CobbFisherman
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2021
- Messages
- 86
- Reaction score
- 24
I've been searching for a quality full boat cover for my 1800 center console that fit nice and tight. I have a bow mounted trolling motor that is NOT removable. Literally every cover company I contacted told me that I'd have to remove the trolling motor to make their cover work. Sure, I could have bought one of those quick release plates and re-mounted my motor, but I didn't want to deal with that. I wanted a cover that accommodated my trolling motor and couldn't find one. I bought several 'generic' covers, and they were all baggy enough to fit over my trolling motor, but like all generic covers, they were so baggy that they flapped in the wind and pooled water, etc. I just wasn't happy with either of the generic covers I tried.
LaPorte (aka T-Top Covers) makes a very nice fitted cover for the 1800/1801 both with and without a t-top, but their sales rep was adamant that it would not fit with a bow mounted trolling motor. They have several options to select from, to customize the cover, one of which is a bow pulpit/anchor roller cutout. I took a chance and ordered the cover with the pulpit/anchor roller cutout hoping that my trolling motor would fit through the hole, despite the sales rep telling me that it wouldn't work. Nothing like taking a $1000 gamble...
It fits perfectly! Some caveats here are that the pulpit/anchor roller cutout hole is about 12'' in diameter and is perfectly centered at the point of the bow. I have a Motorguide iX5, and it fits through the 12'' hole, but its a tight squeeze. My trolling motor is only offset from the center line by about 6'', so I'm able to slightly shift the cover over to make it fit. If your trolling motor is more offset than that, or your trolling motor has a much larger base than the iX5, you might have a fitment issue.
Attached are some photos of my boat with the cover on. It's pictured on my trailer, but I also use it on my boat lift, and the sand bags keep it secure and prevent water pooling even through thunder storms.
I thought this info might help someone else who is trying to find a boat cover solution that's compatible with their non-removable bow mounted trolling motor. Happy winterization!
LaPorte (aka T-Top Covers) makes a very nice fitted cover for the 1800/1801 both with and without a t-top, but their sales rep was adamant that it would not fit with a bow mounted trolling motor. They have several options to select from, to customize the cover, one of which is a bow pulpit/anchor roller cutout. I took a chance and ordered the cover with the pulpit/anchor roller cutout hoping that my trolling motor would fit through the hole, despite the sales rep telling me that it wouldn't work. Nothing like taking a $1000 gamble...
It fits perfectly! Some caveats here are that the pulpit/anchor roller cutout hole is about 12'' in diameter and is perfectly centered at the point of the bow. I have a Motorguide iX5, and it fits through the 12'' hole, but its a tight squeeze. My trolling motor is only offset from the center line by about 6'', so I'm able to slightly shift the cover over to make it fit. If your trolling motor is more offset than that, or your trolling motor has a much larger base than the iX5, you might have a fitment issue.
Attached are some photos of my boat with the cover on. It's pictured on my trailer, but I also use it on my boat lift, and the sand bags keep it secure and prevent water pooling even through thunder storms.
I thought this info might help someone else who is trying to find a boat cover solution that's compatible with their non-removable bow mounted trolling motor. Happy winterization!
