Mounting my Minn-Kota in the anchor nest

[oregondragonfly]

after drawing out but before cutting any metal I make a jig, and test fit and function. with the front railing and the CR anchor nest I want to keep I decided to make a receiver for the anchor nest so it will be above everything. the thing I needed was to be able to swing and lock it port, center, and starboard. so depending what I was doing, I could move it out of the way, plus it will be in the center of the boat when deployed. after cutting out the plywood and figured out the swivel point I screwed it together and mounted it in the nest and screwed down the minn=kota

this is it stood up

this is it starboard

center

and port

this is it deployed

now that I know it will work I will modify the mounting plates for the locks and round the corners and add the hold down's to keep it in place. when adding the skeg I noticed I needed to narrow the sides by a 1/2 inch to fit into the minn-kota motor lock saddles. so all in all it will fit my boat with the anchor nest. now off to order the aluminum and parts. dfly

 

[eugene1]

I mounted my minnkota just port of my anchor nest so I could use the anchor or the motor on the same outing more easily easily. Turns out the off center mounting of the motor makes no difference in the function of the ipilot, so there is no need to sacrifice the anchor nest. I just prefer to have both options available.

Just a heads up!

 

[oregondragonfly]

eugene1 my jet is a 22' and has a narrow nose, the railing is in the way and there is not a big enough foot print to mount it and be out of the way so going over the rails is the only way. dfly

 

[eugene1]

eugene1 my jet is a 22' and has a narrow nose, the railing is in the way and there is not a big enough foot print to mount it and be out of the way so going over the rails is the only way. dfly

I can see that that the mount you're making makes sense, for your boat, oregondragonfly. But it could be that installing the trolller over the rail could work as well? Just trying to help a brother out in case of catastrophic electric failure.

I do think that having a quick anchor option is the safest way to go. We hear about lost fishermen too often and the more options the better.

Take care,

 

[oregondragonfly]

thanx Eugene the reason I did it this way was it is Easily removable, I only use it when kokanee fishing on the lakes, when the wind is too bad for the tr-1 to maintain corse alone, hence the larger skeg. it is easily removable when on the Colombia and Willamette and any where else I usually anchor up. dfly

 

[oregondragonfly]

I picked up the aluminum today and started with the swivel base and turned the SS hub


then started on the side pieces and beveled to fit and weld

then laid out the bottom and drilled for the hub

the set up the top plate and machined for the hub first the bore then the step


now to arc and bevel the end

here's the pieces ready for test fitting


I setup on boat to lay out for welding and check for fit




now I have to weld drill holes to mount and lay out for the left center and right locks. dfly

 

[oregondragonfly]

finished making my swing mount for the minn-kota heres the progression from paper

to making a model to making every thing works.

to the finished product

now remove the CR anchor

now mounted on the boat.

here's the 3 positions so I can swing it out of the way and stow it so I don't have to step over it when getting in and out of the boat when at the dock, it also can be deploy it in any of the 3 positions but I want mine in the center of the boat.



this is it diploid in the center, now I need to figure the batt situation.

dfly

 

[eugene1]

Did you get an onboard battery charger?

Highly recommended. I thought they were kind of a scam, but I bought one anyway. Turns out it is super easy to charge the batteries up, just plug in.

Best,

 

[DrTheopolis]

Did you get an onboard battery charger?

Highly recommended. I thought they were kind of a scam, but I bought one anyway.

Kind of a scam in that they're expensive as far as chargers go, for sure. And quite convenient.

When my best fishing buddy bought his Riptide used, it came with a 10 amp (5 X 2) onboard (I, being the ex-Battery Guy, installed everything). At 5 amps a side, the only real complaint is it's a little slow for use on consecutive days, especially when we run the 4 battery setup on the 24v motor (too heavy, but lasts all day and then some). The 10 X 2 models is definitely better, but they cost about twice as much. But the alternative seems to be to use an automotive charger or two, which requires finagling with the wiring each time you charge (not what you want to do at the end of the day). Or a series charger which can handle 24v or 36v, but that's also an expensive option, and couldn't (shouldn't?) be mounted onboard.

So, while the onboards are overpriced for what you're getting, they're still the best option. The 24 volt (or 36v on the 101# models) thing really limits the options if you don't want to mess around with changing wires every time.

 

[eugene1]

Agreed, doc.

I like backing my boat into the garage and just plugging in. Not nearly as burdensome as charging each battery with it's own charger or switching the charger around.

Maybe I came across as against them.

Best,

 

[mikeee2362]

Pretty slick there DFly, Nice work!!

 

[DrTheopolis]

Maybe I came across as against them.

Not at all -- I was merely reinforcing your point.

 

[oregondragonfly]

now that the motor is mounted I needed to make the battery holder so I got some aluminum angle and cut to size and welded together

and fit the boxes

like I said I want this setup to be able to be removed easily so I need to make a trip to town to find some non skid rubber for the bottom I will set this in the bow


and I will strap it down so it doesn't move around. almost ready to hit the water. dfly