Trolling motors and canoes

Has anybody mounted one of these on a canoe that doesn’t have a square transom? I can pick up 30 lb thrust minnkota for not much money but was interested in the best mounting bracket

Years ago I purchased an old canoe and took a 2X4, drilled down thru the 2″ side and thru the gunnel. Then used carriage down thru the top and wing nuts under the gunnel.

Suggestion- put the battery in the front of the canoe to try to keep the bow down.

Canoes are pretty unstable with all the weight in the back.

It depends on how much you plan on using it on the canoe. I have helped friends build mounts that stayed bolted on and i have just clamped them on the over the gunnel using a small piece of 1×4 on each side.

I have an Old Town canoe with an Old Town side motor mount that clamps on behind the rear seat. With that a 2.7 hp Cruise and Carry out board (eventually renamed the Curse and Carry). I also have borrowed a square stern canoe for use with the same motor. The side mount Old Town works great and I far prefer it to the square stern. With the square stern the motor is directly behind you and for me very uncomfortable to access. With the side mount it is more like sitting in a boat where the motor is behind you on your left, easy to get at to rope start or steer. I also had an Alumicraft canoe with an Alumicraft side mount. That combination worked fine as well. That 2.7 was about all the H.P. I would feel safe with.

I had an aluminum bracket that fastened to the gunnels and had a vertical 1/2″ aluminum mounting plate for the motor. After putting it on the back end, I came to the conclusion there had to be a more comfortable way. I put the bracket on the front end and used the canoe backwards. I sat on what was normally the front seat and a friend could use a hang-on seat on the other end. It worked great.

BE SURE TO FASTEN THE BATTERY DOWN. My kids thought tipping the canoe to scare each other was great fun. Before I got them to stop, they tipped far enough to make a group 27 battery slide to one side, generated enough momentum to cause my tackle box to slide also and over we went. Fortunately we were in shallow water, recovered everything, and started swimming before we got to the sandbar where we were planning to swim anyway.

no need to drill any holes…

motor mount

thanks for info. i am leaving for the trip this thursday. don’t have time to order or talent to make. been to Gander, Joes, REI and west marine. four strikes and i am out unless someone knows a retailer close to the metro that carries these.

shout out to craigslist and the motor clinic in bloomington. all set..

Don’t forget, if you add a motor to your canoe you also have to add your boat registration numbers to the canoe.