NDR: Mounting a Riptide with Autopilot.

Ed Askew

Ed Askew

Well-known member
Well, just throwing this one out there, see if anyone else has run into this problem and found a creative solution. I just had to have one of those Minn Kota Riptides with Autopilot. The problem is that this motor is supposed to be mounted hanging over the center of the bow, and when stowed (this sucker has a 60" shaft), the motor sticks out over the middle of the casting deck. I know they have removable mounts so you can pull this monster off the deck and stow it out of the way, but that's really not an option. I want to mount it off to one side, so when it is stowed it retracts over one of the gunwales. Anyone ever accomplish that?

Ed.
 
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]I want to mount it off to one side, so when it is stowed it retracts over one of the gunwales. Anyone ever accomplish that? [/font]
Click to expand...
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica][/font]

Ed,
Are you meaning like it is in this photo?

1700Tiller.jpg

Actually, this is the only way I've seen them mounted. Granted it's not exactly over the gunnel, but it's no where near the center of the deck either. I think this is the best you can do with out some sort of special engineering.
 
Ed,
As far as I know...if it has a "breakaway" shaft the pivot point has to be far enough off the bow to let the shaft fold under the bow when you hit something. Ideally if you are going straight ahead when you hit, the breakaway would work the best if it could fold straight back. However, I don't believe that in 30 some years of fishing and checkin out boats I have ever seen one mounted straight (in line with the keel), they're all angled with the gunnel, including my own. Might be different with these new fangled "bend till they hit the bottom of the boat" shafts. Straight across the deck??? Gees, I'd trip over that son-of-a-gun and be in the water faster than Parks finds deals!!!

George
 
The new autopilot trolling motors have a new kind of mount, where the motor is supposed to drop right from the point where it is stowed, instead of the old mounts, where a bracket would deploy outwards about three feet from the stowed position. With the old mounts, you could have the trolling motor attached to the gunwale near the bow, and it would stow out of the way, and extend out over the point of the bow when in use. That won't work with the autopilot. The steering mechanism is in the mount, and I guess it's too heavy to place it on a bracket like the old motors. So here's a niche for somebody to make some dough. Who wants and trolling motor that stows in such a way that it obstructs the casting deck? I've already started work on my custom mount. That sucker will be heavy, but it has to support this trolling motor cantilevered over the gunwale, without breaking in heavy seas or when hitting potholes on I-10 at 70 mph. Look at this graphic. On the left is how the trolling motor stows as designed. On the right is how I want it to stow.

minnkotastowed.jpg

Ed.
 
[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]
The new autopilot trolling motors have a new kind of mount, where the motor is supposed to drop right from the point where it is stowed, instead of the old mounts, where a bracket would deploy outwards about three feet from the stowed position.
Click to expand...

Ed, How new are you talking? The one shown in my picture is a '07 model bought new this spring. It has the steering drive built into the mount as you describe and deploys as you describe also. On the cable steered units (non-auto pilot) they (depending on exact model) use a folding bracket which deploys similar to what you refer to as an "old mount". Even those don't hang out over the edge when deployed but fold backward when stowed.

Can you furnish a picture or link of the motor you need to mount?

Is there a reason you can't mount it at an angle like this?
[/font]
mnkotastowedalt.jpg
 
Last edited:
Yeah, Dave that obstructs the foredeck nearly as badly as the straight over the bow mount. This is my all purpose boat we're talking about. I hauls Karas, 55 gallon drums of diesel, propane, dogs, you name it. All that comes over the bow onto the camp. Hunters and pirogues come over the bow onto the bank. I can't have that shaft obstructing the foredeck like that. I don't think there's a commercial solution (yet), I'll post some pics of the mount I'm working on. It'll be coyote ugly, but it will accomplish the mission.

Ed.
 
Ed,

I'm afraid no matter where you put this motor it's going to be an obstruction. I tried placing mine every way I could think of including what you want to do. I do 90% of my hunting on the islands which means I have to go over the bow to get out of the boat or put something in the boat. I finally gave in a bought the slide bracket. Now if I know for instance I'm going deer hunting all I have to do is slide the motor off and stow it in the garage. I mached up some motor mounts to hang off the side of the bow and never found a design the worked worth a hoot.

Ed L.

2006_2007_season 007.jpg

Setting the motor off to the side of the bow will require a large cantilevered mount

pic6.jpg

I'd like to see what you come up with.

Ed L.
 
Charlie,

The 4th of July it was report we got 5" of rain and hour and wind gust to 70mph. I went out to the dock the next morning and found my boat rolled over.

pic2.jpg

Never got the motor to run right after it's dunking so now I have a new motor.

081807_09472.jpg

Life is good.

Ed L.
 
Wow, incredible! I wouldn't want to wake up to that. Glad you got a new motor out of it though...

Anything you can do to avoid that in the future? It might get expensive if it happens very often. Can a good high volume bilge pump keep up with that volume (at least until it runs out of battery...)?

Charlie
 
Yeah, those automatic bilge pumps are worth the money :)

See my problem is that duck season is also the best time of year to catch redfish. When we go down to the camp (now a 70 mile round trip by boat), we stay for quite a while to hunt AND fish. So the boat has to do both. If I'm taking that trolling motor on and off the boat down there, it wont be long it will see the bottom of the bayou for sure. So it's got to stay put, and be out of the way. So, here's what I'm working on.

twedges.jpg

I'm going to make a sandwich out of two pieces of 1/2 plywood, the grain running fore and aft, in the middle some 5/4" wedges, the grain of those running port/starboard.

twedgesandwich.jpg

This will mount at the beginning of the curve of the bow

tboatmount.jpg

The motor will sit out on the forward edge

tmotormount.jpg

tmotormount2.jpg

What do you think?
 
Last edited:
Charlie,

Ya....I'm not leaving it tied to the dock when I storm is brewing!!!...hehe

Ed L.
 
Ed,

I hadn't thought of moving it back on the gunnel like that. Your bow has a different radius than mine. If I were to do it like you are the brain side of the motor would be bashing into my windshield. Your boat having a center console gives you much more room to work. I like what your doing.

Ed L.
 
Ed,

I would agree that your plywood platform will be structurally sound to carry the load and the motor should work well where located. Just make sure to back up the attachment points or you will crack out your fiberglass gunnel.

Looks like a good plan.
 
Yeah, Dave, I'm thinking of cutting out some 1 1/4" doughnuts out of those 5/8" boards, and backing up the bolts with those. Ought to have it all done and a paint job on it in a couple of weeks, will posts some pics.

Ed.
 
Ed,

Just a couple more comments.

Is that just three ply treated plywood? If so, I'd suggest seeing if you could scrounge up enough marine ply to do the job. If you use marine ply you could eliminate the solid wood in the center layer and replace it with another layer of marine ply. That would be a stronger platform than what you have now.

Also I'd advise using a larger piece of material for a backing plate rather than just a 1 1/4 dia. donut. I could see a donut splitting along the grain and falling out. Again a "cut to fit" piece of marine plywood under the inside of the gunnel would be a good choice. You will also want to use steel washers under the nuts so they don't just bury themselves into the wood.

As you are not doubt aware, that motor when deployed, will generate a lot of torque at the base. 60lbs. thrust X 60inch shaft= 360lbs at the base. 80lbs. thrust x 60inch shaft= 400lbs. at the base.
 
Yeah I've got all kinds of scrap Okoume lying around, but who knows when I'll want to build something pretty with it? I could use some of the 1/2" Okoume I used for the transom on the Peregrine for bolt backers. I've already glued up the other stuff, so we'll see what happens. Yeah I know the torque on that will be tremendous, but jolts it will get coming on and off bridges on I-10, and on the potholes running through New Orleans East (I-10 from Slidell to the Chalmette Exit is the world's worst road. Mexican roads are better) will be even worse?

Ed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top