Bow Mount Motor on a Canoe?

DarkAisling · #1 02-17-2010, 09:41 AM

I'm dreaming of open water.

Has anyone on the forum mounted a bow mount motor to his/her canoe? I can't find any pictures or instructions for doing this online.

The advantages, that I can think of, are:

AutoPilot/i-Pilot
Foot control
Better tracking
Better weight distribution

Disadvantages:

More-or-less permanently mounted (if I can figure out how they're mounted)
Might make a mess of my pretty canoe
Could complicate transport

At what point would I need to register the canoe and stick those silly numbers on it? Hopefully never, but if I have a permanently mounted motor on there it could be an issue.

And, how the heck could one toss a canoe upside down on top of a car with a motor on it? Can a bow mount motor be disconnected from the mount for transport and storage?

The Fisherman Guy · #2 02-17-2010, 09:55 AM

Shelley, take a look at the mounting bracket on most bow mount trolling motors. I think it will create more problems than it will alleviate, and take up wayyy more valuable space. What about a transom mount, on one of those 'pup' brackets. Then you can mount it anywhere on your gunwhale and steer it from where you want. I think you will appreciate the benefits of it in the stern.

Not to mention it could put too much weight in the bow, and that could be dangerous. My motor has a lock so that once my desired direction has been chosen, it will not move once I set it in place.

nicemustang · #3 02-17-2010, 10:03 AM

What kind of canoe? I don't know the terminology, but I'd assume you have a regular canoe not a canoe with a flat mount at one end. the canoes that have the flat mount are easy, just need a transom mount. In my research, minn kota traxxis are very good for the price and features. But there is no such thing as autopilot, foot control, etc on a transom mount. Those features are only on the more expensive bow mount. And i don't think you'd be able to bow mount on a canoe.

Transom mount are not permantly mounted. they will be just mounted on the back of canoe when you get to the lake with the clamps provided. However if you have a regular canoe with no mount, they do make a setup to mount a motor to it that you would also need.

DarkAisling · #4 02-17-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Fisherman Guy

I think it will create more problems than it will alleviate, and take up wayyy more valuable space. What about a transom mount, on one of those 'pup' brackets.

That is absolutely the logical approach to take.

I'm just catalogue shopping at the moment, and I haven't gotten out to actually look at them yet.

My malfunction (just ask Wayne, who calls me "Techno Junkie" quite regularly) is that I love electronic gadgets. I've got a serious problem when it comes to toys. Our house has more gadgets, controls, and wiring than a nuclear reactor. We actually refer one room in particular as "the reactor," and our electricity bill is worse than our gas bill.

I'm worst of all of us.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicemustang

What kind of canoe? I don't know the terminology, but I'd assume you have a regular canoe not a canoe with a flat mount at one end. the canoes that have the flat mount are easy, just need a transom mount. In my research, minn kota traxxis are very good for the price and features. But there is no such thing as autopilot, foot control, etc on a transom mount. Those features are only on the more expensive bow mount. And i don't think you'd be able to bow mount on a canoe.

It is a 17.5' Clipper Tripper, and is virtually identical to this one:

What you can't really see in the picture is that it has flotation tanks at the bow and stern.

The ones on mine are a little larger than in that picture. I was thinking that there might be some way to put a bow mount motor over the bow's flotation tank (without damaging the tank), as that is basically wasted space anyway.

Ballast isn't a huge issue. The bow seat slides to adjust ballast, and I'll be ordering outriggers for it in a month or so. The winds on these prairie lakes freak me out badly, and they can pick up at an alarming rate.

Anyhoo . . . I gather I'm being silly, and I should just take the logical approach: purchase a motor mount that clamps on to gunnels and get a transom mount.

Skinner · #5 02-17-2010, 10:35 AM

Just notch out a 2 by 4 to fit where ever you want to put the motor. Works real well and is super cheap. I used this way for years and never had any problems.

nicemustang · #6 02-17-2010, 11:36 AM

I think you'll be happy with transom mount. They work really well on small boats with fabulous control. IMO, you don't really need anything else.

genoel · #7 02-17-2010, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skinner

Just notch out a 2 by 4 to fit where ever you want to put the motor. Works real well and is super cheap. I used this way for years and never had any problems.

I used to do this as well. Notch out a 2x4 and attach it with a couple of C clamps. Worked great and was easy to remove for transport. I also used a thin piece of angle iron on mine for extra support.

The Fisherman Guy · #8 02-17-2010, 02:21 PM

I dug this up over the lunch hour...

http://www.switchfisher.com/navigati...otorMount.html

http://www.hotspotoutdoors.com/forum...olling_motor_o

Maybe this will give the "techno junkie" something to chew on for a while

Looks like it could be an affordable option, that looks quite easy to make.

DarkAisling · #9 02-17-2010, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Fisherman Guy

Maybe this will give the "techno junkie" something to chew on for a while

Looks like it could be an affordable option, that looks quite easy to make.

Wow. You lost your lunch hour to me and you didn't even get lunch out of the deal.

That "dashboard" that the one guy made looks interesting. I hadn't thought about doing something like that for a fish finder. It would be pretty easy to do up that and a motor mount.

We've got so much wood in the garage (mostly prefinished oak flooring), that it probably wouldn't be too difficult to turn up some product that would work for the dashboard at the very least. I'm gonna need something to hook the fish finder too

Yeah! Geek stuff

I found out at lunch that I need to restrain myself a little bit, as it is going to cost quite a bit more to ship the outriggers up from the U.S. than I originally thought. The transom mount without the AutoPilot is going to suffice.

nicemustang · #10 02-17-2010, 04:49 PM

Is there such a thing as a transom mount with auto pilot? I don't think so. They are very simple tiller style motors.

DarkAisling · #11 02-17-2010, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nicemustang

Is there such a thing as a transom mount with auto pilot? I don't think so. They are very simple tiller style motors.

Nope, there isn't. That's the biggest reason I was interested in a bow mount motor. I should have called the outrigger company before I started browsing motors.

WayneChristie · #12 02-17-2010, 07:17 PM

I made my trolling motor mount, its actually very easy. Now I need to do something like the dashboard to mount my fishfinder. Not done icefishing yet tho!!!!!!

Ace · #13 02-18-2010, 07:52 AM

Here's the set-up on my canoe.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/2558/sfish.jpg

http://img708.imageshack.us/img708/7...dambigfish.jpg

I think if you search some of my old posts I have some detailed pics of my setup (homemade for cheap!)

See ya
Ace

DarkAisling · #14 02-18-2010, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ace

Here's the set-up on my canoe.

Beauty.

I was just thinking, on the commute into work this morning, that the rod holders could be mounted to the "dashboard" . . . which is exactly what you've done here.

I was planning to go with clamp mount rod holders, but I think the way you've got them mounted would be better for a fiberglass canoe. I think it would also be quicker to get everything on the canoe, too.