HOW TO INSTALL AN AUXILIARY OUTBOARD

Equip your boat to easily carry and deploy a kicker motor.

Auxiliary outboard motors serve powerboaters in two primary roles: 1) as an emergency get-home motor in case the big engine conks out, and 2) for alternate propulsion when the main engine moves the boat too fast to effectively slow-troll. Anglers in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere find “kickers,” as they’re called, extremely useful when slow-trolling for salmon and trout. Sailboaters also use kickers when sailing is impractical.

One way to carry and use a kicker is with an auxiliary outboard bracket, such as the Garelick model 71091, which is built especially for heavier, high-torque fourstroke motors. This model can handle engine weights up to 175 pounds and as much as 25 hp, allowing you to smoothly raise and lower the motor with one hand.

This bracket features black-satin anodized aluminum construction with a 2-inch-thick black poly mounting board and offers four vertical running positions to accommodate the boat load and water conditions. Stainless-steel hardware offers durability. We installed this bracket on the transom of a sterndrive-powered boat. —Jim Hendricks