Thread: Trolling motor to be used primarily as a GPS Anchor

Originally Posted by Beaker

This is quite a good idea. Mounted above anchor, and looking at your photo, I think you could make it work.

Attachment 155686

Bow rails are in the way and a bracket like that is getting expensive.
I have decided to remove the bow rails or maybe shorten them.

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Keep us posted R93. I may end up going that way too after my wallet has recovered from the new sounder.

Originally Posted by rugerman

Keep us posted R93. I may end up going that way too after my wallet has recovered from the new sounder.

Will do. I'm still trying to nut out a mounting option. We have an alloy jetboat builder up the road and I might hit him up for some ideas.

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Normally I'd be a bit reluctant to chop bits off my boat, but as you probably know those rails don't do much except help a bit when your launching. they are way to low to help walk around the front and with the screen back and low you can't really hold onto that either.
Good luck. the more ideas the better I reckon before you start. Might even be worth contacting Mclay and asking them if they know of anyone who has attached one to the front of one of their boats.

Yup, gunna ring them tomorrow.
I don't recall ever using the bow rails.

Anything I do up the front is thru the hatch anyway. I may get them shortened and lowered or completely remove them.



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I've seen boats with trolling motors that have bow rails with a hinged section that flips up to allow the shaft to be deployed/stowed.

Gorse out of pockets and do it right.

With that hull/boat/config, I'd put the motor above the non existant anchor roller at a 30 deg <match to fit inside existing rails> lift angle, may have to alter. It's a easy fix.

And a very worthwhile one.
They are bloody good.

(circa 15k to fit one to my tub - and I wish I'd tick'ed that option when I got it)

Originally Posted by MB

I've seen boats with trolling motors that have bow rails with a hinged section that flips up to allow the shaft to be deployed/stowed.

I have done a bit of youtubing looking for ideas and seen some as well. Problem I have with the 521 McLays narrow nose and bugger all room because of the anchor post is I would have to have both rails cut to allow the motor to lay down when not in use.
May as well cut the things off imo. Or have a bracket that allows it to deploy and lay down outside the rails making it liable to get damaged if I'm not careful around jetty and trees etc which is highly likely knowing me

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Originally Posted by Beaker

Gorse out of pockets and do it right.

With that hull/boat/config, I'd put the motor above the non existant anchor roller at a 30 deg <match to fit inside existing rails> lift angle, may have to alter. It's a easy fix.

And a very worthwhile one.
They are bloody good.

(circa 15k to fit one to my tub - and I wish I'd tick'ed that option when I got it)

Yeah I'm not gunna be anywhere near 15k as it is almost half the value of the boat


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Beaker doesn't have a boat, it's more like the fuckin Interislander

yeah apart from ya crashing it, I would say mounted just outside of the rail laying down next to it would be my pick. There sure ain't much room up the front aye. Mines a 521 as well

Originally Posted by rugerman

Beaker doesn't have a boat, it's more like the fuckin Interislander

yeah apart from ya crashing it, I would say mounted just outside of the rail laying down next to it would be my pick. There sure ain't much room up the front aye. Mines a 521 as well

Old Beaker for once, come up with a reasonable plan after chatting on the phone.
Will see how it goes.

Do you have the Sportsman or center console?
Love my boat apart from being underpowered a bit.
Still, it does 50kph @5000rpm with 2 people and a bit of gear in clamp conditions.

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Sounds good mate, hope it works out.
Mine is the Sportsman and it came with a 60HP 2 stroke Mercury. It was the display model at the Manfield fielddays a few years back so they had put a bigger motor on to make it look good they came with a 50HP normally I think.
I had 2 coastguard guys on board when I was learning how to go over the Foxton bar and it managed to get all 3 of us fatties up and planning which was good.

Originally Posted by rugerman

Sounds good mate, hope it works out.
Mine is the Sportsman and it came with a 60HP 2 stroke Mercury. It was the display model at the Manfield fielddays a few years back so they had put a bigger motor on to make it look good they came with a 50HP normally I think.
I had 2 coastguard guys on board when I was learning how to go over the Foxton bar and it managed to get all 3 of us fatties up and planning which was good.

Yeah I got the 60hp as well but the 4 stroke. It needs a 90 imo if you want 4 people with dive gear etc. Takes a while and everyone up the front to get off its ass with that load on
Otherwise she's a practical boat for where I live. Easy towing on long trips and can launch it myself if needed.
Just spoke with Mclay and they have done them but usually as part of the build on larger boats but have sent a few smaller boats to aussie ready for a bow mount. Think I will have to shorten or remove the rail on one side.

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Just saw this. It's real and in NZ

Rebuilt the sliprings in one of these the other week. First one id every seen, about $7.5k I think he said, Was a big piece of kit