Mounting bow mount trolling motor

I have a Smokercraft Alaskan 15' and I want to put a trolling motor on the bow. I'm not quite sure how to do it because the platform is lower then the sides.

Lots of different ways to do that.

One is pictured below. Add a small pie shaped piece onto the very front of your boat.

Another is to build up the front deck with a couple of pieces of 2x6 stacked on top of each other.

Additionally, a number of manufacturers make aluminum "steps" that screw onto the front deck. They raise a platform up so that you can mount your trolling motor high enough to clear the sides. Try Overton's or Defender Industries.
It is possible that one of our sponsors here make something similar.

richg99

Here you go. One of our sponsors.

https://www.akmccallumco.com/store-troll.htm

Thank You!

It looks like they have several different ones. I wonder which one I should get, the mod v or the sharp v?

Thanks Rich! I appreciate you recommending the sponsor first. Elkaholic, if you contact them let them know you are a member of tinboats please. [emoji3]


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I too am looking at getting the same thing. I have a Lund 14' that I want to mount a trolling motor on the Bow. you can't beat the price from AK McCallum, I just don't know which one I have to make the order.

I received my mount today and it looks nothing like the pictures. I'm completely lost on how this is supposed to work as there aren't any directions. How do you bolt this to your boat? Whats the flat angled piece for?

I believe the flat angled piece is a "riser". It would be used, if necessary, to raise the new platform up to the height of your gunnel. Does that help?
richg99

Not sure if that item is the one for your boat, but...The flange on the top would be riveted or screwed on to the gunnel. The riser would be fastened into the other flange. Hope that helps.
richg99

Thanks a lot for you're help rich!

I took the pieces and propped them up to see how it would look. The angled edge seems to line up OK. Do you think this would hold the motor OK once everything was bolted down?

Well, I had a similar arrangement on a Lowe. Worked fine.

I did have to add an access portal to get to the bolts. I installed large Fender washers under the deck to hold everything in place.
richg99

Well, that mount I bought didn't work. Things just weren't going to line up right. I ended up making my own platform out of 3/4 plywood and sealing with spar urethane. Got some carpet at Lowes and bolted down and mounted the trolling motor to it. Don't know why I didn't do this to begin with. The motor sits 7-8" off center because of handles in the way on the tip of the bow. With the motor deployed it looks like it might be angled a little bit outward, would this be a problem?

Off center is not a problem. Very few boats have their trolling motors dead on center. You will never notice it once you start getting used to the steering. The "loss of efficiency" is minuscule, IMHO.

richg99

Now I just got to figure out what to do with the battery. There's a nice compartment in the front I can just drill a couple holes and drop the wire straight down and hook it up but then I would loose a nice storage space. I also thought about putting it on the floor in front of the bench and below the compartment in the bow.

I don't know why my pictures keep getting rotated.

For a number of years, I kept my TM battery in it's case in the front port corner, strapped to the forward bulkhead.

My storage wouldn't hold the battery.
Richg99