Scotty Riser.

[gungadin]

After doing some modifications to my side console, I find I need to install a downrigger riser (Scotty 2606) in order for the rigger motor to clear the modifications I made. I intend to continue to use the swivel mount (Scotty 1026), but don't know if I should mount the swivel mount then the riser and finally the downrigger, or the riser, then the swivel mount and then the downrigger. The former option would have the locking lever on the console while the latter would put the locking leaver just under the downrigger. Any thoughts one way or the other.

 

[Rain City]

After doing some modifications to my side console, I find I need to install a downrigger riser (Scotty 2606) in order for the rigger motor to clear the modifications I made. I intend to continue to use the swivel mount (Scotty 1026), but don't know if I should mount the swivel mount then the riser and finally the downrigger, or the riser, then the swivel mount and then the downrigger. The former option would have the locking lever on the console while the latter would put the locking leaver just under the downrigger. Any thoughts one way or the other.

100% Riser then swivel

 

[wildthing]

as RC stated fittings/holes will only allow it that way i am sure anyways ...

 

[gungadin]

as RC stated fittings/holes will only allow it that way i am sure anyways ...

Well that is not accurate. It is indeed possible to mount them either way. While the instructions that come with the riser show the swivel mount on top of the riser it is just as easily mounted below.

 

[gungadin]

here are some pictures

 

[Rain City]

You don't want the swivel on the bottom. IMO it'll cause more tension on the mechanism making it harder to engage/disengage.

 

[gungadin]

I suspect you could be right, I will clamp it in a vice tomorrow and mount a loaded downrigger on it. See which is easier to rotate. I have to take into consideration that I will be sitting down down in the boat while doing it though. With a 15lb cannonball on the end of the boom, it has always been a bit more difficult to rotate from a seated position.

 

[jeffywestcoast]

You don't want the swivel on the bottom. IMO it'll cause more tension on the mechanism making it harder to engage/disengage.

My wife says this is absolutely right , for proper installation the riser should be on the bottom . We don’t need the risers on the Lifetimer because the aluminum mounts are incorporated into the rails but i have a hunch she might be right on this one .

 

[gungadin]

Thanks everyone for your input on this. I have just finished a couple of "non scientific" tests with the swivel base mounted on the bottom, then the riser and finally the downrigger on the top. And also with the riser at the bottom then the swivel base and finally the downrigger. I then hung a #15 cannonball off the boom.
There was minimal if any movement at the connections where the parts were bolted together. There was some movement in the downrigger to tilt-up mounting bracket to downrigger, that I suspect is in the downrigger mounting bolt to tilt up bracket clearance.
It is evident that the weak link in this setup is indeed the swivel base. With the swivel base mounted at the bottom the movment is very evident and is internal. With the swivel mount mounted on top of the riser the movement is still there and in the same amount. This movement in the swivel base is evident even with it standing alone, completly apart from everything.
Now I have had this swivel mount for at least 15 years and am wondering if this movement is a result of wear from use. I will go to Tyee Marine or River Sportsman this afternoon and check out a new one to see if there is this type of movement in a new one. If not I will get a new one.
It is also evident, at least to my eyes, that the leverage applied to the swivel base is greater when the base is mounted with the riser above it. This alone is enough to persuade me to mount the riser first then the swivel and finally the downrigger.

 

[Rockfish]

Gungadin. There is something else to consider depending on how big, heavy, stable, beamy high gunneled or worse, top heavy your boat already is. A riser and a heavy 15 or 20 lb ball on a rigger with a long extended boom way out the side is a lot of leverage and more so if you have down force from cable drag. You do not want to get knocked over with a cross wave from the other side in bad conditions. There is actually a technique for putting the boom way out the side to get a keel sail boat un-grounded by tipping up the lead filled keel using that leverage. It is a good idea to swing in and remove the ball/rigger with the riser side first when you are packing up to go in and install the shortest riser you can get away with.

We put the shorter Scotty riser on one of my rigger mounts last year with the swivel base at the top. The reason for adding the riser was to make it easier for the crew to get the large loaded up very heavy commercial crab traps in by getting them farther out of the water with the pot puller so they have less distance to lift and swing the sometimes 100 lb traps onto the gunnel/transom corner. We put a large rubber pad over the side on that corner to protect it when pulling the traps. I have the easy job as ballast and plant my 200 plus lbs on the other side of the boat to counter balance when they are pulling the traps.

 

[tightlines]

Here's another option if you need to add height to downrigger. I used some old mounting plates I had lying around - pop out the hex nuts and you can thread the appropriate length hex bolt. I never remove the swivel bases so it makes it a bit harder to steal as an added benefit.

 

[Rain City]

View attachment 48997

Here's another option if you need to add height to downrigger. I used some old mounting plates I had lying around - pop out the hex nuts and you can thread the appropriate length hex bolt. I never remove the swivel bases so it makes it a bit harder to steal as an added benefit.

I bolted everything with tamper proof heads on mine.

 

[gungadin]

Gungadin. There is something else to consider depending on how big, heavy, stable, beamy high gunneled or worse, top heavy your boat already is. A riser and a heavy 15 or 20 lb ball on a rigger with a long extended boom way out the side is a lot of leverage and more so if you have down force from cable drag. You do not want to get knocked over with a cross wave from the other side in bad conditions. There is actually a technique for putting the boom way out the side to get a keel sail boat un-grounded by tipping up the lead filled keel using that leverage. It is a good idea to swing in and remove the ball/rigger with the riser side first when you are packing up to go in and install the shortest riser you can get away with.

The way my rigger is set up it is very awkward to lift the boom to retrieve the weight, I have found that I can remain seated, swing the boom towards the stern, grab the snubber and lift the weight into a weight mate in the stern area. I hope this process can continue with the riser.
I know my mounting system is skookum, last year I got hung up on the bottom in about 150ft of water. The boat swung 90 degrees to starboard and heeled over almost instantly with no tiller input. Never came close to water coming up over the gunnel, but it was an OMG moment. No damage to the mounting system, just a cannonball and some 250lb downrigger line gone.
I am using the shortest riser I can with this six inch riser, it should give me about 3/4" clearance. Two of the unintended benefits are that I can now swing the boom forward and it clears the forward railing without having to lift the boom, and when the boom is towards the stern it supports my thighs should I need to answer natures call .

 

[gungadin]

View attachment 48997

Here's another option if you need to add height to downrigger. I used some old mounting plates I had lying around - pop out the hex nuts and you can thread the appropriate length hex bolt. I never remove the swivel bases so it makes it a bit harder to steal as an added benefit.

I like the setup you have for the weight retriever. I will definitely replicate that.

 

[Sir Reel]

I like the setup you have for the weight retriever. I will definitely replicate that.

I did put the cleat on my base as well. It is the same width and screws in there quite nicely

 

[gungadin]

I was surprised to discover that even a new swivel mount has quite a bit of internal movement. As a result I decided to take the swivel apart to see if I could figure out where the slop comes from. The slop is actually in the centre section where the removable section goes in. There is a lot of lateral movement and no way ( at least that I can see) to compensate for this. There just is a large gap between the inner cente section and the bottom section that IMO 90% of the slop originates. I put it all back together and eliminated all but the smallest amount of the vertical movement. I now have contact surfaces between the upper and lower sections of the swivel.
Because Scotty says do not use any lubricants on their plastic I squirted some water on the area where they are now touching. Resistance to turning decreased considerably. Despite Scottys' warning I am going to use some sort of lubricant, just don't know what yet, although it seems that silicone is the accepted lubricate for plastic.