Electric Outboard for Tender

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Old Thady

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I keep a boat on a swinging mooring in West Cork and access it by dinghy. It's about half a kilometre from the slip to the mooring. My dinghy is an inflatable and the anchorage is often windy so rowing isn't always feasible. I bought a new Mariner 2.5hp four stroke a few years ago but it has given me nothing but problems. Basically, I can't get the thing to start when it's on the dinghy despite its working perfectly in the service guy's tank. When it does fire up, I have no idea what made that pull different to the previous hundred pulls. Last season my use of the boat was severely curtailed by this.
I'm thinking of getting an electric outboard. Does anyone have experience of these and/or any recommendations? The battery only has to get me out to the boat and back. I don't plan on using it for anything else.
 
If you do a forum search you’ll find this has been discussed on numerous occasions. You might be better off starting a thread entitled “what is wrong with my outboard”.
 
Not me, but a friend bought one for a similar use because he had a shoulder operation and starting a mariner was too hard. In the event, it didn't live up to expectations. By the time he had gone both ways to the mooring, plus put the dog ashore nearby, the outboard struggled. He now has a Seagull or two, which are easier to pull.
 
While a few people manage with a cheap trolling motor they have their limitations, mainly lack of power (so won't deal with high winds!), high on power consumption, limited range and need to carry a heavy battery that needs regular charging.

Realistically the only one that works is a Torqeedo which does give performance comparable with an outboard and a reasonable range. Of course this comes at a price.
 
I'm trialling a Bison trolling motor this summer. Things learnt so far.

1) Tranona doesn't like them. :)

2) There's a lot more power than people say. And they're very quiet.

3) You really need to set things up properly not just plug the motor onto the battery.

4) They weigh enough but of course you have the advantage of transferring the motor and battery separately.

I don't really want to express firm opinions until I've given it a good season's work out. I bought the Bison battery box - that's not neceessary you could assemble a better quality box yourself. BUT you do have to ensure you have a suitable breaker. I also fitted a solar power controller to mine and have arranged things so I can trickle charge it with an 18W panel or give it a good boost with 100 or 200W of solar panels or use jump leads to connect to the main domestic bank.

Also make sure you get a decent battery. Especially if you're going to be doing longer legs. I'm also working on the basis for the time being that it is motor-assisted rowing, until it's proven itself.
 
Having tried electric outboards for a couple of seasons, and nearly ended up an RNLI statistic when the wind got up, I have gone back to an ordinary o/ b, less fuss more power. Spend the money sorting or replacing your mariner. Suggestion: check how deep the leg is when on the dinghy. It may be back pressure in the exhaust causing starting problems. This is a very common cause of mystery non starters which work fine in the workshop.
 
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The Torqeedo works well, has reasonable range, is lightweight, is neat and clean, and can be recharged from the boat battery. But it's pricey.
 
pvb said:
The Torqeedo works well, has reasonable range, is lightweight, is neat and clean, and can be recharged from the boat battery. But it's pricey.
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Exactly - 4 seasons in and our Torqueedo has been brilliant - pushing a heavy 3m rib with up to 6 people plus luggage for usually a quarter to half a mile each way - seems to have about 3 miles range on a highish throttle if loaded but with a percentage monitor on the battery we've never had any anxiety and charge it from the boats batteries (via an inverter as that's faster if needed), or mains when we pop into marinas.

The biggest advantage is because no pull technique is needed and my wife struggled starting our petrol outboard - not strength but technique, but now just twists the throttle which means I can stay aboard when she goes shopping and our very heavy lift-down of the 4 stroke 5hp engine is replaced by handing the 3 bits down to the tender one handed and assembling in a few seconds.

And the recent same model now has almost double the battery capacity of ours.
 
Plum said:
Could you please explain what you mean by this? Thanks.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
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Like this: inline mains connectors (like for a computer-to-monitor connection), attached to the battery with 30A (cooker) cable. Socket end on the battery, plug end on the motor (Bison 62 in this case). Cable-ties to prevent accidental tugging on the battery connections; battery bags for ease of carrying. The batteries are a pair of 22Ah AGMs, which have plenty of capacity for my needs and which can easily be carried in one hand.

Outbaord Batteries.jpg
 
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sgr143 said:
Like this: inline mains connectors (like for a computer-to-monitor connection), attached to the battery with 30A (cooker) cable. Socket end on the battery, plug end on the motor (Bison 62 in this case). Cable-ties to prevent accidental tugging on the battery connections; battery bags for ease of carrying. The batteries are a pair of 22Ah AGMs, which have plenty of capacity for my needs and which can easily be carried in one hand.

View attachment 70938
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Thanks for that. Look forward to hearing more feedback from you on your experience of the Bison outboard.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
 
Old Thady said:
I keep a boat on a swinging mooring in West Cork and access it by dinghy. It's about half a kilometre from the slip to the mooring. My dinghy is an inflatable and the anchorage is often windy so rowing isn't always feasible. I bought a new Mariner 2.5hp four stroke a few years ago but it has given me nothing but problems. Basically, I can't get the thing to start when it's on the dinghy despite its working perfectly in the service guy's tank. When it does fire up, I have no idea what made that pull different to the previous hundred pulls. Last season my use of the boat was severely curtailed by this.
I'm thinking of getting an electric outboard. Does anyone have experience of these and/or any recommendations? The battery only has to get me out to the boat and back. I don't plan on using it for anything else.
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Based on what you say you might reconsider the tender rather than change the motive power. An inflatable is not ideal for a straightforward shore to mooring requirement. The big advantage of an inflatable is its portability, its downsides is that it is a poor boat for rowing in less than flat calm.

Suggest you consider changing to a 9' hard stem dinghy which will row far better and be better using the outboard. Suspect your starting problems are because you depress the back of the inflatable when you try to start it causing it to sink too deep in the water.

If you do go the hard dinghy route than make sure the transom is the right height (15") assuming yu have a short shaft motor.
 
Tranona said:
While a few people manage with a cheap trolling motor they have their limitations, mainly lack of power (so won't deal with high winds!), high on power consumption, limited range and need to carry a heavy battery that needs regular charging.

Realistically the only one that works is a Torqeedo which does give performance comparable with an outboard and a reasonable range. Of course this comes at a price.
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There is also the ePropulsion Spirit. Similar price.
https://nestawayboats.com/shop/e-propulsion-spirit-1kw-electric-outboard/

John
 
RupertW said:
Great that there’s finally competition for the Torqueedo - very very similar design - but alas no price advantage yet
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I'm told that ePropulsion was set-up by Ex Torqeedo people. I like my Spirit mainly because it's quieter than the Travel 1003 even though it's a bit heavier.

The battery cost is a large proportion of the overall cost which will limit the scope for a price war.
 
lpdsn said:
I'm trialling a Bison trolling motor this summer. Things learnt so far.

1) Tranona doesn't like them. :)
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You misquote me - or rather misrepresent what I say about them.

I like them and have done since I first saw them in use in the US over 40 years ago - being used for the purpose for which they were designed.

My point is perfectly illustrated by this thread. That is whether the trolling type motor is suitable for use on a yacht tender as an alternative to a 2.5hp outboard.

To this the answer can only be a maybe - if you can live with the limitations as I outlined earlier. You can't ignore the limitations, nor remove them so they limit the range of circumstances where their use is practical. This is of course exactly what you aim to find out.

As I have pointed out many times, these products have been on the market for many years and if they did the job you would see them everywhere. But you don't, which must tell you something. Some people have made a success of using them, but always in limited circumstances, typically short runs to and from a mooring in benign conditions, but once you move away from those defined conditions you soon hit the barriers of power, range and portability.

So, await your end of season report.
 
Plum said:
Thanks for that. Look forward to hearing more feedback from you on your experience of the Bison outboard.

Www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk
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See here: http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...olling-Motor&p=6397947&highlight=#post6397947

As Tranona (above) says "Some people have made a success of using them, but always in limited circumstances, typically short runs to and from a mooring in benign conditions," Actually I've been happy with mine in less than benign conditions, but of course there are limits; and I'd be OK with using it for runs of maybe up to half a mile or so rather than my few hundred feet. The tide in upper reaches of Fareham Lake (where I'm moored) can move along pretty swiftly, especially on the ebb, and the Bison copes with that OK. Horses for courses; suits me, wouldn't suit everyone.

Steve
 
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Old Thady said:
I keep a boat on a swinging mooring in West Cork and access it by dinghy. It's about half a kilometre from the slip to the mooring. My dinghy is an inflatable and the anchorage is often windy so rowing isn't always feasible. I bought a new Mariner 2.5hp four stroke a few years ago but it has given me nothing but problems. Basically, I can't get the thing to start when it's on the dinghy despite its working perfectly in the service guy's tank. When it does fire up, I have no idea what made that pull different to the previous hundred pulls. Last season my use of the boat was severely curtailed by this.
I'm thinking of getting an electric outboard. Does anyone have experience of these and/or any recommendations? The battery only has to get me out to the boat and back. I don't plan on using it for anything else.
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A guy in our marina runs up and down all day on this. Always ready no fuel or batteries to carry just jump on and go.

36046606196_7ddb6f4d0b_b.jpg
 
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