On 12/20/2011 1:34 PM, genius wrote:
On Dec 19, 12:39 pm, wrote:
On Mon, 19 Dec 2011 08:46:51 -0800 (PST),
wrote:









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!

===

You'll probably have to make a tapered shim out of something like teak
or starboard and then screw it in place on the inside of the siderail
where you want the motor to be mounted. The idea of course is to
make the mounting surfaces parallel by having the taper of the shim
complimentary to the taper of the siderail.

Thanks for the response. That is kinda what I was thinking but has a
couple downfalls, with one being drilling holes in the side of the
boat. I also can't seem to find anything prefabbed and my fab skills
are shotty to say the least.

I don't have a solution for you, but I have a hint. Do whatever it takes
to keep from having to have to hook one to the side of the boat. Unless
you have an unusual hull, steering and control will be from difficult,
to non-existant.... Just go with a pedal control off the back of the
boat or the bow...