In the first segment of this week's episode of DIY's Shipshape Boating, host John Greviskis went over the types of outriggers, the components of the outrigger and the best location for mounting the outriggers. In this segment he actually begins the installation process. Installing the Outriggers - Measure out where you want to position the base of the outrigger using a pencil and tape measure.
- Use a hole saw to drill a 1-5/8" hole at a 45-degree angle -- going forward (figure A).
- Once the hole is drilled, dry fit the base into the gunnel hole to make sure it fits. If you have any gap whatsoever, be sure to rout out the hole a bit more, and you can do this with a carbide-grit round file.
- Once the hole is finished, come back with some five-minute epoxy to prevent rotting. You can apply the epoxy with an artist brush.
Note: You must always encapsulate exposed wood on a boat to prevent rotting. - Once the epoxy is on, slide in the outrigger base and mark out for the mounting hardware. Drill the four holes through the gunnel and be sure to countersink the holes to prevent spider cracking.
- Seal each hole with a marine-grade silicone sealant, apply the stainless through-bolts into the base (figure B) and tighten everything up with a screwdriver.
- Following the previous steps, mount the second base.
Rigging the Outriggers Outriggers come with a standard rigging kit (figure C) that include the following: - Nylon cord
- Shock (bungie) cord with a stainless steel pulley
- A double-sided crimp
- A couple of snap swivels
- Barrel swivel
- Barrel stop
- Release clip
- And a couple of pad eyes.
To assemble the rigging: - Take one end of the nylon cord and slice through the barrel stop, which keeps the rigging from going through the eyelet (figure D) on the rigger pole.
- Continue to slide the cord through the double-sided crimp.
- Then slide the cord through the loop of one of the snap swivels.
- Take the end of the cord and slide it through the other opening in the double-sided crimp and create a stop by tying an overhand knot (figure E). Pull it tight and you're set on this end.
- Take a look at the snap swivel and note how it's open. You can either open it or close it off by squeezing on it. You want to open the swivel and put on the release clip (figure F).
Note: The fishing line will go into the release clip, which opens and closes. - Once the release clip is on the snap swivel, squeeze the snap closed to secure the clip.
- For the other side, slide the nylon cord through one end of the barrel swivel.
- Continue sliding the cord, this time through the snap swivel and then go through the other side of the barrel swivel, and once again, tie an overhand knot (see figure E).
- Now it's time to install the pad eyes (figure G) on the boat -- about half-way between the forward rod holder and the base for the outrigger.
- Mark the holes with a pencil, drill the holes, countersink the holes, seal them with marine-grade silicone sealant and hold them into place using stainless steel, self-tapping screws.
Now that the rigging is put together, it's time to attach the shock cord to the mounted eyelet, take the outrigger pole and put it into the outrigger arm and run the rigging through the pole eyelets (figure H). You'll need to adjust the nylon cord and extend the outrigger pole into the fully extended position. Next, pull on the barrel swivel and snap swivel until you have them "about" tight. Finally, run the riggings through the pulley on the shock cord. You want to leave approximately a foot or two of slack so you'll have room for adjustment with the nylon cord. Once everything is positioned perfectly, cut the nylon cord, tie off an overhand knot and to prevent fraying, burn the end of the cord with a little bit of heat. You're all set to hit the water and enjoy your newly installed outriggers. Gone fishing!
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