electric trolling motor on drift boat
Anybody using an electric trolling motor on their drift boat? Any suggestions for amount of thrust needed? Any other thoughts regarding picking a motor or installing? I will primarily use to motor downstream thru nonproductive water but may also use on small lakes.
stevehaun,
The major item is the size of your drift boat and how many people you are going to carry. Torque and thrust are the big numbers that
should be considered when buying an electric motor. If you buy it at wall-mart, you are on your own. A dealer should know the right
thrust motor for your boat. If you know the brand you want, call the mfg. for info on thrust to boat weight ratio. I use a 35# thrust on
my 10' Livingston and it pushes me around on lakes just fine.
CRUNCHY
Steve,
In addition to the amount of thrust that Crunchy mentioned, another big concern is battery charge life.
You want as much power as you can afford. You'll never regret having more pounds of thrust. All electric motors come with variable speeds, so you can always slow down. Having enough power to push you back to the launch site into a stiff breeze or current is always a plus....but...
More power equals more amp draw on the battery. Any motor you buy will show you how much power it will use at different motor settings. You really need to take the time to look at this information and be sure you understand it before making a purchase. Many folks buy a 35 to 45 pound thrust motor and are then amazed when it will only run a couple of hours at full power. That's not a problem if you can carry a second battery, but if you have moved several miles from your launch site and then find yourself with a drained battery, it's a long row home.
Using a high quality deep cycle battery(ies), knowing how long it will last, and getting at least the minimum amount of thrust for your boat will make the purchase a sound one. Otherwise, it can be a frustrating experience.
Good Luck!
Buddy
Long distance ....big headwind...low battery = no fun
I have never installed an electric trolling motor on my driftboat - 16' low profile Clackacraft. However, I do have an electric trolling motor for my 80#, 12' 3" cataraft - I think it is a 35# Minn Kota - and it pushes that boat like there's no tomorrow - however, I'd want a considerably larger motor than that for my driftboat (another 200# of weight of the boat, plus passengers).
One thing I quickly learned from using the motor on my cataraft is that it needed a keel to keep it moving on a straight line. I lash an oar alongside the boat with the blade in the water, and that works fine - I don't know what, if anything, you'd do on a drift boat.
Other than that, I'd think it would be relatively easy to affix either a rear or a side mounted motor, but you may need an extended length shaft for it.
John
Not to put a damper on the choice but, know that most states now require ANY water craft that is propelled by an artificial means, nto human powered, must be registered. This includes canoes, kayaks, float tubes, etc. That said, I have two electric trolling motors I have used on my canoe, both work great. Also have a 5 horse gas motor for my 12' aluminum and 11' metzler maya raft. I just haven't used them because I have trouble with the idea of registering a canoe or a rubber raft!!
Wyoming was one of the last states to go this route.
Last edited by Byron Zuehlsdorff; 03-31-2010 at 04:11 AM.
Wyo-Blizzard
My drift boat is a 16 foot clackacraft low profile. It is already licensed but I may have to change my license if I add the motor. Thanks!
As I recall, 100 # of thrust is about the same as a 1 Hp gas. I used a 2 Hp gas on a 16 foot drift boat and it was just barely enough against a strong current in a river. Also, many rivers outlaw motors of any sort for obvious reasons.
Bob
Here's a link to a motor mount offered by Hyde: http://store.hydeoutdoors.com/?c=motorsmounting
You can get a bit more info on motor mounts if you do a google search.
I personally use an 8 horse honda motor with a long shaft on my Hyde dirfit boat; however, it is only used on the lake when I am using the motor. My friend has a Minnkota with a long shaft that he attaches to his Fish Rite aluminum drift boat while fishing lakes and it works fine --- and a lot lighter than my Honda motor. You do need to recharge it every night.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
