# Trolling motor plug



## Evan Ott (Apr 15, 2018)

Looking to add a ipilot to my skiff. Not a huge fan of running the power cord across the deck to a plug on the front bulkhead. Or having a plastic outlet on the deck. Anyone have any cleaner looking ideas? I know one of the builders was putting the outlet into a gas filler neck. But cant seem to find any pics or information on how they did it. Or what parts they used.
Anyone have any info on that method or another clean method?

Thanks,
Evan


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## mrbacklash (Nov 1, 2008)

I went with the battery tender plug it isn’t the sleekest design but it is the most durable for sure.


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## Ryan in LA (Jan 30, 2018)

Battery tender plug. Best components to ensure nothing comes loose. Worth every penny. The male assembly is slightly larger than most plugs but the female end is as flush as they come.


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## Ctniner1 (Jun 16, 2014)

+1 on Deltran Battery Tender plug, you have the option for the male end to be a 90 degree plug like those used on the bulkhead or you can make it so that it has no angle which is what I did an put it close to the TM body so it takes up little space. I just keep silicone grease on the metal parts and make sure its installed and sealed properly to prevent water intrusion


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## NativeBone (Aug 16, 2017)

^^^^all of the above


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## Tautog166 (Jul 7, 2018)

NativeBone said:


> ^^^^all of the above
> View attachment 65824


Could you show and tell me about the other cables that come out of the trolling motor? Nmea, antenna, how do those run through the deck? Thanks


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Walter Lee said:


> Could you show and tell me about the other cables that come out of the trolling motor? Nmea, antenna, how do those run through the deck? Thanks


Wireless technology is something else...


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## Tautog166 (Jul 7, 2018)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Wireless technology is something else...


and this explains the other cables coming out of his trolling motor how?


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## Ctniner1 (Jun 16, 2014)

Those extra cables are for the foot control, I had them removed.


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

@Evan Ott I really like how mine is done. I have what looks like a stainless gas filler neck but its smaller with a two hole key. Its waterproof. Then under the deck is a rigging tube connecting the filler neck and terminates at the bulkhead, where a blue seas buss is located. The trolling motor cables are rewired and extended with a sleeve and to rings to hard nut to the buss. The buss is wited through its own breaker to the battery that is located in the front hatch. There is a waterproof “stopper” on the cables with a threaded piece that threads into the filler neck just as the cap does. 

I like it because of a few reasons. It is as water tight as one I have seen. Water can never get to your wiring or plug. Even if it gets through the filler neck it will drop into you front compartment and never contact electricity. Plus the connection is hard nutted with nyloc on the buss so no loose connections. 

Sorry for the long explination and I can take photos if you would like to PM me. Happen to answer any questions.


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## jay.bush1434 (Dec 27, 2014)

I saw the gas cap filler neck set up on a very tricked out Maverick HPXS. The cable goes through a weather tight fitting in the cap, down the neck and into the front hatch where the plug is.


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## Jumbo Jet (Mar 18, 2018)

Same setup as Native. Didn’t want the cord draping across the deck either.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Those come in white as well. I haven’t seen any rigged with them yet.


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## Marsh Pirate (Sep 15, 2016)

I have a Battery Tender plug mounted right behind the trolling motor. Its turned 180 degrees from what the previous pictures show and it's on a 1/2" piece of black starboard.


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## Evan Ott (Apr 15, 2018)

nativejax said:


> @Evan Ott I really like how mine is done. I have what looks like a stainless gas filler neck but its smaller with a two hole key. Its waterproof. Then under the deck is a rigging tube connecting the filler neck and terminates at the bulkhead, where a blue seas buss is located. The trolling motor cables are rewired and extended with a sleeve and to rings to hard nut to the buss. The buss is wited through its own breaker to the battery that is located in the front hatch. There is a waterproof “stopper” on the cables with a threaded piece that threads into the filler neck just as the cap does.
> 
> I like it because of a few reasons. It is as water tight as one I have seen. Water can never get to your wiring or plug. Even if it gets through the filler neck it will drop into you front compartment and never contact electricity. Plus the connection is hard nutted with nyloc on the buss so no loose connections.
> 
> Sorry for the long explination and I can take photos if you would like to PM me. Happen to answer any questions.


Thanks for the info. Sounds like your setup is what I’m looking for. Did you do the rigging on this? You mind posting some pics on here so others can see?


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

Evan Ott said:


> Thanks for the info. Sounds like your setup is what I’m looking for. Did you do the rigging on this? You mind posting some pics on here so others can see?


This is how Chittum is rigging most of their TM. I rarely use mine and only have a 12v system so it was slightly different than some but overall the rigging is the same. It was tough to get a decent show of the rigging tube that runs from the deck fitting to the bulk head, but its a tube bonded to the underside of the deck and opens just to the side of the hatch opening right at the break and bus bar. I opted to have a big group 31 agm in the front so when I pole solo I can add weight to the nose by way of a battery. The only time I use the TM is when I go home to Jax to see family and fish a little as home for me now is Mosquito Lagoon.


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## Marsh Pirate (Sep 15, 2016)

nativejax from what I can see this will hard wire the motor to the battery. Both MotorGuide and Minn Kota said to unplug the motor after each use and while charging.


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

Marsh Pirate said:


> nativejax from what I can see this will hard wire the motor to the battery. Both MotorGuide and Minn Kota said to unplug the motor after each use and while charging.


No sir, read through my description above. Wiring goes from TM to a Blue Seas Bus(pictured) to a breaker to the battery. When charging, depending on your model TM you can turn it off at either the foot pedal or through remote, then you switch your breaker off and can begin charging. For those that want to pull the nuts off the battery, if they feel it makes a difference, can easily but wired properly through the recommended breaker is all that is needed.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Those come in white as well. I haven’t seen any rigged with them yet.


Smack, do you have a link or source for the white Battery Tenders? I plan to convert my trolling motor plug at some point and would prefer white. Have only found black with the green label in my searches. Nativejax's set-up is very clean and unobtrusive as well.


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## Jumbo Jet (Mar 18, 2018)

Zika said:


> Smack, do you have a link or source for the white Battery Tenders? I plan to convert my trolling motor plug at some point and would prefer white. Have only found black with the green label in my searches. Nativejax's set-up is very clean and unobtrusive as well.


Battery Tender is a few minutes from me in DeLand. I’ve called and been to the factory looking for the white. I was told last year that it was discontinued.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Jumbo Jet said:


> Battery Tender is a few minutes from me in DeLand. I’ve called and been to the factory looking for the white. I was told last year that it was discontinued.


That’s crazy, you’d think it would be a big seller with all the guys wanting matching accessories.


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

Native Jax’s is about the cleanest I have seen for being water tight. I have seen it that way on a few other skiff’s and if doing a major rework or building a new skiff that’s the way to go.

I also had replaced multiple deck mounted plugs on mine due to corrosion( probably replacing them every 6 months) and wanted to go with the battery tender route. Once I saw how big that plug was I decided that wasn’t the option for me and I surely didn’t want it laying across the deck either.

My trolling motor stays on my skiff all the time so I went with a little more permanent mount I used a waterproof cable thru hull that is meant to be used on hull’s. It is still removable if I really need to by unscrewing the 4 mount screws in the deck. Just another option for some that hate dealing with these plugs.

You can see the cable clam on the deck right behind the TM on th deck in the picture with the fish. Sorry for the bad photo.









https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Sys..._1?_encoding=UTF8&refRID=CNN3YB2SAFQWD3PW44YN


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Thanks Jumbo Jet. That is crazy. I would think the demand for white would be high, although black does wear better when exposed to UV light.

Texasag07, that's a clean connection. So how do you have the rest of your set-up wired? Internal plug on the bulkhead?


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

Zika said:


> Thanks Jumbo Jet. That is crazy. I would think the demand for white would be high, although black does wear better when exposed to UV light.
> 
> Texasag07, that's a clean connection. So how do you have the rest of your set-up wired? Internal plug on the bulkhead?


My batteries are mounted up front in the hatch, it tied into breaker setup and then to the batteries.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

OK, gotcha ya. Nice set-up!

I pull my MG off occasionally, mainly during tarpon season, so I'll still need to figure out a quick-release option. Might grab a can of white spray paint and modify a Battery Tender. 

Thanks for the responses all.


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## georgiadrifter (Jan 14, 2009)

^^^ this ^^^


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## Tautog166 (Jul 7, 2018)

texasag07 said:


> Native Jax’s is about the cleanest I have seen for being water tight. I have seen it that way on a few other skiff’s and if doing a major rework or building a new skiff that’s the way to go.
> 
> I also had replaced multiple deck mounted plugs on mine due to corrosion( probably replacing them every 6 months) and wanted to go with the battery tender route. Once I saw how big that plug was I decided that wasn’t the option for me and I surely didn’t want it laying across the deck either.
> 
> ...


That is exactly what I did on mine. OP asked about tm plugs, so I assumed that he would want to remove the motor. I set mine up like yours, but have a Motorguide interfaced with my Lowrance so there’s one more hole drilled into the stopper. I also put a cable disconnect between the breaker and the motor so it is removable and watertight with an undrilled stopper. Just not as quick if there was a plug above deck.


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## Jumbo Jet (Mar 18, 2018)

Zika said:


> Thanks Jumbo Jet. That is crazy. I would think the demand for white would be high, although black does wear better when exposed to UV light.
> 
> Texasag07, that's a clean connection. So how do you have the rest of your set-up wired? Internal plug on the bulkhead?



Yeah, no worries. When my boat was being built last year, I went on a mission to find the white Battery Tender. Found a few places online, but they always said out of stock. Called Battery Tender and they said discontinued, so drove to the factory hoping one fell behind the shelf, lol. Nothing....but I would think most people would want white as well.


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## Evan Ott (Apr 15, 2018)

Thanks everyone for the info. Jax I’ll have to see if I can meet up with you when I get closer to pull the trigger on a TM. Unfortunately that got X’d of the list this week. Wife wants a Power-Pole and I want a Jackplate. Now it’s just witch shop can get me in and out quicker.


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## backbone (Jan 4, 2016)

Plugs on the deck will rust out. 
Put it on the bulkhead and get used to the cord if you want a quick disconnect TM.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

backbone said:


> Plugs on the deck will rust out.
> Put it on the bulkhead and get used to the cord if you want a quick disconnect TM.


They’ll only rust out if you don’t lube them and keep them clean. Try not washing, flushing or lubricating your outboard for a few trips in the salt and see how it looks and operates. I wouldn’t want to be tripping over a cord across the deck but it may help the plug last a little longer with no maintenance.


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## Guvner (Jun 19, 2013)

I have a battery tender under the hatch, my cable is across the deck but it's not laying off the deck and you'd have to be really trying to get your foot under it to trip over it.

I remove my TM often, so I want a quick disconnect option.


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