The Mariah Owners Club - Trolling Motor Mount-180 Talari

OK, I realize that many Mariah owners consider mounting a trolling motor on their boats a sin. However, like many boat owners, I had to make a compromise when it came to a family boat, so have a 1995 180 Talari on which I just mounted a trolling motor.

I thought I would share my experience, especially since there is no access to the underside of the bow on the Talari which makes mounting a trolling motor mount challenging.

I specifically purchased a Minn Kota Powerdrive trolling motor because of the small footprint of the mounting bracket (MKA-21). The only part that is permanently mounted to the boat is a small (~4" x 5") composite puck.

I first taped off the area I would be mounting the motor. After determining where the mount would be placed and marking the hole location, I drilled four 1/8" pilot holes (always start by drilling holes with drill in reverses to avoid chipping the gel coat) and then drilled four 1/2" holes. I inserted 1/4-20 Snaptoggle anchors through the holes along with a rubber washer (to help minimize vibration). After tightening the Snaptoggles, the excess part of the toggle is trimmed. The puck is mounted with four 1/4" stainless steel bolts. I also glued four rubber washers to the underside of the puck to help eliminate any vibration. The remainder of the mount is attached to the underside of the trolling motor.

All in all it doesn't look too bad. The motor mounts easily and all electical connections are out of sight under the starboard bow seat.

Carl