Electric Outboards

[seaesta]

Dear All
I have just signed up for a new mooring and will need a small outboard. I have a spare battery and am thinking of going electric.
Has anyone any experience with these - are they good for a 1/4 mile round trip? Anyt thoughts on size and model for a 3 person tender?
Thanks
Martin

 

[lw395]

They are quite impressive in calm flat water, but don't have the power of an engine.
So it depends where you intend to use it and into what kind of headwind/sea.
http://www.floveroutboard.co.uk
Looking at their most powerful model, it draws 50 amps and is less than 1 HP. but then 1HP was ok for a bloody great canal barge.
I'll stick with my Yamaha 2B, but I can see some appeal to electric, so long as you're not expecting me to carry the battery! 3 up in Portsmouth Harbour, 2HP is marginal sometimes. In a sheltered place it is plenty. It also helps to have a decent shaped tender, not a transom dragger!

 

[Evadne]

Yup, I used a 24lb thrust trolling motor for many years. Quiet, non smelly but you have to hump a bleedin' great battery around. A 60Ah battery was good for at least 5 miles, unless you got the tides seriously wrong. Also a bit weedy, needed oars to supplement in F6 and above; a 36lb model would be much better. Otherwise, perfect for the job. Also worth getting a seawater one if you can, my freshwater one died after only 15 years.

If you're feeling flush, there's the Torqeedo travel. A great toy for the gadget freak, (I hold my hand up here, I got one,) with a lightweight integral battery, but limited range and very expensive. The 801 has more than enough power for a tender, but if you use it all at once you still have to row! At normal speeds you get about an hour (3-4 miles through the water).

 

[Mandarin331]

If you're interested I'm selling a 54lb thrust Shakespear motor on ebay right now - which I used to power our old 20' Matilda on Rutland Water for 4 months. Would be happy to discuss a price before the auction ends on Friday - its in Peterborough.

If it powered a 20' 900 kg sailing boat I'm sure it'll push a dinghy!

To be honest the reason I'm not using it on our dinghy is only the battery weight - its a long walk over loose gravel to the dinghy from the car - but I'm not sure whether the 3.3 hp Mariner I'm using instead isn't heavier !

 

[seaesta]

Many thanks - I have pm'd you