Q1: how useful is a poling platform on a 170 MONTAUK?
Q2: will a poling platform on a 170 MONTAUK cause [excessive] stress on the transom?
Q3: can a 170 MONTAUK be easily propelled by using a pole?
Q4: on a 170 MONTAUK can a trolling motor on the bow be used in conjunction with a poling platform?
170 MONTAUK Poling Platform: Four Questions
Re: 170 MONTAUK Poling Platform: Four Questions
I presume your interest in having a poling platform is related to angling in very shallow water for species that are easily spooked by propulsion noises. If that is the essential use for the 170 MONTAUK boat, I suspect you may be disappointed in the 170 MONTAUK for that use.
The 170 MONTAUK is an extraordinarily popular 17-foot open skiff that suits many purposes, but it is not particularly designed for having extremely shallow draft, for having very high resistance to listing side-to-side, for tolerating high weight-loading in the extreme bow, for being propelled by poling, and for moving silently through the water. The Boston Whaler traditional hull design tends to produce a chine slap noise when making headway into any waves. This noise-making may alone be sufficient to degrade its use in shallow water angling for species that are easily spooked. Standing in the bow peak will result in a pronounced change in trim to be down by the bow, a result of the generally fine entry of the bow and its flair. Because of the narrow beam and the somewhat rounded bottom, moving side-to-side in the boat will result in some list to the heavy side, much more so than in a flatter bottom boat with wider beam.
Putting the weight of an adult human at an elevation of several feet above the engine, and then requiring that from that position considerable force be applied to a pole to propel the boat may be asking for a very high degree of balance and coordination from that adult human. Before undertaking the addition of a poling platform, you might want to test the boat stability with that much elevated weight. For example, temporarily install two ladders in the stern of the cockpit, retaining them with ratchet straps, and rig a temporary platform between them. Then climb onto the platform and assess the hull stability. Then try propelling the boat with a pole. This will answer your question regarding the difficult in propelling the 170 MONTAUK by pole. Note that the height of the poling platform must be high enough to allow the engine to be tilted clear of the water. This clearance must be carefully assessed in the design of the platform
I recommend you consider getting a boat designed specifically for the particular type of shallow water angling in which a poling platform is essential along with other hull characteristics if that is truly an important factor in choosing a boat.
ASIDE: I don't recall that Boston Whaler offered an option for a poling platform on a 170 MONTAUK. Assuming you plan to install a poling platform on an existing 170 MONTAUK, you should realize that making a modification like that will require that the work be done to the same standards that Boston Whaler would have required if they had provided the poling platform. Owner-added structures generally tend to detract from the value of a Boston Whaler boat unless the design and workmanship of the added structure is similar in style and quality to the original components of the boat.
The 170 MONTAUK is an extraordinarily popular 17-foot open skiff that suits many purposes, but it is not particularly designed for having extremely shallow draft, for having very high resistance to listing side-to-side, for tolerating high weight-loading in the extreme bow, for being propelled by poling, and for moving silently through the water. The Boston Whaler traditional hull design tends to produce a chine slap noise when making headway into any waves. This noise-making may alone be sufficient to degrade its use in shallow water angling for species that are easily spooked. Standing in the bow peak will result in a pronounced change in trim to be down by the bow, a result of the generally fine entry of the bow and its flair. Because of the narrow beam and the somewhat rounded bottom, moving side-to-side in the boat will result in some list to the heavy side, much more so than in a flatter bottom boat with wider beam.
Putting the weight of an adult human at an elevation of several feet above the engine, and then requiring that from that position considerable force be applied to a pole to propel the boat may be asking for a very high degree of balance and coordination from that adult human. Before undertaking the addition of a poling platform, you might want to test the boat stability with that much elevated weight. For example, temporarily install two ladders in the stern of the cockpit, retaining them with ratchet straps, and rig a temporary platform between them. Then climb onto the platform and assess the hull stability. Then try propelling the boat with a pole. This will answer your question regarding the difficult in propelling the 170 MONTAUK by pole. Note that the height of the poling platform must be high enough to allow the engine to be tilted clear of the water. This clearance must be carefully assessed in the design of the platform
I recommend you consider getting a boat designed specifically for the particular type of shallow water angling in which a poling platform is essential along with other hull characteristics if that is truly an important factor in choosing a boat.
ASIDE: I don't recall that Boston Whaler offered an option for a poling platform on a 170 MONTAUK. Assuming you plan to install a poling platform on an existing 170 MONTAUK, you should realize that making a modification like that will require that the work be done to the same standards that Boston Whaler would have required if they had provided the poling platform. Owner-added structures generally tend to detract from the value of a Boston Whaler boat unless the design and workmanship of the added structure is similar in style and quality to the original components of the boat.