trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

[kgronseth]

Hi,
I have a 14' Lund that I just bought (first boat) and am in the process of re-painting it (bought and trailer and boat only). It's a basic bench seat aluminum fishing boat but with flat floors added and a live well added. I have a canoe that I use a 36lb thrust trolling motor on and will now be using that along with a 5hp 1994 Mercury that I purchased. I used to take the trolling motor off the canoe for transporting, but am now wondering the best transport method on the 14' boat. It is a transom mount trolling motor. There is room on the transom for both the 5HP and the trolling motor.

What is the best way to trailer and drive with these 2 motors? Leave them both attached and bungee cord them to the trailer? Remove the trolling motor and leave the outboard? Should I tilt the outboard? If I leave the trolling motor attached, I could pull it in the "up" position?

Just wondering the best way to do things since this is my first boat.

Thanks for any help.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

The issue with whether or not you tilt the motors is how much road clearance you have. If there is 18 inches or more clearance between the skegs and the road you should leave them down. Strap them to prevent them from flopping back and forth. I however would recommend you remove the troller and stash it in the boat. The mounting brackets on some of those motors is not designed to take much pounding. If there is less than 18 inches road clearance you must tilt the motor to prevent dragging it when you enter or leave parking lots or drive through sharp depressions. If you do tilt the motor, do not rely on the tilt lock to safely support the motor. A transom saver will help keep the motor under control

 

[lncoop]

Re: trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

That little Merc can't weigh more than fifty pounds. Think I'd just stash it in the boat right next to the trolling motor.

 

[kgronseth]

Re: trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

Thanks for the quick replies. I'll have to check the clearance when I get home and if it is low I will look at a transom saver. If I have clearance, I'll look into strapping the outboard down. I had concerns about the trolling motor bracket quality too, so I will probably just put that in the boat for transport. The 5hp is pretty light, but I'd prefer to keep it attached if I am not doing any harm to anything.

 

[lncoop]

Re: trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

Doubt if a transom saver will work because the motor won't be heavy enough to hold it in place. They come with bugees, but I've seen many of them come loose from 25s. If you want to leave it on the transom you should be able to just strap it in the down position without any issues.

 

[kgronseth]

Re: trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

Doubt if a transom saver will work because the motor won't be heavy enough to hold it in place. They come with bugees, but I've seen many of them come loose from 25s. If you want to leave it on the transom you should be able to just strap it in the down position without any issues.

Thanks, strapping it down would be easiest. Unless the clearance is really low, I'll probably just do that and put the trolling motor in the boat. If the clearance is low, I am open to putting the outboard in the boat if I need to.

 

[lncoop]

Re: trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

Tight lines k. Welcome aboard.

 

[Bass Buster One]

Re: trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

Nice little rig to start with. My first boat was a 1963 Lund like your talking about. I had a 20hp tiller Merc and a trolling motor. Transom was 20", and as most lunds are deep gunneled boats, it sat high on the trailer; no problem trailering motor w/ 20" shaft in the down position. I always left it in neutral so it wouldn't bounce around (the tilt feature is locked while in neutral). Trolling motor had a tilt bracket, so I would tilt it up and bungee down to prevent bouncing. Never had a problem trailering. You're gonna enjoy that rig!

 

[kgronseth]

Re: trolling motor and 5hp transport on 14' Lund

Nice little rig to start with. My first boat was a 1963 Lund like your talking about. I had a 20hp tiller Merc and a trolling motor. Transom was 20", and as most lunds are deep gunneled boats, it sat high on the trailer; no problem trailering motor w/ 20" shaft in the down position. I always left it in neutral so it wouldn't bounce around (the tilt feature is locked while in neutral). Trolling motor had a tilt bracket, so I would tilt it up and bungee down to prevent bouncing. Never had a problem trailering. You're gonna enjoy that rig!

Thanks, this a 15" transom and I have a short shaft motor, so hopefully plenty of clearance. The trolling motor does have the tilt bracket, I suppose if I secure it from bouncing in the up position that might be ok.

I was looking for a cheap entry level boat to upgrade from the canoe and this seemed to fit the bill. I am looking forward to being done painting it. I was all set to start priming last weekend and then we got the heat wave here in MN all week so I put it off until cooler less humid weather. Just put the self-etching primer on last night. It's a 1968 Lund S-14, bought it from the original owner who had it garage stored when not in use. Great shape except for the paint. Newer roller trailer as well. Can't wait to get out and use it! (I did take it on a test run along with the motor before I started paint prep. No leaks and the 5hp pushes it like I expected, which is fine for the many smaller lakes I will go to here in MN)