Three motors were used-a 2000 Nissan 5-hp four-stroke, a 1980’s-era 9.9-hp Mercury two-stroke and a 1970’s 15-hp Evinrude. To test, we collaborated with our sister publication, Powerboat Reports, whose editor owns a 21′ walkaround with a large outboard his interest was mounting a small backup “kicker.”We had a local machine shop weld up a stainless steel plate that could be bolted to his boat’s transom and used to mount the brackets. We also measured the range of motion, or vertical distance, of each. We noted how sturdy each bracket was by shaking the motor from side to side and fore and aft while placing the bracket in several positions-a “wiggle test,” if you will. The main criteria for evaluation was ease of use, but also considered was the ease of assembly and mounting, quality of materials, price and instructions. The four-stroke’s greater force imposes more stress on the bracket therefore it needs to be stronger than a bracket for a two-stroke. “It’s the increased torque and thrust of a four-stroke,” said Jayson Klade, a Fulton Industries technical representative. We understood why weight and horsepower make a difference but weren’t sure why a four-stroke would require a special, and subsequently more expensive, bracket. All are manually operated, except for the electrically powered Minn Kota.Įarly on we discovered that your choice depends not only on the outboard’s horsepower and weight but also on whether it’s a two- or four-stroke.
We rounded up eight brackets from five manufacturers-Fulton, Garelick, Triangle, Minn Kota and Outboard Motor Corp. Brackets should be strong, durable, and, most importantly, easy to operate without having to hang out over the transom. These generally have two positions-up and down-for lowering the motor’s prop into the water, and raising it. More common, perhaps is the mounting of a bracket on the transom. Such arrangements conceal and protect the motor but may not allow it to be tilted up to get the prop out of the water when sailing. On some boats, it is mounted in a well forward of the transom.
The most common form of auxiliary propulsion for small sailboats is the outboard motor.
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