget is a concern. I'd also be very interested in feedback from anyone who has done long distance cruising on their pilot house. Cheers, Dan

 

[mheltunen]

I have a Yamaha T9.9 (high thrust model) on my 2320 and love it. It’s tied into my main tank via a port on my water separator filter. It’s tied to my main motor via a tie bar so you can steer from the helm. I do not have power tilt nor helm controls but Yamaha has those as an option as well.

 

[credx2]

I have a Yamaha T9.9 (high thrust model) on my 2320 and love it. It’s tied into my main tank via a port on my water separator filter. It’s tied to my main motor via a tie bar so you can steer from the helm. I do not have power tilt nor helm controls but Yamaha has those as an option as well.

Thanks. Appreciate the help. That answers a lot. One more question. How do you adjust the throttle? On the tiller handle?

 

[Brent]

I have Yamaha 9.9 4 stroke but took it off because the electrical and fuel connections were poorly done, and to prevent it from being stolen. One day I will set it up correctly and make easily removable, and connect to steering ram.

 

[Fishnmike]

I don't have a kicker on my 2320 yet but do have one on another boat. For throttle control look at a TrollMaster throttle controller. its a great way to control throttle. It does not shift so you would need to shift it into/out of gear at the motor.

 

[mheltunen]

Thanks. Appreciate the help. That answers a lot. One more question. How do you adjust the throttle? On the tiller handle?

I use a product called itroll. It has a servo connected to the kicker carburetor and a wired control box that I have mounted near my helm. We troll for salmon and trout on the Great Lakes at relativity low speeds (1-4 mph) and this product gives me excellent control and the ability to make very slight speed changes.

 

[GoodChance]

If the goal is greater fuel economy, why not run the F150 at 800 rpm making the same speed as a 9.8hp engine at 4000 rpm and burning the same fuel amount per hour?

Fuel economy is at your hand already. It just depends how much fuel you want to trade for speed.

 

[nwpaconcours]

Folks, I have a 2120 SC that I use more as a water-born camper than anything else. We just ran it 700 miles down, and back up the ICW. The F150 ran exceptionally well, cruising consistently at 20 kph @ 4100 rpm and getting 3+/- mpg. Good for what it is, but pricey none the less and a lot of hours on the big motor. I'm thinking of installing a kicker to run at trawler speeds in anticipation of starting the "Loop" next spring.

I have a 25hp Yamaha high thrust on a 2510XL paired with an F300, for great lakes trolling. I installed the 25 for EFI and potentially smoother running than the 9.9, but as others have said, you won't see a speed difference between a 25 and 9.9. At two-to-three MPH the kicker will run nicely, but if you try to push the boat at 6 mph or faster it will be working the kicker pretty hard, and you'd prefer to listen to the larger motor at near-idle for the same speed.

At low speeds the kicker and the main deliver close to the same mileage. I use a kicker for trolling to keep the hours off the main. I'll put about an hour a trip on the main, versus eight times that on the kicker. I wouldn't be surprised if the 300 delivers better mileage at 5-8 mph than the kicker, but I've never run the kicker at that speed for very long to prove that out.

I've had a trollmaster on a previous boat and it's nice for trolling, but I'd never use that as a main throttle control if I was navigating (not trolling). It uses a tiny knob to micro-adjust trolling speed, and (at least in my experience), if you turn the knob too quickly it doesn't respond reliably. It may go up, it may go down, it may not change at all. It's definitely not the device to react to a need to quickly control your speed up or down, particularly when compared to a standard Yamaha remote control. For trolling it's a great device, but not for navigating the loop.

The kicker does give you backup power in an emergency, which may or may not be a consideration.

Very roughly speaking, the kicker cost would pay for about 3,000 miles of gas for the main motor, if gas mileage is the primary consideration.

So,

- I love the 25 EFI as a trolling motor. A 9.9 works fine too (wish it was EFI).
- Trollmaster is a nice trolling tool, but not safe for waterway navigation as the sole source of speed control
- At over 5 mph, a 9.9 or 25 are both working pretty hard versus a 150 that can be just above idle. Trying to eek out 8 mph would get tiring
- A small kicker saves tons of hours on the main depending on your usage
- Backup is nice when you really need it the most
- Gas mileage is no better at 3 mph and I wouldn't be surprised if it's worse at 6 mph on the kicker

Hope that helps.