Intex Mariner 4 modifications and Tips

[Brusac]

I watched Craigslist for months and then I saw a posting for an older Minn Kota (forget the model) 30lb thrust transom mount with foot pedal control (don't think they make that combo anymore) for $25. I did have to replace a frayed wire (took about an hour) and then take apart and clean the foot pedal controls (another 30 minutes). With a new battery I have been out for 5 hours and then battery was still at 75% capacity when I threw it on the charger. It gets the M4 around with plenty of power, even against choppy lake currents. If you have more time to spare than money it may well be worth keeping an eye on craigslist for a good deal.

 

[KingPhoenix]

"I'm trying to decide what type of motor to get. I was thinking of the minn Kota maxx50, it's $300from amazon, but I was looking at the Endura 30 and it's half the price. I thought the 50 would be good for if I take the wife and kids out and for the future when I get a bigger boat. But the price on the 30 is nice. I have no boating experience, so I have no idea how well either will work.
What size engine are you guys running?"

Hi Kingfisher,

It's been a year since I bought my engine and I did a lot of research before doing so. And I can say without a doubt I do not regret my final choice.

I went for a 40lb Minn Kota Endura Max. The Endura Max not only extends your battery life, but it also gives you far greater speed control if you're trolling.

Cheaper Minn Kota's (the plain old Endura) have notches for speed 1-5 or 6. The Endura Max allows you to set speed between the notches for more control. My friend has another brand of motor and it has fixed speed notches and he feels his best trolling speed would be between two speeds, which he cannot access.

My advice is to spend more up front for the motor and buy an Endura Max. Not only does it come with a built in battery meter, it will save you money on marine batteries as it drains them far less.

As regards which lb thrust to buy, as I recall from my research, the more lb thrust your engine has the more it will drain your battery, and you will see little or no difference in speed between a 40 and 50. What WILL make a difference to speed is to buy a Minn Kota Weedless Wedge prop to replace the one that comes with the motor.

My 40lb Kota pushes the Mariner 4 with its ply floor, boat seats, custom motor mount, bowboard laden with crates, with 2 people trolling 4 rods and at 50% speed I can get between 4-6 hours from a 110 AH battery depending on wind speed.

Hope this helps.

Thanks, this helps alot. I'm going to keep my eye out for a used motor, I was wondering how much of a difference the maximizer made. I'll shoot for a 40+

 

[ScottishScript]

Thanks, this helps alot. I'm going to keep my eye out for a used motor, I was wondering how much of a difference the maximizer made. I'll shoot for a 40+

And Kingfisher I meant to say, I never drain my batteries more than 50% before switching them on the boat. Drain them more than that and they will lose their longevity. So I'm getting 4-6 hours on half the battery's charge, just wanted to be clear about that.

 

[KingPhoenix]

Wow that's pretty solid!!

Sorry, follow up since i can't find info anywhere online, im assuming you are using a 36" shaft?

And Kingfisher I meant to say, I never drain my batteries more than 50% before switching them on the boat. Drain them more than that and they will lose their longevity. So I'm getting 4-6 hours on half the battery's charge, just wanted to be clear about that.

 

[Starkonian]

No Title

Non-modification post here...photo of the first nice bass out the M-4 this weekend. The wood floor is awesome!

 

[ScottishScript]

Sorry, follow up since i can't find info anywhere online, im assuming you are using a 36" shaft?

Yes Kingfisher, 36".

And I said I'd post some pics next time I was out with a friend to show the 2 man four rod set up.




In the next one you can better see the 'bow board' which allows me to set up two more rod holders.



Side view. The 'bow board' really allows you to get junk olff the floor and out of the way.


I used Scotty rod holders with a flush mount plus extender arms. I used the boat's original rod holder to help hold board in place.


The bow board is attached using mini bungee cords.

 

[flukesofnature]

Scottish
For some reason your pics did not post well this time...did you change formats by any chance?

 

[ScottishScript]

Scottish
For some reason your pics did not post well this time...did you change formats by any chance?

No they were jpegs as usual I shall try once again.

 

[Starkonian]

Damn Scottish, I suspect there are fishing trawlers who would envious of your setup. Nice custom work. What's your setup time with all that gear?

 

[ScottishScript]

What's your setup time with all that gear?

Hi Stark,

It all depends, like how close is the car to the water etc. But if it's the two person setup with someone who knows the drill, we can be on the water in 45 minutes.

I'm constantly tweaking the customised bits to ensure the least amount of hassle. Right now I'm more irritated by how long it takes to set up all the rods and reels. I'm thinking about buying a roof box so I can take them to the loch already set up.

The time it takes is not so important in the summer, but in winter here we have far fewer daylight hours so time is precious.

 

[Starkonian]

Anyone mount a volt meter to their battery box? I'm thinking about getting this:

 

[CopperFox]

MRDRH88: The end of an era, you moving on from the M4. Within the next week I expect I'll be doing the same, though likewise will continue to check in here. I'm still very satisfied with the M4, and don't really lack a thing when fishing from it, either alone or with a buddy. My set-up, even with 2 pedestal, swivel, padded seats and a full work station was never more then 20-25 minutes. And I fish either every weekend or every other weekend throughout the year (Seattle area). But between set-up and break down, plus car load up and unpacking, there was 90+ minutes in addition to travel that wasn't spent fishing. And I've been very lucky to get rides from friends out into Puget Sound for crabbing seasons. But that's a lot of generosity on their part and dependance, on mine. I'll most likely pick up a 12' Hi-Laker, with trailer and 8 horse Evenrude, soon. Not much difference in size, but I never found I needed it. The M4 is a great boat, and it accepts great, relatively simple modifications that can make it a great fishing boat. I'm glad I got it and invested the time. It was all well worth it. For those of you thinking of getting an M4, or in the process of modding one out: Good luck! I think you too will be very happy.

 

[flukesofnature]

Copper
Thanks for all your posts and info...

 

[CopperFox]

Flukes: Thank you. Great group of people here and I've been happy to learn and share. I'll still be up for questions if I can be of any help. As it turns out I did end up getting the set up I described above. I've had it for about 10 days now and first because of strong wind and rain, now because of sub freezing temperatures, I have yet to get on the water! Everything looked even better than the photos so I didn't hesitate. I think I'll still keep my M4 though, for those lakes that are too remote to allow a trailer to back up to them. Good luck over the coming year everyone!

 

[volkeith]

This thread is absolutely awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to mount a gas motor and not have it swamp the stern or the motor. Ytube shows a video of the the setup I hope to use...an M4 and a suzuki 2.5.

Will a hydrofoil prevent what is happening in the video?

or is that just a product of weight distrubution?

thanks

keith

 

[volkeith]

This is the video I was talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ow6aDsaLDs

That looks like a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[MattFromFlorida]

I recently bought an intex mariner 4 and thanks to all the awesome posts from you guys, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do with mine. I've had an amazing time with this boat and I've used it every weekend for the past couple of months. Everything I bought for the boat came from either ebay or amazon and everything seems to work really well. The motor works surprisingly well. I've read some reviews of people saying that cheap chinese motors are crap, but mine is easy to start, good on gas and it seems like an honest 3.5hp. I think some of the bad reviews likely come from people that aren't familiar with marine mechanics. just sayin.. lol anyways thanks for all the inspiration guys. you helped me do this more than anyone.

Best,
Matt

The add on parts are as follows:

two bow brismarina bimini

wise boat seat stand

attwood boat seats

swivel connectors

helmsmate 51 inch u joint tiller extension (fits perfectly in the oar holder when in use)

intex motor mount

magna cart hand truck (used as a boat dolly. just strap it into the back of the boat and lift with the front handle)

hangkai 2 stroke 3.5hp

omega type II life jackets

and a whole bunch of small items that aren't worth listing.

 

[1idahoguy]

Great thread here! I'm getting ready to pull the trigger on a Mariner 4, and the mods outlined on here are awesome. Just want to say thanks for everyone who's taken the time to detail what's possible.

Question: does anyone happen to have a video, showing the stability of the M4 with the wood floor? Specifically, I'm looking for a video of someone standing up and/or moving around on the wood floor while out on the water.

Again, thanks all.

 

[Slayer33]

I recently bought an intex mariner 4 and thanks to all the awesome posts from you guys, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do with mine. I've had an amazing time with this boat and I've used it every weekend for the past couple of months. Everything I bought for the boat came from either ebay or amazon and everything seems to work really well. The motor works surprisingly well. I've read some reviews of people saying that cheap chinese motors are crap, but mine is easy to start, good on gas and it seems like an honest 3.5hp. I think some of the bad reviews likely come from people that aren't familiar with marine mechanics. just sayin.. lol anyways thanks for all the inspiration guys. you helped me do this more than anyone.

Best,
Matt

wow, nice! I've been considering getting a outboard just like yours.. a 3.5hp 4-stroke tho vs the 2-stroke, but like you said about some bad reviews, I have been skeptical on trading in my 55# minn kota setup for a gas engine....

I'm still triyng to decide if its really worth it tho going from a silent trolling motor to a gas one.. do you really go much faster?

 

[Guest]

I recently bought an intex mariner 4 and thanks to all the awesome posts from you guys, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to do with mine. I've had an amazing time with this boat and I've used it every weekend for the past couple of months. Everything I bought for the boat came from either ebay or amazon and everything seems to work really well. The motor works surprisingly well. I've read some reviews of people saying that cheap chinese motors are crap, but mine is easy to start, good on gas and it seems like an honest 3.5hp. I think some of the bad reviews likely come from people that aren't familiar with marine mechanics. just sayin.. lol anyways thanks for all the inspiration guys. you helped me do this more than anyone.

Great to see your enjoying your rig. Which part of florida are you in?
If you look as desode (creater of this thread, he uses a mid 70's outboard. Would love to see how well the chinese outboard perform 40 years later. Main reason people do not like the chinese outboard is because parts are not available everywhere. one little peice of plastic snaps and it will be super hard to find a replacement part nevermind finding a local dealer who repairs them.