mounting trolling motor?

[mrpike1973]

hi wondering if i can mount a transom mount trolling motor. to the bow of a boat with out drilling. just a plain aluminum row boat is what i have. i know i can get bow mounts but they cost to much and i dont want to drill and build a deck. could i just use a piece of 2x4 on the side of the boat and mount inside any suggestions

[drg700]

You should google that question. I have seen it done with a couple blocks of wood.

[CaptainMusky]

Ive seen it done. The only concern would be the overall length of the shaft being long enough. The bow can be a long ways from the water vs a transom.

Ive seen guys mount them to the side of the boat close to the front because they were too short to be right near the front.

[Cicada]

Shaft length is important...size matters.... The bow will ride higher in the waves and there is nothing more frustrating that the ssppprrrttt of the prop coming out on the top of every wave. I've also found that the closer to the bow you can get it the better the control you will have. When I got a new to me boat the had a cover over the bow, the motor had to be mounted almost three feet from the bow. Took a while to get used to the constant adjustments to stay on line.

I did split a 8 inch chunk of oak 2x4 in the approximate angle of the boat so it would ride level...or close to it. I also had to ditch the thumb screws for bolts through the hull. The torque of the motor would pull it up too much (might be related to being mounted further from the bow).