kicker motor bracket

[pharmboy]

I'm going to be installing a kicker motor using a transom motor bracket that allows you to lower the kicker down into the water when you want to troll and pick it up when using the main motor. My question is are you supposed to remove the kicker when trailering? Or can you just leave it attached? I've read where you are supposed to take it off due to possible damage to the lift. Is that true? Also, have any of you had any bad experiences with this type of setup as opposed to just clamping the motor directly to the transom. My problem is my transom height is 25 inches and I'd like to use a long shaft or even a short shaft kicker necessitating lowering it when in use. Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[Thudpucker]

You cant go by my experiences.
I had a 29' and one of those Kicker brackets you could lower. I had a Johnson 20 Hp Kicker. It was too heavy to take on and off so I tied it up good and left it on during transit. No problems with that part. A big boat like that on a Tandem axle trailer rides pretty good anyway.

However....out in the Salt water, trolling, and a Barge or a Ferry or some inconsiderate gluck with his deep draft Yacht goes by and you get some pretty deep waves.
Still no problem...yet.
When the rollers reach the stern of your boat and the Kicker is down in the trolling position, running, and it goes under water~~~!

Anybody can say what they want to about the hight above the water, but when the waves or rollers are such that the stern of your boat will go down to the Gunnles, your gonna get water in that kicker.

I just pulled the plugs, pulled it through and restarted it. No problem that time.

There's another kind of Transom adapter called a "Jack Plate" that is used in the rivers by some guys.
It has a lever up in the cockpit that will raise the kicker up out of the reach of the waves. Then you let it back down.
I dont see how the Water pumps will last long doing that but it's a possible answer to the Drownding kicker problem.