For further consideration:ESpiegel wrote: ↑Wed Apr 08, 2020 12:58 am
I want to add a kicker for a couple reasons.
- wanted to be able to troll for salmon, reposition/hold in current for bottomfishing and didn’t want to troll with drogues or deal with a trolling valve. Everything I had read about the common rail engines was that long hours at idle was not good for them. At idle, the boat does about 4.5 to 5 knots, which is way to fast for salmon trolling.
- this is my first boat with an inboard, and a single engine. I’m not comfortable with being offshore with a single engine and having engine issues, or my worst fear of wrapping crab pot line around my shaft and not having another means of propulsion to head in, or at least keep my bow to the weather.
- in my marina, all of the slips are a side moor. Trying to maneuver my single engine boat in between other boats doesn’t excite me. With the kicker I’ll be able to direct my stern thrust, and with my remotely operated bow thruster it will make docking less stressful.
My trip home yesterday was solo, and luckily there was only a slight breeze. I had to angle 45 degrees off of my slip, back in until my port stern almost touched, then use the bow thruster to swing the bow in. Then run back to the port corner, step off of the swimstep with my stern line and bow line in hand to tie off. Took me about 4 tries to get the angle and timing of bow thruster down. I don’t have the bow thruster remote installed yet.
I’m going to have the kicker steering wheel mounted on the port end of the fish box lid, and the remote shift/trim/throttle mounted on the fish box side of the transom door. This will give me clear sight line forward, able to see my chart plotter/sounder, and be close to the rods. I don’t mind fishing alone, and this will make it easier.
The previous owner had already installed a kicker bracket on the transom, and had used it for guided salmon fishing. He had said that it worked great.
I’m hoping that on rainy days, I can keep the kicker pointed straight ahead, and use the main rudder for steering from the cockpit. This should work unless there is a lot of wind or current.
Installing and using a trolling valve is no big deal and a lot less expensive than the path you're discussing. I've installed mechanical trolling valves on both of my Albins and oits no big deal. I did this for the very same reason of needing to slow the boat downbetween 1.5 to 2.5/3 knots depending trolling for striped bass depending upon the baits being pulled and 4 knots for bluefin. My 28 was at 6 - 6.5 knots at clutch and the 31 is at 5.5 to 6 knots. It's important to have a good control at the helm. Another nice thing in having a trolling valve is being able to slow down in and around marinas and their approaching fairways.If docking If it were me and were considering a 2nd helm station, which would be nice, I'd rig it to the Cummins and the boat's rudder. With some practice, your docking will become easier as you break the learning curve of understanding the way your propeller turns, propwash and which way your boat pulls in reverse. You could always install a stern mounted thruster .. it's an option and you'll find your own path.
I used a CableCraft push pull that I got at Rose's in Gloucester, MA. They have different cable lengths in stock. By twisting the Release/Hold knob, the CableCraft can be secured in any position up or down and anywhere in between. CableCraft is a superior way to go. The T handled type by Morse and similar constantly creep from vibration and are decades old technology. A Teleflex Vernier knob is a similar option to the CableCraft.
I here you that diesel engines need to be run, which I'm sure that you will be doing enough of to not make low speed operations a concern. I have plenty of days under my belt that include 4 to 8 hours of trolling, but at some point we always pickup and need to run from A to B.
I understand the wish for reduntancy for power as when I came from twin screw outboards to my first Albin in 2004 I had the same concern, but if a single screw engine is the norm for the entire lobster and tuna fleet who run up to 100 plus miles offshore than that's good enough for me. Over the past 16 years I've only had one mechanical breakdown and that was a failed starter at a fuel dock which resulted in a tow back to my slip through my SeaTow subscription ... it's AAA on the water.
As far as picking up crab pot lines, I live a similar life in the land of lobster pot mine fields. You will find with a single engine boat that if you do encounter a pot's float that it will more often than not be defected by the keel and clear the prop on its own.
I've been fouled 3 times in those 16 years .. the first time I picked up a piece of floating yellow poly propylene, that is illegal to use, the second time it was an unseen lobster pot below the surface at high tide and the third it was large ball of discarded line from who knows where. The prop cut the poly line, the 2nd time I dove with mask, wetsuit & knife and did the same the third time. Another option would have been to call SeaTow who's operators will dive and free the prop for $100.00. Not bad if the weather were gnarly. Since then, I've installed Spurs line cutters .. have they worked .. I don't know, but have not since had an entaglement.