​DIY side-mount for motor on double-ender canoe?

[Guest]

I started the canoe motor mount discussion on this thread, so I should probably finish it here.

We considered a variety of DIY motor mount builds and decided that for the design we had in mind, incorporating a permanent motor thwart behind the stern seat, it made sense to buy a clamp on mount from Spring Creek and adapt that to our uber sturdy motor thwart.

We used that clamp-on to find the exact sweet spot for the motor thwart.





That thwart makes for a seriously sturdy and immovable motor mount. Screw knobs (and washers) on the bottom, carriage bolts locked flush in the mounting slot. And some webbing loops on the machine screw shanks for back band attachment and float bag ties.

I love it when a project comes together in a design evolution.

 

[Muskrat]

Nice Mike. That's looks solid. Great job.

 

[Alan Gage]

I would recommend posting links to the "other" thread in each to somewhat link them together for future "Googlers" who might only come across one or the other.

Alan

 

[Guest]

That's looks solid.

The thing that made the biggest single difference was installing a motor thwart.

We looked at every DIY instructional and video we could find on side motor mounts for canoes and did not see any with a motor thwart installed.

Which seems strange, because having that motor thwart in place made a world of difference. The motor mount itself clamps or bolts onto that thwart easier and more securely, it can’t slip or slide like gunwale clamps and it adds strength and rigidity where it is needed most, right where a 30lb motor is hanging off the side , propeller spinning and pushing the canoe via torque and stress applied to the motor mount.

I’ve never done a motor mount before. And I can’t imagine installing one without a motor thwart.