Skeg Extensions Pictures

[DLM]

Somewhere there exits a thread were several people posted pictures of skeg extensions they have made and/or installed on their electric trolling motor but for the life of me I cannot find it. Can someone point me in the right direction?

 

[SilverBullets]

Might try SuperD...
http://www.kokaneefishingforum.com/fishing-forums/showthread.php?5889-Minn-Kota-Skeg-Extension

 

[SuperD]

David, I have made a couple of them. I recommend you use a couple of pieces of thin aluminum sheet. My first one I made was out of plastic and worked well the first season. I copied the design and made another one out of the aluminum. I'll see if I have some pictures on my home computer, nothing on my computer here at work.
Parts list:
2 pcs. aluminum sheet, approx. 10" X 10"
large hose clamp
alum. rivets

The pictures, if I find them, will make it all very self explanatory.

 

[DLM]

Might try SuperD...
http://www.kokaneefishingforum.com/fishing-forums/showthread.php?5889-Minn-Kota-Skeg-Extension

Ya, I saw that one but I could have sworn there was another one with several pics, maybe I am getting my forums mixed up.

 

[dragonfly]

dave which kind are you looking for? I am making 2 after the first of the year for some guys milled out of aluminum. one wants his mounted on the shaft above the motor to keep it short. the other wants it to fasten to the motor with ether hose clamps or aluminum clamp depending how narrow I can make it. I tried bing under minn kota tolling rudder and found some also. dfly

 

[DLM]

The best one I have seen has a curved piece of aluminum that fits around the bottom of the motor and comes up about half way on the motor. It is secured with two radiator style clamps. The fin is welded to the curved piece and extend down about a foot and is shaped just like a shark fin. I will see if I can get the guy that has this to send me come pics.

 

[dragonfly]

just so you guys know I talked with my repair service rep and wrote and talked with minn-kota direct before I started designing a fin for these guys. the one above the motor that attaches to the shaft, they said would be fine. the one that attaches or modifies the motor in any way, ie even drilling the skeg will VOID your warrantee here is minn-kotas response to asking about attaching a fin with ether hose clamps or aluminum clamps
Shawn,

Thank you for your email. We would not recommend this on our motors as it would be considered a modification and would void any warranty.

Best regards,



Brenda J Thompson



Technical Service Representative



Email: [email protected]

when I talked with them there concerns were the clamps crushing the motor housing, or causing hot spots, the water keeps the motor cool but when asking the service guy how likely that was. he said he had not seen a problem with that or people putting on weed guards that also clamp to the body. but if there were motor issues he would have to void the warrantee. just thought I would relay what I found. dfly

 

[DLM]

One of the points that they may be missing is that, at least in my appliation, the motor will not be running so not needing cooling. The kicker will provide the power, the minn kota only provides steering.

If they came up with an Ipilot model that had only a skeg and no motor I suspect there would be a market for it.

 

[SuperD]

One of the points that they may be missing is that, at least in my appliation, the motor will not be running so not needing cooling. The kicker will provide the power, the minn kota only provides steering.

If they came up with an Ipilot model that had only a skeg and no motor I suspect there would be a market for it.

I'll be surprised if you can dead steer with it. Typically, the motor has to have at least a slight pull to steer well.

 

[DLM]

I'll be surprised if you can dead sterr with it. Typically, the motor has to have at least a slight pull to steer well.

We will see. I know several guys that never run the motor and say they have no problems at all.

 

[SuperDaveMT]

Looking on line there is a product called raptor fin that has both a horizontal and a vertical fin. The horizontal fin is supposed to be effective in reducing bow bounce. I'd hinge (up) the horizonal fin so it folded when stored but would still provide upward resistance when in the water to curb bounce. Looks to me like anything mounted on the shaft above the motor is going to interfere with storing the motor in the bow mount.

 

[dragonfly]

yes it will if you don't have an alternative way to store it. on the one I will be working on he will have his mounted straight off the bow ( I am also making an adapter plate so it will lock into the anchor nest, he didn't want to drill any holes in his boat ) so it will stick strait forward the fin difference from the bow when stored, and will have to come up with a bungy of some sort to keep the power head and shaft in place when not in use. dfly

 

[SuperD]

Straight off the bow usually interfers with the pass through window. I take it that this isn't an open bow boat?

 

[dragonfly]

correct his is a 21' open sled guild model he also uses on the Colombia for sturgeon and walleye fishing that's why the anchor nest and needed a quick way to take it on and off. but now he also has the kokanee bug. dfly

 

[DLM]

Here are a couple pics of the skeg my friend had made. I have three thoughts.
1. The aluminum is thicker than it needs to be.
2. The part that curls aroung the motor does not have to curl as far up the sides as it does.
3. The overall size of the fin seems a little larger.

I like the overall design, especially with the middle of the skeg surface being almost directly under the motor shaft. I think his position would cause less stress (torque) on the shaft and gears.

 

[dragonfly]

the design concept looks good I like the way it is centered and straddling the skeg to keep it from rolling. the size is important to big and it taxes the controller motor shorting it's life. to small it's not as effective and you will have to use more trolling motor to compensate but the steering controller will last longer. I also would cut some of the bottom mounting curve down and maybe space the clamps more to each end. as for the thickness I would mill a sharper leading edge but you are usually only going 1.2 to 1.6 so I don't think that or the thickness would really make any difference. over all it definitely looks like something you could work with. dfly