Vertical Clamp On Rocket Launchers - Anyone?

[diesel5599]

This weekend ran out of rod holder space and noticed how much hard top real estate was going to waste. The hard top supports are these long poles with nothing on them. I have the typical rocket launchers up top, but I could fit at least 4 more rods down the vertical supports on each side.

I've seen some boats with the vertical launchers but it seemed like they were all built into the hard top. A quick Google search seemed to indicate they mainly only make horizontal rocket launchers. Has anyone purchased vertical launchers with clamps on each end?

I've included a pic of where I want them to go. I'll settle for just 3 launchers per bracket if need be, but I definitely need more rod holder space.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Vertical Clamp On Rocket Launchers - Anyone?

I have two on each side in the location you indicated. The trick is to get them oriented so they fit under the hardtop and don't interfere with each other. Mine are rotated about 15-20 degree apart as you come down the tube

I have Lee's on mine
http://www.leetackle.com/clampon.html

 

[diesel5599]

Re: Vertical Clamp On Rocket Launchers - Anyone?

Yea I looked at those but I want one that's part of a whole rack instead of buying individual rod holders. I would think someone would make a rack with 4 launchers and clamps on both ends, I just need somewhere to store my spare rods when I'm underway, I don't need them to have lines in the water. I saw this system: http://www.greatlakesplaners.com/

But that's way overkill for what I need. 3 or 4 more launchers running down the hard top supports would be great.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Vertical Clamp On Rocket Launchers - Anyone?

I couldn't see having a "rack" of holders there. The ones I have are in the way enough as it is. They?re famous for jumping out and catching a shoulder as you're walking by. Hit your head on one as you stand up from getting something out of the live well. More than a couple of people have seen stars when that happened.

I have 16 rods holders on the boat. Don't use any of them for storage. I?ve seen more than a couple of rods go for a swim like that. Even saw a guy wipe out an entire set of custom Calstar rods when he left them in the rocket launcher and passed under a low bridge.

I have storage for 8 rods in the gunnels and another 6 down below. I don't worry about them there.

 

[diesel5599]

Re: Vertical Clamp On Rocket Launchers - Anyone?

Those are pretty good points. My problem is my boat only has stowable storage for 5 rods. I've already learned the hard way that the 4 holders along the sides should not have rods in them when docking....broke the handle on a brand new rod when the deck rope wrapped around the rod right after the boat was tied up so I wanted to move my rods higher up for docking.

 

[Chris1956]

Re: Vertical Clamp On Rocket Launchers - Anyone?

How about rod holders on the deck rail? They would be on the outside, out of the way. You could add a gang of three on each side.

On my friends 30 footer, I screwed four pieces of 12" - 2" PVC pipe to a 5/4 piece of PT lumber. Some more screws and some copper pipe clamps, and we mounted 8 rod holders outside of the boat hull, on the deck rails.