Off-center rudder mount to clear a trolling motor
Yes, the rudder can move to one of the flanking Power-Pole positions — we just haven't formally tested rudder performance offset, so most owners do the opposite and offset the motor instead.
Yes, you can. The stern has three Power-Pole positions — center plus two flanking — and the rudder will bolt to any of the three. We just haven't run formal testing on rudder performance with the blade offset to a flank, so an honest hedge: it's been done by customers, but we can't quote you exact authority numbers.
The more common move
Most owners who want both a motor and a working rudder do the opposite: offset the motor to a flanking Power-Pole and keep the rudder centered. Reason — the rudder works best in the centerline stream behind the hull. Side-mounting the motor still gives you propulsion authority without giving up rudder authority.
Newport NK180 Pro owners in particular have had good luck with this configuration: NK180 on one flanking mount, rudder still in the center.
When offset rudder makes more sense
A few cases where you might still want the rudder offset:
- You're running a center-mount trolling motor that requires the centerline (some Power-Pole-base motors are designed around that exact footprint).
- You're using a Power-Pole Micro Anchor in the center for spot-locking.
- Your motor's prop wash interferes with a centered rudder blade.
In those cases, move the rudder to one of the flanking mounts. The Power-Pole pattern is identical at all three positions — same bolts, same install.
Either way, the configuration uses the same hardware
The rudder kit ships with the Power-Pole mounting base, so swapping positions doesn't mean ordering anything new. It's the same four bolts, just in a different set of holes.
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