# Poling platform height



## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

I'm taking delivery of my Glades X tunnel in 2 weeks and I'll be doing most of the rigging when I get it back to Texas. It will have an elevated transom and a short shaft 30 e-tec. I want as squatty of a platform as possible. This motor has manual tilt so when I stop running and get on the platform I think I can run the jack plate up, tilt the motor to the first catch and the skeg won't drag bottom. If that was the end of it, I think I could go pretty low with platform. BUT, being a manual tilt motor if I ever hit some or run hard aground the motor is going to flip all of the way up potentially cramming it into the platform. So what is my question? I don't know. I'm envisioning a platform sort of like Maverick puts on some of their HPX-Ts. 

I've had this picture on my computer for a while. Can anyone tell what boat this is and maybe I can get some other pictures of this platform?


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

You can't have both tilt and jack on a low platform


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

permitchaser said:


> You can't have both tilt and jack on a low platform



Sure you can. If the platform is located far enough forward, I could mount a Verado 350 and it would clear.


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## KnotHome (Jul 21, 2009)

Then mount it forward like your picture, and make it any height you want.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

KnotHome said:


> Then mount it forward like your picture, and make it any height you want.


I found more pictures of that boat. It's not mounted forward at all.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

That whole issue of platform height is one that guys with much older boats face as well... Since newer motors sit a bit higher than some of the older two strokes - particularly for boats like my old Maverick that actually needed a taller platform to accommodate a new motor....

Here's the first thing I'd do before getting that new platform (or having one made the way I had to around 15 years ago). Once your motor is in place tilt it as high as it's able to go (including kick-up if it can go higher - then have the lowest interior portion of your platform (since that's the only measurement your motor needs) around two to three inches higher...
It's probably a good idea to have your mechanic (or whatever dealer you're using) tell you how much clearance they think that motor will need.... Remember as well that if you add a jackplate (something I'm not fond of at all....) that by itself the jackplate can end up raising your engine much too high for your tilt/trim.... I've seen more than one engine that crunched up against a poling platform after the owner used the trim/tilt without making sure the jacker was in the all the way down position. I've actually damaged two big engines (way over 200hp) doing that myself when running someone else's boat (not my finest moment - like I said - I dislike jackplates ,for a variety of reasons....).


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

You keep mentioning your dislike of jackplates. Could you start a thread on why.


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

lemaymiami said:


> That whole issue of platform height is one that guys with much older boats face as well... Since newer motors sit a bit higher than some of the older two strokes - particularly for boats like my old Maverick that actually needed a taller platform to accommodate a new motor....
> 
> Here's the first thing I'd do before getting that new platform (or having one made the way I had to around 15 years ago). Once your motor is in place tilt it as high as it's able to go (including kick-up if it can go higher - then have the lowest interior portion of your platform (since that's the only measurement your motor needs) around two to three inches higher...
> It's probably a good idea to have your mechanic (or whatever dealer you're using) tell you how much clearance they think that motor will need.... Remember as well that if you add a jackplate (something I'm not fond of at all....) that by itself the jackplate can end up raising your engine much too high for your tilt/trim.... I've seen more than one engine that crunched up against a poling platform after the owner used the trim/tilt without making sure the jacker was in the all the way down position. I've actually damaged two big engines (way over 200hp) doing that myself when running someone else's boat (not my finest moment - like I said - I dislike jackplates ,for a variety of reasons....).


Thanks for the reply. Yeah, the motor on my old BT was mounted high on a manual jack plate and it would not tilt all the way up without hitting the platform. I can live with that.

The platform on my BT was also mounted well forward of the stern and it poled great, but it also had sponsons. On a boat with no sponsons most people mount the platform over the very stern of the boat. I don't know what it would do if I mounted the platform just a little forward. That combined with the setback on my jack plate just might be the ticket.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

Sublime said:


> Thanks for the reply. Yeah, the motor on my old BT was mounted high on a manual jack plate and it would not tilt all the way up without hitting the platform. I can live with that.
> 
> The platform on my BT was also mounted well forward of the stern and it poled great, but it also had sponsons. On a boat with no sponsons most people mount the platform over the very stern of the boat. I don't know what it would do if I mounted the platform just a little forward. That combined with the setback on my jack plate just might be the ticket.


Yes I would move the platform as far forward as possible and still give a little room for the front fly rod caster. Just make sure you have plenty of room to operate the tiller handle. Also better weight distribution on a skiff without sponsons and easier to control with the pole.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

One last thought about poling towers.... before you locate the tower forward a bit (which is a great idea since it moves your weight forward - reducing the actual effect of your weight on the transom -where there's already that motor, and that tower....) you might want to pole a similar setup and see exactly what will be in your way when you're actually poling with a tower moved forward a bit. Yes, you can learn to put up with anything but if you're planning on spending day after day, pushpole in hand, you'll get pretty tired of anything that doesn't allow you to pole effectively...

Balancing out your skiff between running and fishing where your actual location will be can be great fun. My first two "bonefish skiffs" ( a 12' dink and a 16' Starcraft that we built a custom interior for, all those years ago) never had towers at all.... My next move was to a baby SeaCraft (18'10", only 1400lbs hull weight) and it actually mounted a pushpole (used to pole up onto the edges of flats - or to pole out of water that I'd run aground in....) and never had a tower either. The first skiff I ever had with a tower (now on it's second tower) is the same 28 year old Maverick I work out of today.... You won't find a trolling motor on it either - it's strictly a poling operation for me.


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## Blue Zone (Oct 22, 2011)

Sublime said:


> I'm taking delivery of my Glades X tunnel in 2 weeks and I'll be doing most of the rigging when I get it back to Texas. It will have an elevated transom and a short shaft 30 e-tec. I want as squatty of a platform as possible. This motor has manual tilt so when I stop running and get on the platform I think I can run the jack plate up, tilt the motor to the first catch and the skeg won't drag bottom. If that was the end of it, I think I could go pretty low with platform. BUT, being a manual tilt motor if I ever hit some or run hard aground the motor is going to flip all of the way up potentially cramming it into the platform. So what is my question? I don't know. I'm envisioning a platform sort of like Maverick puts on some of their HPX-Ts.
> 
> I've had this picture on my computer for a while. Can anyone tell what boat this is and maybe I can get some other pictures of this platform?


That is potentially a cool little skiff; what is it?

BTW, you need clearance to get the cowling off not just for service, but also emergency fixes...


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## Sublime (Oct 9, 2015)

Blue Zone said:


> That is potentially a cool little skiff; what is it?
> 
> BTW, you need clearance to get the cowling off not just for service, but also emergency fixes...


Spear Boatworks

http://spearflatsskiffs.com/skiffs/new-gladesx-photos/


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## TGlidden (May 24, 2013)

A forward mounted poling platform would drive me nuts, anything behind you will change how effectively you can maneuver the skiff. My second 18' skiff had the platform mounted about 6" forward of the aft edge of the skiff, my current 18' platform is mounted on the aft edge. That 6" difference makes a huge difference in how the boat handles. I'd recommend as far back as you can get it, and make it tall enough to clear. Downside there is tall platforms are less stable. Capt. LeMay had some great advice above. What I did was give up my tunnel skiff and jack plate, tunnel because I don't need one and jack plate for several reasons. If you want to try a low forward platform, prior to having one built, you could use a cooler or casting platform.


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## sjrobin (Jul 13, 2015)

TGlidden said:


> A forward mounted poling platform would drive me nuts, anything behind you will change how effectively you can maneuver the skiff. My second 18' skiff had the platform mounted about 6" forward of the aft edge of the skiff, my current 18' platform is mounted on the aft edge. That 6" difference makes a huge difference in how the boat handles. I'd recommend as far back as you can get it, and make it tall enough to clear. Downside there is tall platforms are less stable. Capt. LeMay had some great advice above. What I did was give up my tunnel skiff and jack plate, tunnel because I don't need one and jack plate for several reasons. If you want to try a low forward platform, prior to having one built, you could use a cooler or casting platform.


Yeah Sublime you better try out different poling platform locations. Not sure where in Texas you intend to sight cast, but with the tunnel on that light skiff and 160 lb motor and your weight you will have to be careful with the water depth when you drop off plane. The skiff will squat with the tunnel and heavy motor making more weight forward important for poling shallow. I ran a HB Glades Skiff for twelve years with a 115 lb 30HP Tohat. I am 200 lb . The Spears probably know someone with your set up. If they don't...... I would go with the Spears recommendation.


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## bjtripp83 (Aug 10, 2015)

fabricating the platform w/ a notch in the center back might be a workable compromise


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