Hey all,

We have a 2000 caravelle 176 open bow and my dad wants to install a
trolling motor. He got a Minnkota transom mount with 54" length (prop
to motor) and planned to just clamp it on the fiberglass siderails
behind driver or passenger seats. The problem is the siderails are
tapered at the top where the tonneau cover goes and the trolling motor
keeps slipping off. We want the trolling motor to be removable since
it will rarely be used and we don't want a bow mount because a lot of
times, in colder weather, we run with the front tonneau snapped in
place to reduce wind and the motor and/or bracket would interfere with
the tonneau. We were really hoping to have a motor that we can run
right on the boat that's easy to remove and store without any
permanent brackets. Does such a thing exist?

I was also thinking on the stern, there's a flat area near the ladder
that might be a good place for a permanently mounted motor that we can
lift in and out of the water, like a bow mounted. However, my dad is
in his late 70's and having to crawl over the engine cover to get to
the trolling motor seems like a recipe for disaster to me!

TIA,

Derek