Installing new Minnkota...today

[traveler]

So, great day for this! Motor is a Miinnkota Riptide 24 volt (same as a Terraova). First thing, mounting...it's a fiberglass boat, the only access to the bow is thru the anchor well, and theres NO way I can reach far enough forward to fit nuts onto the bolts, over a foot short. I haven't drilled any holes yet.. I even tried stuffing the 9 year old in there, but she won't fit:) So; alternatives? Theses are 7/16 SS bolts I think. Screws of some kind??? Toggle bolts somehow?? I'm stumped for the moment. Help!

[traveler]

Or...maybe not today:( I'm not seeing any options yet for mounting....anyone have any experience with this??

[iffwalleyes]

I am not following your situation well. Can you take some pictures and post. There is not panel that you can remove to get to them? What kind of boat is it. The other think I will say if you are mounting it and don't have anyother option than toggle bolts which will work for you make sure to use a quick release plate so that if you ever change trolling motor it is a easier swap of things. Cabela's also has product called Trolling Motor Isolator Bolts look them up maybe those will work decent for you.

[traveler]

It's a 20 Champion bay boat. What i mean to say is I can't access the underside of the deck/bow to attach the nuts. I can see it (kind of), but reaching thru the forward anchor hatch I can't get my hand within a foot of the underside of the mounting area. If I try to use toggle bolts I have 2 concerns, the strength and rust factor, and I'd have to drill even bigger holes in the deck/redrill bigger holes in the mounting bracket(might not even be enough room for that. Lag bolts maybe?? How would they hold in fiberglass?

[GFNER]

You might be able to use wellnuts. They're at your local hardware store in those specialty boxes by the nuts and bolts. I used them on my alum. and they've held my motor on for the last 10 yrs.

[traveler]

I've never heard of wellnuts. How do they work? What do they look like?

[marine_man]

Motor Guide used to ship these T shaped rubber covered fastners with their trolling motors that were anchors (think like a sheetrock anchor - you run the screw in and and bottom expands). Maybe check w/a marine dealer to see if they have any.

Otherwise, can you put a access cover / hole in it?

marine_man

[sparcebag]

Traveler;If you use toggles,put bolts through the motor plate first then screw on toggles,then insert them through your holes in the fiberglass.

[Markley]

Minnkota makes Quick Nuts for this type of problem. Go to Minnkota, go to accessories and then to Marine and you will find them there. I used them on my fiberglass boat it works great. I did use a little marine goop under the T to stop spinning when inserting the bolt.

[Markley]

Reeds Sports has them online.

[traveler]

Markley, I talked to MinnKota today and they sent me to the HSOforum for those Quiknuts. Good to hear from someone who'sa used them and had good luck. Thanks to all for the responses!

[traveler]

Just wanted to report back...the Quiknuts from Minnkota worked like a charm. VERY snug screws, to the poit I had to go buy an oversized phillips to screw them in without chancing stripping them. Now, on to the power supply/battery installation.