Raymarine Dragonfly 4 and 5 Chartplotter and Sonar Marine Mounts

The Raymarine Dragonfly 4 and Dragonfly 5 sonar and GPS chartplotters are good devices that you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on.  Heck, you don’t need to spend more than a few hundred on them.  These are solidly made featuring a 4 or 5 inch diagonal display with all the mainstream features that one typically needs.

Since this is a site about mounts versus chartplotters, we won’t go into the technical specifications of the Raymarine Dragonfly 4 and 5.  However, we will go into depth regarding how to mount these devices.

The Raymarine Dragonfly 4 and 5 share the same mount mechanism and it’s one of the more unusual ones we have seen.  Near the bottom towards the back is a M6 x 30 thread screw hole.  It’s the same concept as a tripod.  Twist the device onto the mounting screw.  It’s a larger heavier duty screw versus a tripod, but you get the idea.

The mount that comes with the Raymarine Dragonfly 4 and 5 is shown in the photo that accompanies this article.  That’s the Ball & Socket Mount for Dragonfly 4 / 5 and Wi-Fish.  It’s a flat surface mount that almost sits flush to the surface.  Four screws are provided.  Three for drilling into the flat surface and one that matches that M6 x 30 thread pattern on the back of the device.  The resulting mount configuration is a ball and socket swivel attached to the back of the Raymarine Dragonfly.

This is a good basic mount.  Quite similar to ones found with other similarly priced marine devices.  It’s made of plastic and is designed for permanently mounting to a flat surface on a boat.  You can easily remove the Raymarine Dragonfly from the mount which is important, especially for people concerned about potential theft.

However, there are a few drawbacks.  First, you need to drill holes into your boat.  Some don’t mind doing this.  Secondly, outside of the small swivel, the Raymarine Dragonly is relatively fixed in position when using this mount.  There isn’t a way to swing it out of the way.

Luckily there are some thoughtful alternatives for mounting a Dragonfly.  Raymarine partnered with RAM Mounts to supply some higher end alternatives.  RAM makes some good heavy duty mounts.  Known for a lifetime warranty and metal construction, their mounts are used in a lot of environments including motorcycles, cars and of course marine.

Consider the RAM Flat Surface Mount for Raymarine Dragonfly-4/5 & WiFish.  This mount is for attachment to a flat surface.  It adds three inches of height to the mount and has a ball and socket at the base and adapter.  This is a very versatile mount that will permit swiveling the Dragonfly out of the way as well as provide more extreme angles versus the stock mount.  The included adapter has the M6 x 30 thread mounting pattern needed to screw onto the back of the Dragonfly.

How about something that isn’t permanent?  Check out the RAM Clamp Mount for Raymarine Dragonfly-4/5 & WiFish.  This clamps to a circular rail that measures anywhere from 0.625″ to 1.5″.  Like the previous mount, this also includes a three-inch middle arm and the required M6 x 30 threaded adapter.  The mount is simple and quick to install as well as remove.  This is a good mount for those that prefer to not drill holes into their boat.

There are a lot of modifications that can be made to these RAM mounts including a longer or shorter arm.  Multiple bases can be deployed including a suction cup or cup holder.