My Motor Mount

helioscribe

New Member
There are plenty of discussions on motor mounts, but I just thought I would add this one since I just installed my motor mount yesterday. The various other threads were helpful as I decided how I would go about the task. Previously I had been simply mounting the motor on the transom, but as others have found, there is interference with the running rigging. I reversed both brackets to allow me to move the mount a little further from the rudder. This eliminated the rudder contact, and I still had room on the mount to fit the Minn Kota. I believe turning both brackets inward can sometimes be too tight for some larger motors/engines. I used all six mounting holes to spread the load as much as I could, and added a square of white plastic as a spacer on the outside for the same reason. This was basically made from a white kitchen cutting board that's about 1/2" thick. I discovered that I do have blocking within the transom of this boat. As you can see, I previously installed a power socket close to the motor. My battery sits inside the cuddy.

IMG_0879.JPG IMG_0877.JPG IMG_0878.JPG IMG_0873.JPG IMG_0875.JPG IMG_0874.JPG IMG_0876.JPG
 
That is an interesting thought. I did not do that. The motor is on the port side, but the battery is centered. I use a full size battery that fits quite neatly in the center of the cuddy. To move it to one side would have been difficult and it would have needed to be further inside. Too awkward I think for easy removal. That said, I have never felt that the boat lists to one side. The Minn Kota motor only weighs about 20lbs, so I wouldn't expect too much impact. I will check without any crew onboard next time I'm out. I have since mounted a ladder on the starboard side. That cancels out a couple of pounds.
 
I see the advantages for installing the mount vs just hanging the motor on the transom, so I'll buy it from Catalina Direct for $100. Seems like it would be nice to have a boarding ladder on the other side also. Now my dilemma is that on the version 1 the transom which I'm told is hollow. Another chat mentioned installing a 5" inspection port in the floor that would give access for injecting a filler material to fill the void. Then I could through bolt the accessories properly. Anybody have input on that?
Also will duplicate the battery and power feed setup that you have. The Odyssey PC 680 is a tiny lightweight. How did you fish the cable from front to back under the seat? Was it easy to snag it through the little opening made for the plug?
And have you ever capsized with the motor attached? This boat can be a bit tender in gusty winds, so I'm a bit paranoid about that.
 
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I see the advantages for installing the mount vs just hanging the motor on the transom, so I'll buy it from Catalina Direct for $100. Seems like it would be nice to have a boarding ladder on the other side also. Now my dilemma is that on the version 1 the transom which I'm told is hollow. Another chat mentioned installing a 5" inspection port in the floor that would give access for injecting a filler material to fill the void. Then I could through bolt the accessories properly. Anybody have input on that?
Also will duplicate the battery and power feed setup that you have. The Odyssey PC 680 is a tiny lightweight. How did you fish the cable from front to back under the seat? Was it easy to snag it through the little opening made for the plug?
And have you ever capsized with the motor attached? This boat can be a bit tender in gusty winds, so I'm a bit paranoid about that.


It was so much better with the mount than when I previously just mounted on the transom. When I drilled there was definitely a blocking material in there on the motor side of my boat. I later installed a ladder on the other side.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GDB3PHA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UpvGyb7CA674D

I did need to put an access port on that side for the install because the ladder actually attaches at the bottom of the transom just through the outer shell of the hull. I've seen access ports added on the top of the seat but I put mine on the vertical surface where your heels would be if your feet are flat on the floor. I used a 6" port and it was perfect.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0I412C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WnvGybVN3PRP6

I used a piece of plastic cutting board again as a way to spread to load from the ladder bolts on the inside of the hull. A piece of pvc house trim would work too.

For the wiring I think I fished a piece of rigid wire or 1/4" pex through the hole and towards the bow. Reaching through the cuddy I was able to grab it, tape the wire to it and pull it back through.

Never capsized with the motor but I would recommend some sort of tether in case the motor was to come loose. I know someone who dropped their electric motor off their mount and into 10' of water. He got it back a while later and dried it out. Apparently it still worked fine.
 
It was so much better with the mount than when I previously just mounted on the transom. When I drilled there was definitely a blocking material in there on the motor side of my boat. I later installed a ladder on the other side.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GDB3PHA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_UpvGyb7CA674D

I did need to put an access port on that side for the install because the ladder actually attaches at the bottom of the transom just through the outer shell of the hull. I've seen access ports added on the top of the seat but I put mine on the vertical surface where your heels would be if your feet are flat on the floor. I used a 6" port and it was perfect.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0I412C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_WnvGybVN3PRP6

I used a piece of plastic cutting board again as a way to spread to load from the ladder bolts on the inside of the hull. A piece of pvc house trim would work too.

For the wiring I think I fished a piece of rigid wire or 1/4" pex through the hole and towards the bow. Reaching through the cuddy I was able to grab it, tape the wire to it and pull it back through.

Never capsized with the motor but I would recommend some sort of tether in case the motor was to come loose. I know someone who dropped their electric motor off their mount and into 10' of water. He got it back a while later and dried it out. Apparently it still worked fine.

Awesome, thanks for your help! Let me pick your brain a bit more........
1. So my version 1 is hollow between outer and inner skins. Need to find out how and what to inject to fill the void. And would need to attach the ladder first.
2. I'm about 185 lbs and in pretty good shape for a 63 year old. Is it fairly easy to board using that ladder? In addition to being a great feature for recovery after capsizing, it also would be nice to jump in on a hot light air day to keep cool!
3. After my first 3 outings last October I can say that the Capri is a fast boat but also requires vigilance with the helm and weight shifting on gusty days. As an experianced sailor I will not be afraid to go out because it's too windy. Will be 90% singlehanding and I predict there will be a day when I capsize. To deal with this situation I plan on:
a. Roller furling/reef points to adjust sail area as needed.
b. Make sure the air space inside the mast is sealed so it will float and help avoid turtling.
c. Likewise install that float device (I forget the name of it) on the head of the mast.
4. And just for grins I will contact the Minnkota manufacturer and see what they say about immersion of the motor.
5. The battery manufacturer sells an inline circuit breaker to protect the motor in case the prop jammed. Hopefully also would help if there was immersion of the system.

Thanks!
 
Caution about the use of plastic cutting board for the doubler.

Most plastic cutting boards will crack apart under compression of a bolt. The bolt and washer will tend to make the plastic deform, stretching the hole. Then its just a matter of time before it breaks apart. Suddenly the motor or ladder mount has no support and the blots slide back , sawing the holes open. (maybe a little... maybe a lot)

Inspect the doubler on a regular basis. You should be able to see cracking before it fails.
 
Caution about the use of plastic cutting board for the doubler.

Most plastic cutting boards will crack apart under compression of a bolt. The bolt and washer will tend to make the plastic deform, stretching the hole. Then its just a matter of time before it breaks apart. Suddenly the motor or ladder mount has no support and the blots slide back , sawing the holes open. (maybe a little... maybe a lot)

Inspect the doubler on a regular basis. You should be able to see cracking before it fails.

That certainly could be the case. I used as large a washer as I could find since that side is on the hull interior and to reduce the risk of damage to the doubler. The more I think about it - I think I did use PVC house trim, such as the Veranada or Azek products from Home Depot for the ladder location. That's certainly more rigid and will be less prone to any deformation. The cutting board was suitable for the motor mount because it is simply a spacer.
 
Awesome, thanks for your help! Let me pick your brain a bit more........
1. So my version 1 is hollow between outer and inner skins. Need to find out how and what to inject to fill the void. And would need to attach the ladder first.
2. I'm about 185 lbs and in pretty good shape for a 63 year old. Is it fairly easy to board using that ladder? In addition to being a great feature for recovery after capsizing, it also would be nice to jump in on a hot light air day to keep cool!
3. After my first 3 outings last October I can say that the Capri is a fast boat but also requires vigilance with the helm and weight shifting on gusty days. As an experianced sailor I will not be afraid to go out because it's too windy. Will be 90% singlehanding and I predict there will be a day when I capsize. To deal with this situation I plan on:
a. Roller furling/reef points to adjust sail area as needed.
b. Make sure the air space inside the mast is sealed so it will float and help avoid turtling.
c. Likewise install that float device (I forget the name of it) on the head of the mast.
4. And just for grins I will contact the Minnkota manufacturer and see what they say about immersion of the motor.
5. The battery manufacturer sells an inline circuit breaker to protect the motor in case the prop jammed. Hopefully also would help if there was immersion of the system.

Thanks!

1. I'm not sure what you would use as a filler. i wasn't even sure if there would be blocking in mine until I drilled the holes. What I found was what appeared to be like a compressed particle board material. I can imagine that it would also be pretty difficult to get an arm into the right spot through an access hatch to put something in there. Just a guess but perhaps minimally expanding foam, like used for doors and windows may work. Not the 'large gap' stuff though, that expands too much and would likely bulge the transom.

2. I've never needed to use the ladder while on the water, but I can imagine it would be pretty simple. The one I have has three rungs and is mounted at the bottom of the transom - so when extended the bottom rung is probably about 3 feet under water and would be easy to get a foot on to. I would post a picture of the mounted ladder, but the boat is wrapped up for the winter.

3. I'd like a roller furling jib, but I manage for now without one. When i checked my mast it was already filled near the top by the factory. I did install a Hobie float based on posts I've seen about mast buoyancy. I installed a tiller tamer this year also and it helped a lot.

4. There's a post here that is similar to my ladder installation, but I didn't put a hole in the top of the seat:

The Greg Coats boarding ladder installation | SailingForums.com

You should also see that there is a picture half way through that shows a capri 14 floating on its side with a mast float. Judging by the fact that the entire transom is out of the water, I bet that your motor wouldn't even touch the water in a capsize condition. I've seen other photos and videos that show the boat with similar buoyancy characteristics. Perhaps I'll capsize mine some day and find out.
 
I see the advantages for installing the mount vs just hanging the motor on the transom, so I'll buy it from Catalina Direct for $100. Seems like it would be nice to have a boarding ladder on the other side also. Now my dilemma is that on the version 1 the transom which I'm told is hollow. Another chat mentioned installing a 5" inspection port in the floor that would give access for injecting a filler material to fill the void. Then I could through bolt the accessories properly. Anybody have input on that?
Also will duplicate the battery and power feed setup that you have. The Odyssey PC 680 is a tiny lightweight. How did you fish the cable from front to back under the seat? Was it easy to snag it through the little opening made for the plug?
And have you ever capsized with the motor attached? This boat can be a bit tender in gusty winds, so I'm a bit paranoid about that.
What about storing the battery & electric trolling motor in the cubby & just take them out when the winds die?
Why not just use a couple of pieces of unattached pieces of plywood? One inside & one outside of the transom.
 
So let's say you keep your battery in the cuddy and the boat capsizes? A 25 or 30 pounder would be like a loose cannon! My 1986 Mod 1 has a pair of wood upright supports between deck and hull which I plan on using to secure the sealed box I will build. I decided to trade off extra running time in favor of lighter weight.
Advantages are:
1. Easier to build an enclosure that will assure nothing breaks loose in the event of a tipover. The 680 weighs 15 lb, the next size up is 26 lb, don't know how well an upright would like that resting on it.
2. Easier to lug it around and set it in the box.

How much does your battery weigh? How did it behave when you went over?
 
So let's say you keep your battery in the cuddy and the boat capsizes? A 25 or 30 pounder would be like a loose cannon! My 1986 Mod 1 has a pair of wood upright supports between deck and hull which I plan on using to secure the sealed box I will build. I decided to trade off extra running time in favor of lighter weight.
Advantages are:
1. Easier to build an enclosure that will assure nothing breaks loose in the event of a tipover. The 680 weighs 15 lb, the next size up is 26 lb, don't know how well an upright would like that resting on it.
2. Easier to lug it around and set it in the box.

How much does your battery weigh? How did it behave when you went over?

That's basically exactly what I did. I made a shallow plywood shelf and bolted it to those two wooden uprights. I used a battery secure tray rather than a box. It makes it easy to get the battery in and out by sliding it rather than needing enough room to get in the top of a box. Generally those boxes that look sealed aren't really sealed, they are more like a dust cover. So my battery is bolted right inside the cuddy door and centered on the boat.

I have never capsized, but if I did the battery wouldn't budge. My cuddy door also isn't water right. Based on having a mast float and how high the boat floats, no water would get as high as the cuddy and the battery would stay dry.

I went with a size 24 deep cycle marine battery and it weighs 50lbs. I put it in at the start of the season and take it out at the end. It certainly could have been smaller but wanted plenty of capacity.
 
Ok, I've been reading about paddle drills. You know, battery powered hand drills. I've watched some vids on YouTube about them. Demos show pushing around rubber rafts, canoes, kayaks, aluminum fishing boats, a 2 person paddle boat. Depending upon which boat, (water resistant) the weight of the boat, etc. You may get around 30 minutes of power per battery. Walmart online sells the prop assembly. (Course you use your own drill & Battery) Sells for around $34. Sure would be cheaper than an electric trolling motor & a heavy marine battery. Anyone tried this method? Check out some YouTube vids & Google some reviews. Sure would be nice to propel a Catalina 14.2 off the water when it becomes windless!
 
Ok, I've been reading about paddle drills. You know, battery powered hand drills. I've watched some vids on YouTube about them. Demos show pushing around rubber rafts, canoes, kayaks, aluminum fishing boats, a 2 person paddle boat. Depending upon which boat, (water resistant) the weight of the boat, etc. You may get around 30 minutes of power per battery. Walmart online sells the prop assembly. (Course you use your own drill & Battery) Sells for around $34. Sure would be cheaper than an electric trolling motor & a heavy marine battery. Anyone tried this method? Check out some YouTube vids & Google some reviews. Sure would be nice to propel a Catalina 14.2 off the water when it becomes windless!

Good Day to All!
That's an interesting concept for sure. I already sunk about $580 into what I discuss below so I'm committed!
Here's what I see with my Minkota 30 installed on the mount supplied by Catalina Direct... 1. When the motor is tilted up for sailing it sure puts a lot of extra strain on the mount. All the weight is in the lower unit so that magnifies the load when it's extended a few feet farther back because of the tilt. I think it's better to raise the motor straight up, that takes away the leverage issue. 2. Of course that means unplugging each time. I don't want to have a few extra feet of power cable laying around to avoid unplugging. 3. Anybody install a circuit breaker in line? If the prop seizes up (hit bottom,etc) while underway then motor damage could occur. Or if some kind of short occurred due to water intrusion into the
system, always a possibility on the "tender" Capri! 4. The handle extension seemed like a good idea until I realized it would have to be removed each time the motor was raised for sailing. So much for that. 5. I have the small Odyssey battery PC 680 and did a test run on it. Got about an hour's usage at 60% level so that's good enough for me. It's lightweight and easy to deal with. 6. Also installed a "Battery Fuel Gauge" made by Pro Charging Systems. This is essential when you have a tiny battery !

On another note, anybody have experiance with the Capri when encountering rough water? Years ago I had a 14' AMF Pintail which had a steel centerboard and also seated the passengers deeper in the cockpit compared to the Capri, lower center of gravity. I had it on rough water a few times and it did pretty good. Wish the Capri had a heavier keel, it is not as stable as the Pintail was, but it is faster!
 
Why not just store your electric trolling motor in the cuddly? If it will fit through the door? Then there are no problems with it mounted on the transom getting in the way etc. when you're not using it. I'm going to try the paddle drill idea. Probably 1st try it on my kayak. Plus keep 2 each, 56" paddles in the cuddy storage area.
 
I think the issue would be removing/replacing motor off the mount and storing it while underway. As a singlehander it's hard enough to do all the boathandling work on this tender little boat as it is. Under dicey conditions I could end up in the drink along with the motor!
 
I think the issue would be removing/replacing motor off the mount and storing it while underway. As a singlehander it's hard enough to do all the boathandling work on this tender little boat as it is. Under dicey conditions I could end up in the drink along with the motor!
I'm going to give the battery powered hand drill with the prop attachment sold on EBay a try first. But it's cheaper at Wal-Mart for $34.00. I'll keep 2 battery packs in the boat. I'll keep 2 each, 56" paddles @ $20.00 a pair delivered on EBay. A couple of YouTube vids pushing a rubber raft, canoes, & kayaks with no problem. Given the cost of an electric trolling motor, marine batty, motor mount, the weight, hassle of putting the equipment & taking it out of the boat. It's worth a try. Check out some vids on YouTube of this drill prop.
 
There are plenty of discussions on motor mounts, but I just thought I would add this one since I just installed my motor mount yesterday. The various other threads were helpful as I decided how I would go about the task. Previously I had been simply mounting the motor on the transom, but as others have found, there is interference with the running rigging. I reversed both brackets to allow me to move the mount a little further from the rudder. This eliminated the rudder contact, and I still had room on the mount to fit the Minn Kota. I believe turning both brackets inward can sometimes be too tight for some larger motors/engines. I used all six mounting holes to spread the load as much as I could, and added a square of white plastic as a spacer on the outside for the same reason. This was basically made from a white kitchen cutting board that's about 1/2" thick. I discovered that I do have blocking within the transom of this boat. As you can see, I previously installed a power socket close to the motor. My battery sits inside the cuddy.

View attachment 20618 View attachment 20616 View attachment 20617 View attachment 20612 View attachment 20614 View attachment 20613 View attachment 20615


Hey, do you have pictures of the battery attachment? Hoping to duplicate your mounting. Thanks!
 

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