What Size Kicker for Get Home Power?

[SL]

Anyone know how to calculate what size kicker I would need for emergency get
home power for a 10,000 lb. express cruiser for say 4 mph minimum speed in
calm water? Crouch's formula widely available in the archives is easy to use
here but appears to apply only at planing speeds and obviously I would be
moving at displacement speeds. Thanks in advance.

Sadler Love

[Ron White]

I would forget about a kicker and spent the money on an extra radio, maybe a
handheld and some good rope. Maybe some towing insurance if available. Your
senario about calm water is an ideal one, what about wind and currents. In
my opinion for a boat that large they are useless. I know there are a lot of
people that think otherwise. But I would feel safer with good ground tackle
versus a kicker.

--
Ron White
Check out HAMMER the 30' sportfisherman I am building
http://www.concentric.net/~knotreel/

[WayneB]

Assuming flat water and little or no wind, 10 to 15 hp will get the
job done. I once motored a 39 ft sloop weighing 20,000 lbs into
the dock using a 2hp Evinrude.

Above 10 kts of wind or 1 ft of seas, I'd say all bets are off and
you'd better look to that storm anchor you always meant to buy.

[SL]

Ron, thanks for answering my question. You're probably right.

To answer though, I have a handheld backup radio, Boat US unlimited towing
insurance, rope, and ground tackle already. However, I'm pretty sure the
required hp I asked about is a straightforward number to calculate and I
would still like to know it if anyone can calculate it without too much
work.

Sadler Love

"Ron White" <knot...@concentric.net> wrote in message
news:916k5p$p...@dispatch.concentric.net...

[Richard Bonnett]

We could all use this advise for a getting home motor...
but what conditions would be reasonable other than  light wind and 1 foot wave heights?   .....

You would like something to handle more customary conditions like 3 foot waves and 15 knot wind.... Is this reasonable?.....
I suspect that those boats that have been operated with a kicker are the examples needed for posting here....   User experience rather than computational estimates..
Each boat style has the key factors of wind resistance and hull resistance.

Representative examples are perhaps a better guide.
My desire would be a kicker for a 25 foot walk around cuddy cabin fishing boat [Robalo] with hardtop and canvass around the hardtop....And has a large single outboard of 250 horses.
.  Style is deep V hull and appearance is similar to Grady-White structure above water...weight is upwards to 4 ton loaded with stuff...

===>So, an example could be as described above.
*The structure above and below water [ general wind resistance character ].
*The weight [ water resistance /displacement character ]
Other boats could be radically different in resistance to pushing  like
houseboat, high freeboard trawler,  and low profile bass boats...
The wind could  be a major factor which could be balanced some by more horses on the kicker.
As for me ... I want to go im the OCEAN to fish for tuna and it would mean going
out of sight of land..... A kicker plus GPS, plus safety gear, etc...etc... is 'required'.
The strong kicker is essential to safety...how strong is the issue for each boat style as mentioned here.
    Please share the magic formula for the computation for the kicker size.  A sanity check could be done by some who has been there and done that.......
and it either worked or did not for the conditions of wind in whatever direction ,etc..
I see many fishing boats that carry a kicker but how well do they work is to be determined. The kicker may have the main purpose of pushing the fishing boat at trolling speeds which can be as little as 2 to 3 mph... The intended purpose of saving
the boat and crew from potential harm by using a kicker engine is one that needs to be addressed by many boaters... but rarely they speak on the subject...
................................................................................................................................
As for the tow insurance... try saving the money...... buy travelers checks ..say a hundred this year..and another next year and another hundred next year... and store them on the boat .
When you need money for whatever...you have it. You do not need to wait for a qualified tow company to come ...you can get immediate assitance and select any company .
This idea is good for your boat and  it is good for your car/truck.
When it is off season [non-boating months ],   put all the travelers checks in your car/truck . Add enough to the stash of checks to be comfortable that you are ready for any situation.  As time goes on you are saving hundreds of dollars.........
.....dollars saved for emergencies when and where you need it.
Merry christmas.......
..........................................................................................................................

[Glenn Engstrom]

I like your response (great idea with the travelers checks).

Kicker info from my boat - 23' Range Sportfisherman center console. Main
engine is 225 EFI Mariner outboard, kicker 25 hp Mercury 4-stroke. The boat
has a T-top with vinyl all around. The kicker is steered from the main
engine via EZ-steer connector. I have a Simrad AP14 autopilot connected to
the hydaulic steering on the main engine. The kicker goes slow enough for
trolling ( less than 2 mph) but can also move the boat at 10 mph. Using the
autopilot and the kicker the boat maintains heading in all of the conditions
I usually am out in, whether the wind is head on, or a cross wind the kicker
keeps on track. A good chop does not bother it either. I chose the 25
because having more power than a 9 or 15, I figured it would be a better
"emergency" engine. All the folks I spoke to told me to get a 9 or 15 for
trolling and that would be sufficient, I just went higher so that I could
have the power if needed. The engine was a little more but what is more
money if it can prevent an emergency.

I am sure there are other ideas on what size engine is appropriate. I do not
remember what you were going to use the kicker for other then emergency.

- Glenn

"Richard Bonnett" <tal...@toad.net> wrote in message
news:3A378C58...@toad.net...

[Steve]

It takes an amazingly small amount of power to drive a boat at hull speed.
My 10,000 lb. 30 foot Cape Dory Sailboat had a 13 hp diesel aux engine that
could easily push the boat in a head sea to 5 knots (while spinning a fairly
large alternator load). Prop choice and gear box ratios do matter a lot. A
good 4 cycle high thrust 9.9hp (with a large diamter, low pitch prop) should
be able to troll or get home most any 25 foot or smaller outboard boat in
any reasonable sea condition. I had such a motor on a 22 Whaler as an aux
motor. It had plenty of power to get 5 knots or so in most conditions. It
felt slow and I often had to explain to my friends that more power would be
of almost no advantage. You could accelerate faster, but couldn't
materially improve on the final top speed. You need vastly more power to
get over the bow wave to plane one of these boats (115 hp minimum on the
Whaler) or even to achieve semi displacement speeds much greater than the
possible hull speed (about 4 or 5 knots).

"Glenn Engstrom" <geeng...@home.com> wrote in message news:nvTZ5.43322

$Y6.97...@news1.mntp1.il.home.com...

[bmc...@ix.netcom.com]

I am looking at the 8.8 Yamaha Hight Thrust. Has a built in power trim and
tilt. My 15 Mariner drives the boat about 5 mph. 21'er.
bill

Steve <ss...@airmail.net> wrote in message
news:98329F21BFBCCA4D.67043D94...@lp.airnews.net...