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Flush mount rod holders on bow for shade poles?
- Thread starter kas919
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2019 Freedom 285 does not have the flush mounted rod holders on the bow for the easy up bow shade. I'm curious if anyone has gone ahead and installed a smaller diameter rod holder for the poles for the easy up bow shade? Thanks
They're very straight forward to install. Drill hole, drill pilot holes for screws, chamfer pilot holes, install. Was there something specific you were wondering about?
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No, I think it sounds pretty straightforward. I was just wanting to hear from someone who maybe had done the project. So thank you
Mustang65fbk
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Not sure if you're going the stock route or not, but it looks like in the picture you attached, as well as the one I'll link below that it's not just a standard rod holder that they use. If you zoom in on the picture that I've linked below, you can see that there's a flip top to the holder. I imagine a call to your local Grady White dealer could get you a couple of the holders, if you're going the stock route and that's what you're wanting to use. If not, I imagine there's a multitude of different options out there. Good luck.
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It's interesting that you mentioned that because earlier today I was given the name of a guy who lives down in the Florida keys and he puts together a bow shade kit and uses the actual fitting that we see in the picture here. They have a 15% angle so you insert them facing forward therefore with the bend in the pole always keeping tension on the shade. He sells the poles, hardware and shade for 950 and the stainless deck inserts w flip cap for 225. He is offering a discount on the shade and poles if you purchase before the end of the year. I've attached a picture that he sent to me of his deck fitting. His name is David Ryers and his Instagram in @never_enough_boat_shades
(305) 879-5621
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You'll be fine. While I haven't installed holders in YOUR boat, I've installed them dozens and dozens of times over the years... and drilled into boats in all sorts of spots even more times. This isn't to toot my own horn but just to relay that whether someone has done it on a particular model or not doesn't really matter. It's just gel and fiberglass. If you're doing angled ones, flip it upside down to match the angle when drilling.
Not very familiar with your boat. But from the pictures it looks like your going to have to figure out drainage for what ever rod holder or fitting you choose. If you have cup holders up there you may be able to tap into those drainage lines.
If you’re not set on rod holders, look in to surface mount attachment. Oodles of options in Bimini mounts.
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Yes, and I might even have to remove the cup holders if I can, so that I can get my hand in there and put the backing plate on those recessed shade pole holders. That was what somebody recommended But yeah, I would imagine I could tap into the cup holder drain tubes as well. I'm hoping that removing the cup holders is as simple as maybe just running a thin razor knife to perhaps break a silicone seal If they're glued in there, or epoxied in there, I think I'm screwed.
They won't be glued in. Can you reach them from the anchor locker and push up?
Do things up there just drain right into the anchor locker?
Can you not reach through the anchor locker for the backer plates?
Do things up there just drain right into the anchor locker?
Can you not reach through the anchor locker for the backer plates?
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Dennis, thanks for your input and you know, I don't even have the boat yet I told my wife that we probably would wait three or four maybe five months before we even started looking and we boat in Fort Myers that it just seemed like it was too good to be true and we put it deposit on it last week and we've got the C trial coming up a week from Monday along with the survey lot more than but I know I definitely want to put a bow shade on it. I did get a really nice drawing actually a technical drawing from Grady White, which I'll post but yeah, II think I'll really have to see the boat and be at the boat to know if I can get down in there and if my arm will reach over to the edge of the boat to put the backing plate on that holder because according to thing I've heard having that backing plate bolted in is critical. I apologize for any spelling or punctuation or grammatical errors. I use voice to text. Ha, ha
