Before everyone goes .... "A trolling motor on a diablo..." THis is a compromise, I could have bought a bass boat but then it would be hard to take the whole family out tubing , cruising etc... Does anyone have any good suggestions for a trolling motor for a 1992 Diablo? I need a 12volt motor with enough thrust and depth for a bow mounted motor to pull the boat.
I am in the same situation, so I feel your pain. I previously owned a 20' Bayliner and had a Minn Kota Powerdrive with 40 lbs of thrust mounted on the bow. It did a great job except in strong winds Therefore, I would recommend a 55lb for the Diablo since this is still a 12V unit and there isn't much room for an additional battery in the Mariahs. I am probably going to mount the same on my 180 Talari. The key is to use the Minn Kota MKA-21 composite mounting bracket. This unit leaves only a ~ 3" x 4" puck mounted on the bow permanently, an not a huge metal bracket like some others. And since it is composite, it can be painted to match your boat so it is less noticable. Also, if you do not have access to the underside of the bow (like I do with the Talari), use Snaptoggle anchors Anchorco.com to mount the bracket.
Let me know how the project turns out and send photos if possible.
On our way home from Kingdom Bound at Darien Lake NY with the trunk packed full with luggage, etc from our week long stay we decided to first stop at the waterloo Shopping outlets.. (not my idea but heh.. more boxes at the kids feet) then we decided to head to Bass Pro shops in Auburn where I went a bought a Minn Kota Power V2 48" 55lbs motor . Had the joy of driving three 1/2 hours with it wedged between the kids and between our seats up to the dash . We drive an echo.... anyway got it home installed it. Wired a second battery mounted under one of the back seats to a battery isolator then to a battery selector all the way up front to a plug. Works great. THe foot pedal as enough slack to reach to the back and beyond. Only had it out once for about an hour so it really wasnt a good test on the life of the battery but with two on board I shouldnt run into any trouble. Attached are photos showing the plug, battery isolator, switch, puck to mount the motor and the motor itself. Have some trouble mounting the motor when it is really hot and the puck has been sitting in the hot sun but other than that it is very easy to talk on and off. Next project is to fabricate a yoke to stop the head bouncing up and down in rough waters when it is stowed.
trolling motor
