2800 Dinghy/Kicker Motor Shaft Length?

[codingparadox]

I picked up a small dinghy in the black Friday sales to go on the snap davits on the back of our new-to-us 2800 SCR. I'm looking into getting a 6hp 4-stroke motor to put on it (maybe Tohatsu? don't know yet) with an external fuel supply and store the motor in the engine bay when not in use. The Maxum also has a center-mount kicker motor stand, so I'd like to be able to stick the dinghy motor on that stand as an emergency get-home/get-away-from-rocks motor. It obviously won't move us far, but if BoatUS is an hour or two out, I'd like to have some basic motive force.

Our boat's in the water so I can't measure right now, but I'm trying to figure out what length shaft I can get that will clear the transom on the Maxum. I'd rather not have to get an enormous extra-long-shaft since that'll be a pain to deal with on the dinghy, so I'm trying to figure out short I can manage to go. Anyone done this measurement? The 6hp motors seem to come in 15/20/25 shaft lengths.

[shrew]

The dinghy would take a 15" (Short) shaft. You'd need to get a longer shaft to go from the swim platform to the water line.

You're reasoning isn't completely sound. If you're disabled and waiting for a tow, then if you're in deep water, you float. If you're approaching shallow water, you drop the anchor.

There are 10's of thousands of express cruisers, there are many more single engine boats without auxiliary engines. This is not really a problem that requires solving.

Those that do install Aux engines are mostly for being able to troll at slower speeds or troll using less fuel. That is really a fishing thing.

[codingparadox]

I realize that the dinghy will want a 15" one, the question is if we go with a slightly sub-ideal 20", will that do anything for the Maxum or is even that not deep enough.

It's just a nice-to-have. If there's no good way to do it, then we'll get a 15" and it will only be for the dinghy and we'll take the motor mount off the back of the boat. If there's a decent way to share it, then I'd like to possibly make that compromise. That's all.

[shrew]

I doubt a 20" would be long enough. In order to mount the OB on the swim platform, the motor will need to sit fairly high up. Measure from the bottom of the front-side of the mounting bracket (bottom of screw clamps), down to several inches above the anti-ventilation plate. Now take that measurement and measure from the top of the swim platform to the water line. I suspect the mounting bracket on the swim platform is going to raise the OB higher out of the water than anticipated.

If it works, you're going to have the tiller right at your feet while you kneel on the swim platform to steer while underway. This will give you zero visibility forward.

[Lpasalo]

I have a 1997 scr with a kicker bracket just below the swim deck. Just wondering if anyone has the same. If so, what is the exact length of the shaft? Thanks in advance.