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Would love to use a motor I have in stock on one of the Montauks. The motor has a flat plate that is mounted horizontally and one slides the motor out of it and drops it into a vertical position to use it. The Whaler is a 1985 Montauk with a bow rail so I am having trouble envisioning such a contraption on this boat. How have some of you rigged your boats to use an electric trolling motor?
Grady

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Take a look at my personal page:

http://www.whalercentral.com/infusion...er_id=1337

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Thanks. Nice looking Whaler! I assume you verified the position from the wood locating diagrams. Can't tell from the photo whether you thru-bolted the puck down. Did you run all the way through and plate the bottom?
Grady

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You can thru bolt it but I did not. Just screwed thru the fiberglass and into the encapsulated wood from the diagram. I added two extra screws to puck.

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According to the most applicable wood locating diagram, the wood in those areas is 1/2" ply. Has anyone had screws pull out? That trolling motor is quite a moment arm and is likely to exert a pretty substantial lever force against these screws. The screws become the fulcrums, the motor down in position acting much like the claws of a carpenter's hammer pulling out a nail.
Like all of us, I don't like holes in boats so if they are going to be placed, I want to be sure of what their purpose is and that the thing they were drilled for will not fail! Do you think reciprocating these forces with 6 X 1/2" screws into plywood is adequate over time? This thing is going to get used a lot.
Grady

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Personally, I would through bolt where possible with backing plate.
Then go with lag screws where I couldn't put through bolts.
I just can't imagine 1/2" screws holding in heavy use.
JMHO

Doug

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Grady, if you are going through 1/4 inch if fiberglass into 1/2 inch plywood, Any screw that goes in more than necessary to penetrate the plywood is just loosening the grip the screw has on the plywood. Think of it this way, if you used a 3 foot screw, by the time you got the screw seated the hole would be worn out. Same thing with a 4 or 6 inch screw just not as severe. I would use a screw 1 inch plus the thickness of whatever you are screwing down and use plenty of 3M 5200 on the screw holes and the bottom of the bracket. After that 5200 cures it won't go anywhere.