Deck modification question

[coosa]

So I have a 2010 G3 16' stick steering boat with a 50 hp Yamaha that I've had over a year now. I really like the boat and since I am 66, I imagine this is the last one I will own. The only thing I have really disliked has been the 12 volt Edge trolling motor. I have to run it on 5 to move the boat at all, and when I fish current it often won't even hold my position.

So I found a 24 volt Maxxum in good shape, knowing I was gonna face a problem - the standard 5' steering cable is too short. The Maxxum will fit the holes they drilled at the factory for the Edge, but it's too short by about 6". The shaft cleared the bow by 5" when the Edge was down, and I thought that might be enough room that if I move the new motor back so that I have just 1" of clearance it might work. It's close, but still a couple of inches short. The front deck is so high that the cable has to make a sharp bend upwards to clear it. The front of foot control doesn't touch the floor the way it is now. If I didn't have the deck, I believe it would work.

Here is what it looks like:



There is a cooler under the deck lid and I have removed it. It's not a very efficient cooler, but I hate to have to do without it as there is not a lot of room on the floor.

Looks like I have 2 possibilities, but I am open to other ideas. The easiest would be to buy an 8' cable for about $100 and replace the 5' with it. I could then mount the Maxxum where the Edge was and wouldn't have to change anything else. The downside of that is that the 7' cable on the Edge is already way too long and is constantly in the way. An 8' will be even worse. Also, there is room for only 2 batteries in the back compartment, so I will have to use the same battery the cranks the outboard and powers accessories to get the 24 volts for the trolling motor. I never fish more than 6 or 7 hours, so I don't see that as too big of a deal. Still, it isn't ideal and it would be better to have 3 batteries.

The other option is to take a saw to the piece of aluminum at the front deck. I was thinking I could just cut a slot about a foot wide from the center over to where the compartment starts that has the foam in it. That compartment has a plywood cover that I temporarily removed. That would make it possible for the steering cable to lie flat on the floor and to fold upward when the motor is stowed. I could then design something to hold both of the trolling motor batteries in the area where the cooler is now. The boat currently has too much weight in the back and it porpoises at top speed if there is someone on the back seat.

I am thinking that I like the second idea best, but I would like some advice from you guys before committing to it. Once I take a saw to the aluminum, there is no going back.

Thanks for any ideas!

 

[MrGiggles]

How stuck are you on the Edge?

A Powerdrive, Ulterra, or Terrova can be ran with a remote around your neck. The Ulterra even deploys itself.

I understand that the feedback of a cable motor is not easily duplicated, but depending on how you fish, the electric steer motors can be a big advantage.

 

[coosa]

How stuck are you on the Edge?

A Powerdrive, Ulterra, or Terrova can be ran with a remote around your neck. The Ulterra even deploys itself.

I understand that the feedback of a cable motor is not easily duplicated, but depending on how you fish, the electric steer motors can be a big advantage.

The issue this boat has with the long distance from the bow to the front seat is what kept me from an electrical steering motor. For some reason, none are made with a pull rope. They have a very short mount and you have to push a button or lever on the mount before it will stow. That means I would have to crawl on the deck to the bow to push something every time I wanted to use the outboard. The Ulterra would stow itself and seemed to be my only good option for an electric steering model. The downside is that it is about $2500. I did consider it, and maybe would have bought one, but I found the Maxxum for $250, and it will meet the needs I have. I fish a lot of rocky rivers with strong current and I have done it long enough that a cable steer is second nature for me. I have back problems and have to fish sitting down.

So I am gonna make the Maxxum work, one way or another. Thanks!

 

[Weldorthemagnificent]

So for 100 bucks, why not buy the longer cable and route it through the deck? The excess can kinda bow up under the front deck.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

 

[coosa]

So for 100 bucks, why not buy the longer cable and route it through the deck? The excess can kinda bow up under the front deck.

Sent from my CLT-L04 using Tapatalk

That might be a good idea, I will give it some thought. Thanks!

 

[coosa]

I decided to just buy the longer cable and go from there when I get it. It might be possible to shorten it. Thanks for the ideas.

 

[coosa]

For anyone who was interested in this project, I have almost completed it and thought I would update it here. I bought the 8' cable and just didn't like how that extra length was going to constantly be in the way. So I decided to go with the other plan, and removed the cooler from under the front deck and modified it. I still need to put the rubber moulding along the edges of the slot, but this is how it looks now:

my best friend poem

I split the deck lid so that the cable could pass through it, and I cut a hole in the vertical wall of the deck so that the foot control unit could pass through it. The 5' cable is just long enough to sit in the exact spot that I need it. I bought 2 new group 27 batteries and made a level floor under the deck and fastened them to it. The leads from the TM can now fasten directly to the batteries with no need for a plug in receptacle.

I have used it several times and this turned out to be even more of an upgrade than I expected. The 24 volt Maxxum has far more power than the Edge, and I can run it on the 2 or 3 setting most of the time. Putting the batteries in the front made the boat ride much better too. I can now trim the outboard as much as I want without porpoising, and it actually runs a little faster.

The only downside is that I have lost my cooler, and there isn't a good place to put one. I have a little room in front of the batteries to put a soft cooler that would hold enough drinks for a day of fishing, but the fish will have to survive in the livewell.

Good boating to all.