I picked up this transom mount on Amazon. It came with nuts and bolts to attach it, however I don’t have a way to access the inside of the hull. What type of screws would be secure enough to hold the weight of an electric trolling motor?
Posted by GhostsOfSeaside
5 Comments
Toggles
3.5 – 4 inch long toggle bolts. Drill a hole large enough to pass toggle bolts through. Put a well nut on the bolt before you add the nut for the toggle bolts. Make sure the well nut fits tightly into the hole you drilled. Push nut for toggle bolt through hole and seat the well nut into the hole. Pull up on the bolt as you tighten down so the whole assembly tightens down properly. It will be solid and waterproof. I also use a bit of clear sealant on everything for good measure.
What kayak is that? There is usually a round shape somewhere in the back of the kayak, where you can install a round hatch. Otherwise, what they said.
I would not trust well nuts or anything like that to support a trolling motor. Not only is a motor relatively heavy (~20 pounds) all of the thrust from the operation of the motor (probably another 30 pounds depending on your motor) will be torquing against the mounting screws with added leverage from the length of the shaft.
I’d install an access hatch right below it, put a backing plate inside the hull, and use stainless steel bolts through the mount, hull, and backing plate with washers and nyloc nuts.
https://preview.redd.it/5pybi64autif1.png?width=717&format=png&auto=webp&s=ca19f331c0089cc4b4b4652b645757207f185a59
If this were mine, I would make a full-width adapter plate to mount flat on the inset area at the stern, then I would bolt the motor mount to that. To attack the adapter plate I would install an access hatch or deck plate on the forward-facing wall of the back compartment. Not sure of your kayak’s dimensions, but they makes hatches as small as 4”, so even something like this would give you sufficient access: https://a.co/d/1387m90