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Hey all, I've got a Dauntless 16' and prior to me owning it, the previous owner had some sort of bow mounted trolling motor on it (see photo of bracket). For XMas my wife bought me a Minn Kota PowerDrive 50. What I'm struggling with is how do you install these on the bow when there is no way to get up under it. Seems like you need to have access under the bow to install these, but obviously there is a solution for Whalers. Any reference or suggestions would be great.
Thanks,
Dustin
(corrected name to Dauntless 16' for clarification)
dustinhu attached the following image:
[73.64Kb]
Edited by Joe Kriz on 01/06/19 - 7:07 PM
The gentleman who bought my Dauntless 16 faced the same problem as you. He had the bow rail removed, modified to lower it significantly and reinstalled. If effect he replaced the bow rail with a much lower bow rail. IIRC the new rail is about four inches tall.
He chose a well qualified shop for the work and it looks factory original.
I have seen a less expensive solution. It involved cutting the rail and installing a hinge and pin to allow the rail to be opened or closed. It was not nearly as good looking nor as practical but it serves the purpose.
You can mount it similar to the way the bracket in your picture is mounted. Get the wood locating diagram. Make sure your screws will all go into the wood. Use as large a screw as you can, probably a #14 or #16, long enough to go through the wood without going out the hull on the other side. Make sure to use the proper size drills for pilot holes. I used a quick release mount rather than screwing the motor down. Use plenty of sealant on the old holes and your new holes. As you are locating the motor, pay attention to how it overhangs the bow and sides in its storage position. It can make docking difficult. My motor is not mounted on the center line of the boat and it has not hurt its performance.
These work well and make for solid mounting. Be sure to follow the directions, and use the proper drill bit. Use a drill bit a tad smaller than recommended if possible (1 drill size or so smaller) so that it is necessary to force the rubber shank into the hole, maybe even with some lubrication with something water soluble like KY Jelly, not any silicon or petroleum based lube. Be sure NOT to wobble the drill, thus enlarging the hole. Also make sure to tighten them snugly, but don't get carried away torquing them down.
I used those Motor Guide fasteners to secure my Minn Kota troll motor to my Montauk. They work very well and the motor is secure. I did have to order longer screws on line as the ones that come with the fasteners were not long enough to go through the Minn Kota bracket and the deck to grab the bottom of the fastener in order to pull up the brass connection that compresses the rubber. Evidently Motor Guide brackets are not as thick as Minn Kota brackets. The screws that come with them are 3 inches long, and you will need some at least 4 inches or preferably 4.5 if securing a Minn Kota. And those are hard to find at your local Lowes or Home Depot. Good luck.
rickbouterie wrote:
I used those Motor Guide fasteners to secure my Minn Kota troll motor to my Montauk. They work very well and the motor is secure. I did have to order longer screws on line as the ones that come with the fasteners were not long enough to go through the Minn Kota bracket and the deck to grab the bottom of the fastener in order to pull up the brass connection that compresses the rubber. Evidently Motor Guide brackets are not as thick as Minn Kota brackets. The screws that come with them are 3 inches long, and you will need some at least 4 inches or preferably 4.5 if securing a Minn Kota. And those are hard to find at your local Lowes or Home Depot. Good luck.
Try Ace Hardware or a good marine hardware supply store (probably not West Marine as their screw assortment is somewhat limited). Also Google for marine hardware supplies on the internet.
