bow mount on a Lund semi-v?

[authentic]

Just curious if any of you have pictures or thoughts of how you built a deck to mount a bow mount trolling motor on a semi-v. I'm building a deck at the height of the benches, but I'm curious how one would build a deck strong enough to handle the torque from an 80 lb thrust trolling motor. I can get a crazy good deal on the motor, but I want to be able to use it w/o worrying about it ripping off. I know I've seen pics of bow mounts on old semi-v boats here before, but now that I actually want to, I can't find them.

 

[authentic]

Bump.
Got a 74 lb thrust Minn Kota Maxxum today. I gotta figure out how to mount it on the boat in my sig, now.

 

[steveg]

I screwed 4- 4" short alum. angle to the sides of the boat,down 3/4" from
the top of the rub rail and installed a 3/4" carpeted plywood small deck
then purchased a removeable motor mount.now I can take the motor off
and on as I please.

 

[authentic]

That sounds simple enough. Does it seem to be plenty strong enough for that much torque? I'd love to get a quick release mount, but I can't see myself spending $100+ on one, which is what it looks like it would cost.

 

[MeanMouth]

That sounds simple enough. Does it seem to be plenty strong enough for that much torque? I'd love to get a quick release mount, but I can't see myself spending $100+ on one, which is what it looks like it would cost.

As long as you build the frame strong and use a quality piece of wood, you'll have no issues with an 80# trolling motor flexing the material.

 

[steveg]

I have 2-screws holding the 4 angles on the boat and 1- screw thru the plywood
into each angle,and have o problems with that mounting.

 

[Troutman3000]

I have 2-screws holding the 4 angles on the boat and 1- screw thru the plywood
into each angle,and have o problems with that mounting.

Do you have a picture?

 

[steveg]

No I don't ,but I'll try and take a couple tonight for you.

 

[Troutman3000]

No I don't ,but I'll try and take a couple tonight for you.

Thanks!

 

[steveg]

For some reason,beyond my expertice,I can't get my camera to load pic's to my computer...if you want I can explain in more detail what I did.

 

[bAcKpAiN]

I keep forgetting to take pics of mine. I lost all of my online photos when my brother deleted the folder from his photobucket by accident. I keep forgetting to get new ones :evil: .

What I did was double up 2 sheets of 1/2 plywood and cut it to match the outside line of my bow. I then used SS self tappers to screw it down right into the gunwal cap. It is a very strong piece of aluminum on my Lowe. At first I had a faceboard running the width of the boat making somewhat of a bow up there, but I didn't like the restriction of the size of my deck. So I took that off and used a piece of 2x8 to put up under there perpendicular down the centerline to the bow. Now I have room under the trolling motor platform for odds and ends like the golden rule, plyers, bouys, etc. The platform itself became not only the trolling motor mounting plate, but also a convenient place to mount my bow nav light, as well as my bow fish finder. I am not sure this would work for you, as I have a Lowe 1467 and run a 42# TM, but with mine I see no flex at all even on high.

IF I can get my memory to work for an evening I will take some pictures and post them here for you.

 

[authentic]

This is similar to what I was thinking. A piece of the same plywood I'm doing my floor out of, directly screwed down to that gunnel (or whatever it's called. Then a 2x6 or 2x8 underneath to bolt the mount down to. It would also be tied into my front deck, to create a little storage area, underneath.

Is it fine to have the motor come down a little ways back from the very front? I have handle/bracket thing, that I think is to strengthen the boat, that goes back about 8" or so. So, the motor would have to come down about that far back, b/c I can't really mount to that.

 

[Henry Hefner]

I bolted my carpet-covered plywood to the gunnels. I believe the troller I have now is a 54# thrust, and it is holding up fine. This troller can move me along at better than 3 mph. You can see it on the link in my sig. The first pics show a smaller motor, but I swapped it out long ago.

 

[Troutman3000]

Thats a good idea. I wanted to be able to get a battery up there under that area. So i would need to install some kind of hatch or something I guess. Or I could but the battery in the back and run the siring up front. But I wanted to balance the boat a little better.......Decisions, decisions.......

 

[Troutman3000]

Ideas to access the battery to remove for each trip if I were to attach it to the gunnels?


A simple hatch?

 

[Henry Hefner]

Ideas to access the battery to remove for each trip if I were to attach it to the gunnels?


A simple hatch?

I would remove that front seat, put a deck across the gunnels to support the motor, and put a vertical board with a hatch in it between the new deck and the lower deck. Battery could be stored in there.

 

[Troutman3000]

I am not sure that I want to compromise the structural support any more than I already have....I'll figure something out which means I'll proabably just put that battery in the rear until I decide to rebuild the front deck.

 

[Henry Hefner]

I am not sure that I want to compromise the structural support any more than I already have....I'll figure something out which means I'll proabably just put that battery in the rear until I decide to rebuild the front deck.

How would you be compromising support? The upper deck, if bolted through the gunnels would keep the sides from moving in or out, and if you rivet the face through the sides, as I did on mine, I think you would be ADDING support. While proof-reading this reply I worry that it sounds like I am trying to tell you what to do with your boat, but I am only trying to provide you with options. After I finished mine, I found that I had to put more weight forward to get full speed out of my motor, and I wouldn't want you to give up on the idea of putting the battery up forward.
If you want to keep the front bench, is it wide enough for you to cut out a hole in the center of it that the battery would fit in, then maybe leave a hatch in the upper deck for access? I hope this makes sense to you, what I am picturing would be a battery surrounded on all sides by the existing bench seat.

 

[Troutman3000]

I am not sure that I want to compromise the structural support any more than I already have....I'll figure something out which means I'll proabably just put that battery in the rear until I decide to rebuild the front deck.

How would you be compromising support? The upper deck, if bolted through the gunnels would keep the sides from moving in or out, and if you rivet the face through the sides, as I did on mine, I think you would be ADDING support. While proof-reading this reply I worry that it sounds like I am trying to tell you what to do with your boat, but I am only trying to provide you with options. After I finished mine, I found that I had to put more weight forward to get full speed out of my motor, and I wouldn't want you to give up on the idea of putting the battery up forward.
If you want to keep the front bench, is it wide enough for you to cut out a hole in the center of it that the battery would fit in, then maybe leave a hatch in the upper deck for access? I hope this makes sense to you, what I am picturing would be a battery surrounded on all sides by the existing bench seat.

I think i will go this route now. do you have any up close pics of how you did yours?

 

[bAcKpAiN]

I finally got some pictures taken of my boat. Here are a few that show my bow trolling motor setup.