Mounting a winch

[broccoli]

Anyone ever mount a winch on there boat? A guy gave me a brand new 2500 lb winch and I want to mount it on the front of my boat. What do y'all suggest just bolting it down to the deck or what? When I get my boat back I've got to get to work on her

[Olly]

I've never done it but right off the bat I'd say you are going to need to re-enforce the deck and have a second battery just for the winch.

[broccoli]

That's what I was wondering I was thinking about getting a machine shop to build me a receiver to weld on the front where I could remove it when I wanted to

[Goldfish]

Maybe put a hole in the front of the boat, and have the winch inside? That way it won't be pulling the deck, it won't pull the front down, and I'd imagine you could brace it to a whole lot more. Cleaner looking too. Obviously at the down side of putting a hole closer to the waterline.

[Flightstopper]

If your running a mud motor it's a good option to be able to move it to different spots on the boat. You never get stuck the same way.

[QH's Paw]

Usually, when I'm gonna mount a wench, I get her all liquored up and then I........nevermind, I just realized you said winch not wench.

[Tomkat]

Usually, when I'm gonna mount a wench, I get her all liquored up and then I........nevermind, I just realized you said winch not wench.

Damn Mike you beat me to it! I was going to tell a tale of cheap wine and going to the drive in, and then I remembered most of these fellas dont know what a drive in was....sigh

Those were some good times.

[QH's Paw]

Usually, when I'm gonna mount a wench, I get her all liquored up and then I........nevermind, I just realized you said winch not wench.

Damn Mike you beat me to it! I was going to tell a tale of cheap wine and going to the drive in, and then I remembered most of these fellas dont know what a drive in was....sigh

Those were some good times.

How about back before the made the drivein a flat rate for per car and they tried to charge per person. We'd ride in the trunk with just a driver and passenger. I'm sure that's why they went to flat rate.
I had some cousins that lived behind drive-in and, when they changed to the tune your radio to hear the movie option, we would watch and listen from the back yard or the roof. Awe, the good ol' days. Back when you could have a fist fight after school and not get shot or sent to jail and marked for life.

[broccoli]

Maybe put a hole in the front of the boat, and have the winch inside? That way it won't be pulling the deck, it won't pull the front down, and I'd imagine you could brace it to a whole lot more. Cleaner looking too. Obviously at the down side of putting a hole closer to the waterline.

I thought about doing this but i didnt reall know of how to go about it and i just kinda new boat and the whole putting holes in a new boat still kind of makes me uncomfortable.

Tomcat, I still know what a drive in is, actuall there is one about 45 mins from the house called the Blue Moon and i still go on occasion

[Tomkat]

The drive in was a great place to drink beer, see your friends, and start a family...

[Ricky Spanish]

Usually, when I'm gonna mount a wench, I get her all liquored up and then I........nevermind, I just realized you said winch not wench.

Ahahahaha.
I was thinking the same thing.
Mounting a wench.
Yar.

[flashman252]

yup put one on my havoc 1756 mstc. That boat rides REAL shallow but if you come off plane in the shallow, its stuck. Took three hours of heaving and hauling to get it off a sand bar one day and I was done with that mess. I mounted a minnkota quick release bracket where the TM would be mounted. I have the other half on a trolling motor fortex when I bow fish, but for hunting season, the TM comes off. I bought another quick release bracket and mounted the winch to that bracket. I store winch in the front storage but when I need it, I pull it out, put it on the bracket, hook in power to the TM plug on the boat, start the mudmotor and leave it running the entire time I am winching out, and it works pretty darn well. Pulls the boat a little sideways due to the wench being off to the port side of the bow but it sure beats the heck out of pulling with a rope. Get a GOOD long solid mud pole and keep it in the boat.

Hope this helps. Duck boat is in storage as its Bass boat time. Next time I am near my duck boat, plan on taking pics as many have inquired about how my set up looks.