Electric Motor ?
Electric Motor ?
I'm considering an Electric Trolling motor as a means to get out the channel to sailing depth, and then back to the berth, of course. I don't have the funds for a newer outboard and I don't quite trust the 4.5hp. antique that I have now.
My thought is about a 50 lb thrust with a marine battery and charger at dock.
Maybe a solar panel when not sailing to keep the battery topped up.
I have a 2 mile trip each way to sailing depth.
Any incite would be appreciated Thanks BC
My thought is about a 50 lb thrust with a marine battery and charger at dock.
Maybe a solar panel when not sailing to keep the battery topped up.
I have a 2 mile trip each way to sailing depth.
Any incite would be appreciated Thanks BC
When you come to a fork in the road - take it!
- thepartydog
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 10:50 pm
- Location: Crestview Florida
Hey!
I can tell you that lake Quachita is the biggest lake in Arkansas, and I spoke with a guy that did both: gas motor. trolling motor.
He dumped the gas motor quickly related to terrible fumes, and an inability to enjoy himself, or sleep on the boat. He then tried a trolling motor, and used a MARINE DEEP CELL battery, and a 12volt solar recharger. He was ELATED. No fumes, and the trolling motor, he claimed, took him from one end of the lake to the other (I'm not sure if he really did all of the 40 miles by trolling motor). But!!!!
He said that he checked the battery with a volt meter, and often it was topped off already by the end of the weekend.
I am using a solar charger as a "check" for my boat. I have an ancient cub cadet tractor (very small), with 6 volt supply. I have no electricity, so the only choice was solar. the 6 volt recharger works splendidly. It solved an otherwise pricey problem.
Start with a trolling motor, the above mentioned battery, and see how it does... if your boat requires another battery... then buy another one later.
Adendum: My father was in an electronics engineering competition, and the requirement was to build a boat that had the fastest time over a pre-set distance. some tried a huge sprint of energy, others tried a slow build of speed until the end, etc....
The one with the trolling motor won, hands down... the team that used it tried to build a more efficient propeller, but discovered that a more effiecient propeller did not exist.... it was as efficient as it could get.
Have faith,
and go electric. Might save some marine life while you're at it.
Bill
He dumped the gas motor quickly related to terrible fumes, and an inability to enjoy himself, or sleep on the boat. He then tried a trolling motor, and used a MARINE DEEP CELL battery, and a 12volt solar recharger. He was ELATED. No fumes, and the trolling motor, he claimed, took him from one end of the lake to the other (I'm not sure if he really did all of the 40 miles by trolling motor). But!!!!
He said that he checked the battery with a volt meter, and often it was topped off already by the end of the weekend.
I am using a solar charger as a "check" for my boat. I have an ancient cub cadet tractor (very small), with 6 volt supply. I have no electricity, so the only choice was solar. the 6 volt recharger works splendidly. It solved an otherwise pricey problem.
Start with a trolling motor, the above mentioned battery, and see how it does... if your boat requires another battery... then buy another one later.
Adendum: My father was in an electronics engineering competition, and the requirement was to build a boat that had the fastest time over a pre-set distance. some tried a huge sprint of energy, others tried a slow build of speed until the end, etc....
The one with the trolling motor won, hands down... the team that used it tried to build a more efficient propeller, but discovered that a more effiecient propeller did not exist.... it was as efficient as it could get.
Have faith,
and go electric. Might save some marine life while you're at it.
Bill
We're just about finished with refurbishing our Chrysler 22, she's slipped, and ready for fun!
Lake Quachita, HotSprings Arkansas
Bill Williams
Lake Quachita, HotSprings Arkansas
Bill Williams
- sauerleigh
- Posts: 287
- Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 3:50 pm
- Location: Ohio
My biggest concern would be going against a head wind, 10mph and more. The trolling motor will get the boat moving in calm conditions and you can probably make you 4 miles on a single charge with large enough battery but going against the wind will be a different story.
1978 Chrysler 26 "Maudie Kay"
1984 Catalina 25 "REDUX" (rebuild)
It's better late than never
1984 Catalina 25 "REDUX" (rebuild)
It's better late than never
Electric Motor
Thanks for the replies.
I'm going to try it. I believe with a good battery and a 50lbs thrust it should do what I want. On the Gulf - western side of Florida - you have to do 1 mile from shore to gain 1 foot of depth, ergo the distance problem.
By using good judgement on when and when not to sail, the electric motor has a lot going for it.
Thanks again for your comments BC
I'm going to try it. I believe with a good battery and a 50lbs thrust it should do what I want. On the Gulf - western side of Florida - you have to do 1 mile from shore to gain 1 foot of depth, ergo the distance problem.
By using good judgement on when and when not to sail, the electric motor has a lot going for it.
Thanks again for your comments BC
When you come to a fork in the road - take it!
I use an 80 lb thrust 24 volt on my 26. It will push me as far as I need to go. When setting up batteries I would buy two and wire them in parallel to gain twice the range over a single. You want to buy them at the same time so they age together and thier charging characteristics stay close. When running the system figure on no more than 50% throttle if you want any range. There so only so much energy in your battery pack you can run it all out at full throttle in about 20 minutes, at 30% to 50% throttle I can push the 26 for several hours. To make deep cycle batteries last count on no more than 50% depth of discharge.
An electric setup with batteries, charger and motor will cost you a majority the price of a new small outboard so the cost savings isn't really strong.
Even the biggest troller won't get you out of the way of a storm, won't buck a headwind etc, but you will become a much better sailor. We now leave and get on the mooring under sail alone and can hit most docks inder sail. Energy to run the motor moves from the commodity level in which I would run the gas outboard because it was easy to do - to running the electric only when I need to because my energy source is much more limited. It takes a couple hours to get new electrons in the battery!
If you want to sail old school go electric!
Later!
JK on Anhinga
An electric setup with batteries, charger and motor will cost you a majority the price of a new small outboard so the cost savings isn't really strong.
Even the biggest troller won't get you out of the way of a storm, won't buck a headwind etc, but you will become a much better sailor. We now leave and get on the mooring under sail alone and can hit most docks inder sail. Energy to run the motor moves from the commodity level in which I would run the gas outboard because it was easy to do - to running the electric only when I need to because my energy source is much more limited. It takes a couple hours to get new electrons in the battery!
If you want to sail old school go electric!
Later!
JK on Anhinga
- thepartydog
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 10:50 pm
- Location: Crestview Florida
- thepartydog
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 10:50 pm
- Location: Crestview Florida
- thepartydog
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 10:50 pm
- Location: Crestview Florida
- John Stahl
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Thu Nov 11, 2010 7:10 am
- Location: Missoula Montana
I read some were that you need one lbs of thrust for every 65 lbs of boat.
a C26 is 5000 lbs. so for a C26 you would need 76 lbs of thrust.
two 45 lbs trust trolling motors should do the trick with power to spare.
a C26 is 5000 lbs. so for a C26 you would need 76 lbs of thrust.
two 45 lbs trust trolling motors should do the trick with power to spare.
There is no right way to do the wrong thing.
"Puffen" 1978 C-26
This photo is how I found her
"Puffen" 1978 C-26
This photo is how I found her
- kalamazoogal
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Thu Jul 01, 2010 5:05 am
- Location: a long way from any oceans
E- v. gasoline/diesel
I'm in full agreement that an ellectric drive is superior in most situations. However, has anybody ever stayed out just a little too long an got caught
by a storm ? As for me, I'll have one of each since a trolling motor
doesn't add much to the total weight of the boat. Since we're sailors most
of us only use the motor to kick off the dock etc anyway. I do, however
always want the "snort" of the dino fueled engine at my disposal if the
situation warrents.
DaveS.
by a storm ? As for me, I'll have one of each since a trolling motor
doesn't add much to the total weight of the boat. Since we're sailors most
of us only use the motor to kick off the dock etc anyway. I do, however
always want the "snort" of the dino fueled engine at my disposal if the
situation warrents.
DaveS.
KalamazooGal 1977 C-26
- Capt. Bondo
- Site Admin
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- Location: Hudson, WI
- thepartydog
- Posts: 337
- Joined: Tue May 22, 2007 10:50 pm
- Location: Crestview Florida
Re: Electric Motor ?
BC wrote:I'm considering an Electric Trolling motor as a means to get out the channel to sailing depth, and then back to the berth, of course. I don't have the funds for a newer outboard and I don't quite trust the 4.5hp. antique that I have now.
My thought is about a 50 lb thrust with a marine battery and charger at dock.
Maybe a solar panel when not sailing to keep the battery topped up.
I have a 2 mile trip each way to sailing depth.
Any incite would be appreciated Thanks BC
Thanks for the reply's and advice.
Yesterday I set out on a 10 mile cruise from Hernando Beach, Fl --western side --with a 44lb Minn-Kota electric and 2 full charged deep cell batteries.
I had to bailout because for my choice of "motor".
The reality of electric motors are that you don't have enough reserve power to deal with wind and tidal flow. At one point I was trying to get around a channel curve against a outgoing tide -- the motor was on a good battery and at full speed I barely had forward progress. Fighting a 2 or 3 knot flow is not a thing you should do with an electric motor. Throw a little wind into the picture and it's not pretty.
If you were using an electric motor on a lake, sailing off a dock or mooring I think the electric would be a good choice, but for any other application an outboard is much better. For the reserve power if for nothing else.
Given my little "adventure" I'm thinking a 9.9 horse is the best bet.
Thanks again for the comments and advice. BC
When you come to a fork in the road - take it!