BoatBanter.com - View Single Post

Wayne.B

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 02:08:35 -0500, wrote:

On Tue, 15 Feb 2011 03:30:27 +0000, peter paul
wrote:

my first time hi i have a 20ft cuddy cabin boat im looking for a back
up motor. i need to know what ize of motor i could use. i have a 55 hp
johnson is it to big or could i use it as a back up. please anyone let
me know anyone.

Something like a 5hp class 2 stroke is light enough to handle by
yourself (50 pounds or so) and still has enough power to get you home.
Any little kicker will hit the wall at hull speed and you are not
getting up on plane anyway. I doubt a 15 would make much difference
and be almost twice as heavy.

I used to have a 15 horse kicker on my old 24 ft I/O because that's
what I happened to have laying around. It was on the heavy side at
around 100 lbs. If your boat is basically reliable and you don't
venture too far offshore, you're almost better off with a SeaTow or
Tow Boat US membership assuming they offer service in your area.

Other than weight, the biggest issue with a 55 horse kicker is finding
a suitable mounting bracket and attachment point. Most of the popular
retractable brackets top out at about 20 hp. Peak thrust of a 55 hp
motor is in the range of 1500 pounds so the attachment point needs to
be very solid.