Electric Outboard motors

Submitted: Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 18:25
ThreadID: 68071 Views:9067 Replies:6 FollowUps:6
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Getting old and am considering purchasing an electric outboard to mount on my canoe to take a bit of pressure off the old muscles & bones. Appreciate members views on what makes / models are good. I'm only looking for something that will run me around for a couple of hours max each trip while I'm fishing down at Geographe Bay (WA)
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Reply By: Member - colin J (VIC) - Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 19:12

Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 19:12
Hi Old Mal,
My partner and i have viking kayaks to which i have fitted Minn Kota 40 electric motors. These have 5 forward gears and 3 reverse. To power them i fitted 75 amp hour batteries (sealed gel type) They fly and are so much fun. Depending on what gear your in, and how much you flog it, you can get up to 7 or 8 hrs use before the batteries need charging. Viking sell a fishermans kayak with motor and battery set up, but that particular one was to big for us so i modified another one of their kayaks that was smaller and easier to carry etc.
Hope this helps.
Regards from Big Col
AnswerID: 360722

Reply By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 19:42

Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 19:42
Hi Mal,

I use two Shakespeare models - a 15 and a 30. I don't think they even sell that brand any more. If I was going to buy a new one I would look at the Minn Kota range. They are huge in America and the biggest in Australia I think.( or they were when I was in the business )

I reckon a 15 would do you one up in a small Canadian - not too much strain on the battery. If there is more than one person and open water with wind I would suggest a more powerful model.

Willie.
AnswerID: 360733

Follow Up By: Member - Willie , Sydney. - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 15:38

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 15:38
Mal,

All these people trying to get you to buy a petrol motor .

Nothing beats an electric for fishing in a canoe. Instant on / off and totally quiet .

Willie.
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FollowupID: 628627

Reply By: Best Off Road - Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 20:25

Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 20:25
To me this begs the question why hasn't someone adapted a little two stoke to do the job?

The thought of lugging a battery (heavy) to propel an electric motor seems too hard. And it has to cost plenty, $700 plus?

One can buy a two stroke whipper snipper for about $100. How hard would it be to remove the whipper snipper head and replace it with a propellor?

Even without shortening the shaft it could operate like a "longtail" boat that is commonly used in Thailand.

Just my wild mind in action.

Jim.

AnswerID: 360744

Follow Up By: disco driver - Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 23:42

Tuesday, Apr 21, 2009 at 23:42
Hi Jim,
I'm old enough to remember a thing called an "Atco Boat Impeller" from the early 50's which was just that.
It had an Atco motor, (read Villiers) 2 stroke of about 98cc attached to a 7-8ft shaft with an alloy prop on the end.
Worked quite well considering that most of the dinghies of the day were real timber hulls built in the traditional way and thus quite heavy.

I can't see why such an adaption would not work today especially with the lightweight materials used now.

Disco.
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FollowupID: 628546

Follow Up By: RV Powerstream P/L - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 13:41

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 13:41
Jim
There is one it is called a Whipella and it was designed by a chap in Lightning Ridge and it fits on the end of a straight shaft whipper snipper which can be 2 stroke of 4 stroke.

The chap now lives on the central coast of NSW and Rods Country Camping Gear demonstarted the first ones at 4x4 shows.

Rod still is involved and can be contacted at rod.dun@bigpond.com.au or ring 0418423610.

Regards
Ian
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Follow Up By: Pete Jackman (SA) - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 14:28

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 14:28
Was this it:

Whipella

Pete
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Follow Up By: RV Powerstream P/L - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 15:34

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 15:34
Yes Pete you've got it in one.
They have adaptors to fit different brands of whipper snippers.
So you get your snipper out and tell the misses your going to trim the grass and you sneak off and go fishing.
Ian



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FollowupID: 628626

Reply By: Member - Ingo57 (NSW) - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 09:58

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 09:58
G,day Old Mal

On our Canoe we run a 2.5 Mercury 2 stroke.....Works Great!

We trialed it for the first time at Easter, at its slowest speed it is great for trolling

The motor weighs about 10kg has its own built in tank which will also run it all day and is cheaper to purchase than an electric set up by far....

Hope this helps

Cheers IngoImage Could Not Be Found

AnswerID: 360845

Reply By: 515 - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 16:07

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 16:07
Hi Mal

I am in a similar situation and thought about fitting an outboard to my canoe.

I looked at 2HP petrol stuff but thought that $1000 was too dear or I wasn't that lazy. So I mounted a bracket just in front of the back seat position (my position) and put a small Jarvis Walker 15lb thrust electric outboard on it.

It weighs almost nothing and then I used our battery pack jump starter to power it. This lasted for about 2 hours on full throttle and more than 4 on 1/2 throttle, for trolling.

The engine was $140 at Rays Outdoors and I thought this was worth the effort.

It is a ripper and I have photos but I don't know how to load them.

Cheers

Viv
AnswerID: 360886

Follow Up By: Member - Ingo57 (NSW) - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 16:40

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 16:40
Viv,

I stand corrected in the pricing side of things, when I looked at Electric motors they were pretty pricey + battery

$800.00 will get you a brand new 2 hp petrol. Even cheaper second hand but I must admit $140.00 is a pretty good price to power a canoe.... even If it lasted a year cant really go to wrong!
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FollowupID: 628635

Reply By: Flywest - Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 17:06

Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009 at 17:06
I had a pair of 16 ft Canadian Canoes when i was first guiding for trout in the SW.

I had minn kota 30 electrics on a bracket I made from sheoke.

I used 2 batteries per canoe and would usually manage to slow troll for trout from boat landing road on the Donnelly river about 9 or 10 km's down the river on one battery and back again on the other.

I recall on one trip one of the 2 batteries dropped a cell and we had to paddle the whole 9 or 10 km's back against the current - arriving home very late at night.

I just have a bit of a philosophical aversion to going to sea with such a setup - say off Busselton.

Any problem (and occasionally the electric OB's or batteries CAN play up) and next stop China!

Different on a river where you can paddle back home or even get out onto the bank and wait for rescue - but on the ocean a bad sea breeze or tide and you might dissapear over the horizon, never to be seen again.

Just my opinion of course.

I did once see a Canadian canoe modified with a whipper snipper engine connected to a jet nozzel underneath that would get 8 knots and go all day on a few liters of unleaded two stroke.

Maybe something like that would be more suited to marine use?, but I still have issues with going to sea in a canoe...

Best of luck with it.

Cheers
AnswerID: 360897

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