Trolling Motor Mount Plate Recommendation

[mthieme]

If I can just get a couple more items out of the garage, I can get the McKee in there to do what I want to do to it before spring!
One of those things includes mounting a trolling motor. This hull, similar to a Boston Whaler, is a foam core wrapped with a thin glass layer. Attaching stuff to it in general has been trepidacious for me. I'm still wrestling with what fasteners to use for the rails. I'm sure someone out there has gone through mounting a trolling motor on something like this before...any recommendations?
When it gets light out (and a little warmer) I'll go out to the shed and get the model #'s - maybe a pic of the two motors I have to pick from. But I think they just have clamps on the front of them.

 

[pvanv]

Re: Trolling Motor Mount Plate Recommendation

When high-load machinery (such as a winch) is installed on a cored hull, the best method is to open the hull, remove the core, and install a backer block. Big job, time consuming, expensive, and not necessarily attractive.

That said, if the skin is conventional polyester gelcoat fiberglass, for the loads of a trolling motor, you may be able to bond a block to the skin with a good, high-tech epoxy such as G-Flex from Gougeon Brothers (marketed under the name West System).

Follow all the usual rules for epoxy bonding, such as proper cleanliness and surface prep, as well as making sure you have adequate surface area for the bond, and it should work out OK without having to surgically open up the hull.

 

[mthieme]

Re: Trolling Motor Mount Plate Recommendation

Opening the hull ain't gonna happen. I'll do w/o first.
It's not 100% and I don't want to open a can of worms.