Downrigger mounts for aluminum gunwales

[bweese]

I know people look for these from time to time, at least I know I scoured the internet looking for ideas, so I thought I'd post my experience.
Like so many others, I scoured this forum and others looking for beefy brackets to mounts electric downriggers to. In the past, I've used the clamp-on gunwale mounts, and while they work, for my new boat on which I'm trying to build it like a tank from the ground up, I wanted to go the custom route.
I reached out to Keith at Primus Metalcraft in Chilliwack, and he made some amazing mounts that I thought I'd post in case others are ever looking for something similar.
Maybe this will give you some ideas. If nothing else, it's a shout-out to Keith, who is truly an artist in his craft.
There's a large backing plate underneath the bench, which will help with the pressure the riggers will put on the bench and gunwale.
It's solid aluminum round bar on the sides.

 

[Fixit]

wow very nice, good to distribute the tension on the whole seat instead of the hull itself, which would eventually crack (it did on my old 16ft welded)

 

[walleyes]

Nice !!

Be nice to see some pictures of your boat when it's all rigged up.

 

[Fish Assassin]

Well done..........

I only wish I owned a few sets of those over the years.

Every boat would have to be custom build though cause of height.

What do they cost?

 

[gungadin]

That looks very professional. It's hard to tell from the pictures, but did your boat come with divided seats or did you modify it? The underseat area looks like its hollowed out, is that for storage or fuel?. One more question, is the area under the floorboards filled with floatation. Just curious, and for sure would love to see more pictures of your build, especially as you progress.

 

[bigdogeh]

wow, nice job!