Electric Motor ?

[hamerz84]

hi guys i have a 4.8m aluminium bowrider and ive been thinking about installing a electric trolling motor,

now i know bugger all about them so i would like some advice on what brand,size and what ever other

info i need before i take the plunge.

cheers hamerz.

Edited May 12, 2010 by hamerz84

[Geoff]

On a 4.8mt boat you will most likely require a a motor around 80lb thrust. This size require 24V (2 X 12V) batteries

AGM deep cycle batteries are not cheap. Depending on use you could get away with 70 amp hour batteries but 100 - 105 amp hour is prefered.

2 X 12V , 100amp batteries + a 12 amp charger will cost around $850.00 - $900.00

As for the motor , suggest Minkota or Motorguide

Geoff

Edited May 12, 2010 by Geoff

[Michael Hatte]

Motor guide systems are pretty good value mate and come with a long warranty also watersnakes by jarvis walker are pretty good.

It comes down to how much your going to be using it mate, if you a use your boat a few times a week then go for sometime like a motor guide system.

If you just use it occasionally the water snake will be perfect for you.

Get the largest trust possible so you dont have to work the thing flat stick all the time, and also a deep cycle battery with at least 150amp/hours on it.

Your prob looking at around 1500 smackers for a complete system if you use the jarvis walker. Motor,foot pedal and deep cycle battery

Then when you start steping up to different models you start playing with 2000-2500 grand for the motor guide and minn kota systems.

I ran a 54lb trust watersnake on a 4m v-nose punt last year, the motor was 650.00 and battery was 480.00. It coped an absolute flogging, used it 3-4 times a week and the only thing that played up was the foot control which was replaced under warranty. The motor still runs fine and neaver had a problem since.

[slinkymalinky]

G'day Hemaerz,

I fitted an electric motor to my 4.8m Freedom Sport about 6 months ago.

The power you need for your boat depends on where and how you fish but unless you know you'll only ever use it on flat, calm water with no wind and no current, you should definitely get a 75-80lb thrust, 24volt model.

I fitted a Motorguide wireless 75lb model and love it. My bowrider has high sides and is therefore effected by the wind much more than 'bass boats' like Hornets and Skeeters. With the 75 it isn't a problem in the slightest but there's no way a 55ish lb motor would manage it.

I also fish a lot of current effected areas like the Tweed River and Gold Coast Seaway... again, the 55 wouldn't cut it.

You'll also need a long shaft... I got the 60" shaft. I had one humpty of a dealer for a particular brand tell me I could get away with a normal shaft 55lb motor - no way any chop and a shorter shaft would see the motor popping out of the water. I can work in the Seaway washing machine without a problem.

As for brands, I love my Motorguide but others whose opinions I rate also love their Minn Kotas. Either brand would be a good choice... they both have different features that some prefer over others so you really should just compare them, weigh it up against the sort of deal you can get, and go with your gut.

I'd steer clear of some of the cheaper brands personally...

Give Craig at Huett Marine a call or send him a PM. Swordfisherman recently got an 80lb Minn Kota set up from there that I understand he loves so much that he drives it round his bathtub just for fun

Cheers, Slinky

[a boat]

Hi, all good advise as usual, and I agree. A 55LB might do the job but an 80Lb will be better and especially if you are going to go bow mount-it will be dearer and more involved unless you ahve the bracket on the boat already, but in the long run much better. I like the MK, that is why I choose to sell them and at present, while stocks last, there are good prices on the bow mount Terrovas or go the best being the new I-Pilot versions-they are unreal with many user friendly features.

PM me if you would like a Raider price on the Terrovas or I-Pilot.

Cheers,

Huey.

[hamerz84]

G'day Hemaerz,

I fitted an electric motor to my 4.8m Freedom Sport about 6 months ago.

The power you need for your boat depends on where and how you fish but unless you know you'll only ever use it on flat, calm water with no wind and no current, you should definitely get a 75-80lb thrust, 24volt model.

I fitted a Motorguide wireless 75lb model and love it. My bowrider has high sides and is therefore effected by the wind much more than 'bass boats' like Hornets and Skeeters. With the 75 it isn't a problem in the slightest but there's no way a 55ish lb motor would manage it.

I also fish a lot of current effected areas like the Tweed River and Gold Coast Seaway... again, the 55 wouldn't cut it.

You'll also need a long shaft... I got the 60" shaft. I had one humpty of a dealer for a particular brand tell me I could get away with a normal shaft 55lb motor - no way any chop and a shorter shaft would see the motor popping out of the water. I can work in the Seaway washing machine without a problem.

As for brands, I love my Motorguide but others whose opinions I rate also love their Minn Kotas. Either brand would be a good choice... they both have different features that some prefer over others so you really should just compare them, weigh it up against the sort of deal you can get, and go with your gut.

I'd steer clear of some of the cheaper brands personally...

Give Craig at Huett Marine a call or send him a PM. Swordfisherman recently got an 80lb Minn Kota set up from there that I understand he loves so much that he drives it round his bathtub just for fun

Cheers, Slinky

gday slinky and thanks for your input, same boat so i guess i'll need the same set up mate would u mind telling me how much it all roughly cost ? just so i can compare prices when i start shopping around cheers mate.

[a boat]

Hi, I will answer your PM in the morning mate, but in the meantime you should go to Minn Kota website to learn about the I-Pilot. That said the prices for the CP and AP Terrovas are pretty good , if they have any left, and with the Co-Pilot it has and the Auto-pilot they are great in themselves. Basically I-Pilot does everything Auto-Pilot used to but more and being GPS based it is much more accurate and allows you to store routes to trace back on without doing anything. Imagine setting a course say against the Vines here on the Hawkesbury and then being able to go back and forth on that course without doing anything-very handy.

Cheers,

Huey.

[JET01]

You guys have got me pretty concerned...

I'm getting an electric motor fitted to my stacer nomad 469 and i've gone with a 54lb/54in shaft.

I've got my fingers and toes crossed this is going to be a enough power with 2 85kg blokes fishing.

Everyone i've asked for opinions in shops etc seems to think it's going to be enough.

Has anyone out there got a Nomad 469 with a bowmount on it?

[Hooked-Up]

got a 449 nomad with 55lb and its sweet, 469 id go the same any bigger or if i had too much money id go 80lb, on a 120 amp battery i can get 12-16 hours solid use with a top speed of about 2 knots into and depending on current, good luck mate, go the ipilot its awesome.

[PlayerOne]

You guys have got me pretty concerned...

I'm getting an electric motor fitted to my stacer nomad 469 and i've gone with a 54lb/54in shaft.

I've got my fingers and toes crossed this is going to be a enough power with 2 85kg blokes fishing.

Everyone i've asked for opinions in shops etc seems to think it's going to be enough.

Has anyone out there got a Nomad 469 with a bowmount on it?

Hi mate; could you keep us posted on how your set-up works on the 469 Nomad... I'm thinking about upgrading to that boat (or similar) and hoping to retain my 54lb set-up from my current boat..... Cheers. Al.

[JET01]

Hi mate; could you keep us posted on how your set-up works on the 469 Nomad... I'm thinking about upgrading to that boat (or similar) and hoping to retain my 54lb set-up from my current boat..... Cheers. Al.

NB: I've gone into A LOT of detail here because i'm a newbie and have been stuffed around by a lot of people trying to get this motor installed. I thought 2 weeks was a reasonable time frame. Maybe i'm just asking too much. I hope this post can save someone a bit of time and money.

Finally got the electric motor onto the boat. Although there were a few hickups, it all looks absolutely superb. I can't plug the guys on here because the site sponsors might get upset, so PM me if you'd like to know who did it. He's the only guy that I could find to weld a bracket onto the tinny this side of the harbour bridge (south). The guy he used to do the painting did a great job too... although the drongo put my quick release bracket back on backwards.

The guy that wired it was a tosser and i'll never go back to them, pm me for details if you're in the Taren Point area, didn't put an anderson clip on the power cable so i could get the motor out of the boat. Since rectified by a trustworthy operator i have since found, PM for details.

From the outset the foot peddle didn't work properly, momentary switch wasn't doing it's thing so i had to take it away for the long weekend with only Left, Right and Throttle control. Guys at Jarvis Marine are fixing it as we speak and have told me that if it takes longer than a day to fix they'll just replace it. Pain in the bum they're all the way in SA. Good aftermarket customer service though.

For all you guys out there looking at getting a new open fishing boat. If you're going to get a boat like a nomad/top ender, make sure you option it up to have a mounting bracket from the factory. From my understanding it only costs a few hundred extra, you may not ever use it, but it will save you heaps if you or the guy you sell it to ever does.

Costing:

Welding - $1200 + GST

Bow rails cut, bent and re-welded back to the gunwale, Stacer mounting bracket supply and fit, new gunwale rubber. Repainted to look factory finished.

NB. STACER quote a 10day turn around on parts. Not all the dealers will know this or in this case think to ask. If you're in a hurry for parts, MAKE SURE YOU SAY SOMETHING.

Watersnake 54lb/54"shaft Slider Saltwater comes with nylon Quick release bracket (not all do, only some models)

$700 for the motor, $400 for 100amp deep cycle battery.

$150 Voltage sensitive relay put in to trickle charge.

54lb on the Nomad 469MP did well in windy and rainy conditions with 4 adults and beers in the boat.

I'm going going to be using the motor for trolling as such so I only really use it to hold a position or move over to the next oyster lease. For this purpose the 54lb seems to be doing a good job.