Electric Motor

[Berleyguts]

I just sold my old De Havilland punt ), so I have a few dollars spare to invest in an electric trolling motor. I am thinking of a Watersnake transom mount, due to a. cost and b. simplicity of mounting operation due to the windscreen and bow rail on my Stacer runabout.

Where do Raiders suggest I mount it on the transom? I'm guessing its going to have to be right where my berley pot is, right?

I don't imagine it should go on the starboard side, near the transducer and I imagine it would not be wise to switch the berley pot to near the transducer either, would it?

Thanks,

Baz

Edited February 7, 2010 by swordfisherman

[Mik]

Hey mate I have no idea where you should mount your electric as I don't own one & know bugger all about them, however, on the burley masher, don't think of it as such a big deal to lose that altogether. I have a muncher but I won't be using it much in future after buying a weighted burley pot / cage. It really is the best thing since sliced bread. What I really love about it is that you can position it anywhere in the water column you like, right near the boat to distribute just like the masher does, right on bottom to release burley up current from my baits thus putting my baits right in the zone where fish are getting excited about whats on offer or anywhere in between.

As far as I can see the only thing I'll miss about the masher is that I can drop pillies & any dead yakkas etc straight in & munch them up, but the cage puts out burley so much better especially if you use the pellets. I have started making my own frozen burley now that fits neatly into the cage & yeah its a pain but I figure its worth the effort to get quality burley distribution.

That's my thoughts anyway, just sounded like you might be a bit sad to lose your masher. You can always go a weighted bomb & save the masher for suitable offshore work or other types of fishing where the electric isn't required.

Edited February 7, 2010 by Boofhead

[Berleyguts]

Thanks, I am a little reluctant to lose the pot but I do have a small cage anyway. I do like the convenience of a pot & masher though.

Baz

[mattwf]

mate your boat is pretty much the same as mine and i put my watersnake right next to the transducer and have never had a problem.

u can always use the keel offset function on your fish finder if it causes problems.

matt

[Berleyguts]

mate your boat is pretty much the same as mine and i put my watersnake right next to the transducer and have never had a problem.

u can always use the keel offset function on your fish finder if it causes problems.

matt

Thanks Matt,

I'm not sure my sounder has a keel offset function. It's a very basic Navman and another thing I want to upgrade!

Do you find it OK operating the electric form the starboard side?

Baz

[jewgaffer]

Barry an electric motor mounted on the starboard side would push the boat along the same as an auxilliary would but with an electric you would need to keep the keel of the motor in the straight ahead position, I'd say. Also pulling the boat along using a bow mount electric is a lot easier than pushing it along and also would be more direct in the steering. Looking at your boat in one of your posts, I think you would need to use at least a 50 lb thrust electric motor on the transom. Remember a transom mount can be reversed and even used on the side of the bow as long as you can get enough reach to allow the prop tp turn at 360 degrees and tiller controlled bow mounts are quite popular overseas.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[Berleyguts]

Barry an electric motor mounted on the starboard side would push the boat along the same as an auxilliary would but with an electric you would need to keep the keel of the motor in the straight ahead position, I'd say. Also pulling the boat along using a bow mount electric is a lot easier than pushing it along and also would be more direct in the steering. Looking at your boat in one of your posts, I think you would need to use at least a 50 lb thrust electric motor on the transom. Remember a transom mount can be reversed and even used on the side of the bow as long as you can get enough reach to allow the prop tp turn at 360 degrees and tiller controlled bow mounts are quite popular overseas.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Thanks Byron.

I'd like a bow mount. It's just the access and mounting issues due to the windscreen and bow rail that concern me. Still, no rush - I think I will look at a lot of boats first.

Baz

[jewgaffer]

Barry, I meant to say mount the electric towards the bow of the boat, meaning the drivers side of the windscreen. If you could get enough reach to have clearance on the starboard side of the boat close to your own steering position and your preferred fishing position I'd say, you could still use a tiller steer electric to either troll or hold the boat wherever you want it to be I would imagine.

I have a long shaft 82lb Motorguide bow mount on a 4.6 side console and everyone I asked said that my bow rail had to be cut, but it only needed two alloy brackets made up so that the electric would be high enough to sit straight over the point of the bow in between the separate bow rails quite easily. The anchor roller rubber was machined at the sides and the centre bolt become the mounting point for the support bracket at the front and the anchor could be dropped from anywhere near the bow using a trip rope and clip and the rope and chain could be simply retrieved underneath the electric . Others, who are familiar with mounting an electric motor should be able to offer their advice as well and consequently further research and consideration by yourself would narrow the avenues as to the best way to go particularly if you don't really like the idea of mounting a short shaft tiller steer electric and having to control it from a position near the stern.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited February 10, 2010 by jewgaffer

[Berleyguts]

Barry, I meant to say mount the electric "towards" the bow of the boat, meaning the drivers side of the windscreen. If you could get enough reach to have clearance on the starboard side of the boat close to your own steering position and your preferred fishing position I'd say, you could still use a tiller steer electric to either troll or hold the boat wherever you want it to be I would imagine.

I have a long shaft 82lb Motorguide bow mount on a 4.6 side console and everyone I asked said that my bow rail had to be cut, but it only needed two alloy brackets made up so that the electric would be high enough to sit straight over the point of the bow in between the separate bow rails quite easily. The anchor roller rubber was machined at the sides and the centre bolt become the mounting point for the support bracket at the front and the anchor could be dropped from anywhere near the bow using a trip rope and clip and the rope and chain could be simply retrieved underneath the electric . Others, who are familiar with mounting an electric motor should be able to offer their advice as well and consequently further research and consideration by yourself would narrow the avenues as to the best way to go particularly if you don't really like the idea of mounting a short shaft tiller steer electric and having to control it from a position near the stern.

Cheers

jewgaffer

Thanks Byron,

I'd be interested in a photo of that set-up including the anchor set-up if you can manage it - I still can't quite picture it! There is a centre console near me with a bow mount electric between the two low bow rails but the anchor roller is mounted to the right, so the chain and rope has to pass under the bow rail, which I expect would be a hassle in stowing anchor, chain and rope.

Otherwise I will consider the option of a side mount as you suggest. That at least, would seem to save the hassle of climbing through the windscreen and out onto the bow - that can be a hassle when the wake boats are tearing past! I like the convenience of having things close at hand for easy access.

Also, if I went for a bow mount, I imagine I'd have to chaneg my centre dual nav lights to separate side lights.

Cheers,

Baz

Edited February 10, 2010 by Berleyguts

[myocard]

I hadn't thought of a side mount.

I am in much the same situation as you are baz, with an almost identical setup. Stern is the same, big difference at the front is that I have no opening in my windscreen - so no easy access to the bow at all.

I will be interested to see what options you come up with.

Cheers

[Berleyguts]

I hadn't thought of a side mount.

I am in much the same situation as you are baz, with an almost identical setup. Stern is the same, big difference at the front is that I have no opening in my windscreen - so no easy access to the bow at all.

I will be interested to see what options you come up with.

Cheers

How about you do it first, then I'll decide! LOL

[jewgaffer]

Thanks Byron,

I'd be interested in a photo of that set-up including the anchor set-up if you can manage it - I still can't quite picture it!

There is a centre console near me with a bow mount electric between the two low bow rails but the anchor roller is mounted to the right, so the chain and rope has to pass under the bow rail, which I expect would be a hassle in stowing anchor, chain and rope.

Otherwise I will consider the option of a side mount as you suggest. That at least, would seem to save the hassle of climbing through the windscreen and out onto the bow - that can be a hassle when the wake boats are tearing past! I like the convenience of having things close at hand for easy access.....

Cheers,

Baz

Barry I think in a situation where you have a boat with forward controls and a windscreen giving you virtually no access to a bow mounted electric motor, and particularly where a transom mounted electric would not be close enough to you and not in a good position to allow you to fish forward of the bow and against the current etc or be in a handy position to hold the boat side on- only doing that in an estuary of course- you could for instance have a tiller steer electric motor mounted further up the starboard side where you can control it from your usual sitting position either when sitting or standing.

Although a side mounting position well forward of the stern of a boat and well back from the point or the sides of the bow sounds rather unorthodox, if you see an advantage in side mounting an electric motor it would be worth considering.

I.E. You would be able to hold the boat side on to structure or side on to current for example and fish either with the current or against the current while holding the boat side side on across current etc and particularly in line with the angle of the current sweep. You and your mate would be still able to cast out on each side of the current or structure etc while you are sitting or standing and holding the boat side on, and you can work around a moored boat, wide fish an eddy or fish in between two pylons and fish both pylons at the same time.

I don't have any photos of my multi purpose trip rope as my boat is not here at the moment. But for dropping the anchor anywhere along the side of my boat and tying off purposes in the bow area, if you can picture a separate length of rope permantly tied to the anchor bollard behind the electric motor -also acting as a race for another type of anchoring purpose- and then having the rope going along the top side of the boat and clipped tightly into the stern rail for permanent storage - the trip rope then becomes an extension of the anchor rope itself. I used this system when anchoring a cabin boat so that the the anchor could be launched and retrieved from the drivers seat or the passenger seat and also used this system to hold the deep sea boat side on in estuaries when required.

Barry I'll add photos later showing the bow mount Motorguide mounted on custom made alloy brackets so that it would sit up higher up on centre of and clear the space in between the bow rails.

Edit- The first random photos turned into thumbnails lol- Anyway the second thumbnail shows the Savage in Bundaberg not long after I bought it on the Sunshine Coast- I will add more before and after photos of the Motorguide later.

Photo showing the interior view of the Motorguide base attached to a specially made bracket courtesy of Gary Brickman

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited February 11, 2010 by jewgaffer

[Geoff]

This post moves a bit off topic but assume it will be OK

Barry...... Byrons boat is currently at my place & in respect to his comments,

I don't have any photos of my multi purpose trip rope as my boat is not here at the moment. But for dropping the anchor anywhere along the side of my boat and tying off purposes in the bow area, if you can picture a separate length of rope permantly tied to the anchor bollard behind the electric motor -also acting as a race for another type of anchoring purpose- and then having the rope going around the side of the boat and clipped into the stern rail for permanent storage - the trip rope then becomes an extension of the anchor rope itself. I used this anchoring in cabin boats so that the the anchor could be launched and retrived from the drivers seat or the passenger seat and used also this system to hold the deep boat boat side on in estuaries when required.

I've taken some photo's this afternoon showing the rope. It normally comes over the bow roller then along the inside to prevent it flopping around when not in use.

I've moved it outside for the purpose of the photo's

To add a bit more detail to the process ,

Drop the anchor over the side , release the required amount of rope , tie a loop in the anchor rope & fit the metal clip to the loop.

Release the "lanyard " rope & some more anchor rope until the lanyard takes the strain.

The loose anchor rope between the clip & the side of the boat just needs to be lightly secured.

To retreive , motor up slowley pulling in the loose anchor rope until the clip can be released then continue to pull in the anchor.

A word of caution. Great care must be taken with boat balance , especially in small boats as there is a risk of tipping the boat over especially if the anchor is stuck & the boat is side on to a swell , chop or the wake of a passing boat.

The metal clip

Geoff

Edited February 11, 2010 by Geoff

[myocard]

To add a bit more detail to the process ,

Drop the anchor over the side , release the required amount of rope , tie a loop in the anchor rope & fit the metal clip to the loop.

Release the "lanyard " rope & some more anchor rope until the lanyard takes the strain.

The loose anchor rope between the clip & the side of the boat just needs to be lightly secured.

To retreive , motor up slowley pulling in the loose anchor rope until the clip can be released then continue to pull in the anchor.

A word of caution. Great care must be taken with boat balance , especially in small boats as there is a risk of tipping the boat over especially if the anchor is stuck & the boat is side on to a swell , chop or the wake of a passing boat.

The metal clip

Geoff

I use an near identical system - another necessity when you cannot get to the bow. This set up also allows me to tie off side-on to a current if required and/or suitable. Biggest problem is loops in my anchor line that I'll 'get to later' - that reminds me!

Edited February 11, 2010 by myocard

[Berleyguts]

Thanks all for your help. That gives me something to ponder over - I like pondering. In my previous open boats, I have always run two anchors on a single rope but my new boat requires a different approach and an option like this may assist my electric motor mounting issues, when I get it.

Cheers,

Baz