Closeup view of the versatile Burnewiin GM650 Mount installed on the starboard gunwale of a fishing boat.

KEEP YOUR BOAT CLEAN AND ORGANIZED: MARINE VERTIAL SURFACE, FLUSH MOUNT AND RAIL MOUNTS

A guide to Burnewiin mounts, their best use applications and mounting ideas and suggestions.

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We get a lot of questions about our mounts. What materials should I use? What configurations? What are the differences, etc. To address these queries, we'll walk you through all the ways you can use our mounts to get the most out of your boat.

Even on larger boats, gunwale space is always limited. As we walk docks at marinas all over the country, we take photos of boats that have gunwales loaded up with all kinds of different factory and after-market attachments, each typically designed for a single purpose. It has also become industry standard to install two or more ‘flush-mount’ 30-degree rod holders in each gunwale, port and starboard, on the majority of boats (many of which may never actually be used for fishing). Boat manufacturers do this in large part just because that’s how it’s always been done. And, while there’s certainly a place for this style of rod holder, and we make a very high-quality 30-degree, many times they never get used and they always occupy a prime piece of the limited gunwale space.

Burnewiin Table using our mounting system.

Even in the many fisheries where there is a practical use for 30-degree flush mounts, there are many other things commonly used on boats that need to be mounted: rod holders, downriggers, cutting boards, knives, bimini tops and shade cloths, barbeques, crab/shrimp pot pullers, etc. This is where Burnewiin products can help keep your boat from getting cluttered. We manufacture a variety of products, accessories, and adapters that allow you to configure your boat for the day’s activities, whether hard-core fishing or cruising and cocktailing.

So back to the point of this post, our mounts, which come in ‘flush-mount’ style for flat surfaces (like the gunwale of a boat or the top surface of your transom), and vertical surface mounts for locations like the inside face of a transom, cabin side, storage lazarette or locker, cabin side, etc. With the addition of a rail kit, you can quickly add a mount location anywhere you want on a cockpit rail or bow rail. We’ve even had customers locate a rail mount on the side grab handle at the back of a pilothouse cabin. All mounts feature the same patented system of internal splines at 22.5-degree increments, with a self-engaging latching mechanism providing a full 360 degrees of rotation. An integrated accessory hitching loop allows quick attachment of rod leashes, towels, and for us often serves as a great way to cinch up and finish knots if heavy offshore fishing lines. Below is a brief description of the three basic configurations.

FLUSH-MOUNT: The GM650 (investment-cast 316L Stainless) and the GM400 (injection-molded composite) are our two flush-mounts. They share the same internal geometry as all of our mounts. However, one important difference is that the splined section of the GM400 is shallower and there are a few ‘high-load’ accessories that will not snap in to this composite mount (like our U6080 adapters, commonly used for mounting downriggers). These mounts are typically used on a flat, horizontal surface, like the gunwale of a boat or the top surface of a transom section. Although, we have seen some unique applications where customers have gotten creative and mounted these on a vertical surface.

If water intrusion is a concern, there are a couple of ways to handle this. The CS3080 is primarily used for supporting cockpit covers, but also serves well as a cap or plug for mounts when not in use. Also, the DM4800 works with the GM650 and attaches via a slick bayonet style tab system cast into the bottom of the mount. For the GM400, a standard piece of 2” clear poly tubing available at most marine retailers along with a stainless-steel hose clamp will work nicely to direct water to a manageable location like a through-hull, or the bilge.

VERTICAL SURFACE: The stainless steel GM500 and its partner that composite GM300 offer solutions for mounting accessories to your boat on a vertical surface, like the coamings of a gunwale or the inside/outside face of a transom. Often times, there is not enough width on the top surface in an area you’d like to mount something, ruling out a flush-mount.

RAIL-MOUNTED: With the addition of the RK300, you can quickly mount either the GM300 or GM500 on a rail. The unique design of the mount back body and the rail kit allow installation on a horizontal rail at a vertical station, meaning that you end up with a very secure setup that resists roll. This doesn’t mean that you have to install these at a vertical support location however. The RK300 kit comes with the backing plate and two pairs of shims (shown in the photo above). The addition of the thick shims allows mounting on 7/8” OD rails, the thin shims are used for 1”OD rails, and no shims are necessary for 1.25” OD rails.