Hey y’all I finally saved the money to get a trolling motor put on my Key West 1720. What are some places you all may recommend for installation services and what type of additional expenses might I be looking at? Thanks in advance for the help.
Charleston Marine did mine, great to work with and they fixed a couple of teething issues with the MK very quickly
cheers
Just install it yourself. They are not difficult to install and you will not have to deal with someone else monkeying around on your boat.
Given you said you saved up to buy it- save some additional cash to put towards other things such as AGM batteries, on-board chargers etc.
Follow the installation instructions and you should be good to go.
The on-board charger is a game changer, especially if you have a 24 volt system which I assume you have. Couple of hundred bucks, just plug it in and your batts will be fully charged for every trip.
The install is indeed pretty easy but make sure you have it laid out exactly as you want it to sit on your deck before you mark the drill holes. If you can keep it fully inside the rub rail when not deployed then you won’t have to worry about hitting the dock or other boats while rafting up. If are nervous about drilling into gelcoat then let a pro do it, Chas Marine is a licensed Minn Kota service center.
Chris V at Charleston Marine. They are an authorized Minnkota dealer in Charleston and will likely be the ones helping with any warranty issues.
The installer should be aware of any additional costs like quick release mount, wiring, breaker switch, charger, plug, fiberglass work, etc. Get a written quote so all parties fully understand extent of work.
You can DIY. check out genuinedealz.com for any marine tinned wire/cables you need. They can custom build length, color, terminal ends, etc…
if you choose to do the install yourself, as was said, PLEASE use marine grade tinned copper wire and glue lined heat shrink connectors
www.teamcharlestonmarine.com
www.bombislandboats.com
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O Sea D boatworks can get it done for you. They are mobile. I’ve use them multiple times for various marine electronics installs.
Great work!