Electric outboards

[UMCorps]

Going through the thread I see no one has commented on the durability or issues of use in Salt water? Any info appreciated.
Sailfish156

I have no issues in salt water with my Torqeedo. Being lazy, I only rinse it properly at the end of the season. It doesn't seem to do it any harm.

I don't need to remove the battery for storage so that stays connected for the season as well. I find that the tiller cable connection needs to be connected with care and kept very clean if it is to be reliable. It's very quick to throw an E32 error if it doesn't like the quality of the connection. I give it an occasional spray of contact cleaner and/or WD40 which helps. A light smear of silicon grease on the thread of the connection nut is also useful.

On mine, (which is 2nd hand and at least 5 years old now) the centre indent on the twist grip is rather vague. Sometimes the grip will feel like its sat in the centre indent but the prop continues to turn slowly. On other occasions, when twisting the grip to start (in either direction) nothing happens. It's as if the motor doesn't recognise that the pot has left the centre indent. It needs a bit of a waggle to kick it into life. I suspect it will need replacing at some stage soon.

Minor issues really. Certainly a lot more reliable and a lot less hassle than a petrol outboard.

 

[RupertW]

Hi Guys,
Going through the thread I see no one has commented on the durability or issues of use in Salt water? Any info appreciated.

Another endorsement of the Torqueedo in a salty environment - no problems at all in 4 years and the Torqueedo is often on the pushpit covered completely in dry salt after a typical windy/splashy Med day and won't be washed off until we next go to a marina maybe a week or more later. We only undo the connections to put the motor into the rib and so far no problems with them either.

 

[jordanbasset]

When we were anchored in Ay Eufimia this year a very strong wind blew up out of nowhere ad tipped the dinghy over with our Torqedo attached. It was under water for a about a minute. Rinsed off with fresh water and allowed to dry and it started without any problems then or since

 

[Greenheart]

£1,500 for a fairly old Torqueedo and several batteries, here... https://www.apolloduck.com/image.phtml?id=588450&image=6

It comes with a free Salcombe Yawl attached.

 

[mogmog2]

Nothing beats the sense of security you feel as you push against the tide with a leccy outboard and can hear the revs gently dropping...

Then you get the oars out. You did bring the oars didn't you?

Or you didn't because your outboard never runs out of fuel, or stops inexplicably:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthrea...ot-to-love-outboards-!&highlight=mogmog2+avon

 

[lampshuk]

To answer the original question: I had an old Die Hard electric trolling motor that I used on our 2.4m inflateable. The motor is rated at 1.5HP and I powered it with a small golf-cart battery.
AFAIK it was not rated for salt water, and the main "shaft" did rust underneath the chrome, but the motor and controller were unaffected. I did rinse it off when I remembered to do so, but I didn't take special care of it.
The only thing that failed was the screw clamps securing the motor to the transom, which rusted so much that they destroyed the thread in their plastic frames and I replaced them with larger-diameter stainless bolts and re-tapped the frame.

It was nice to have a silent means of propulsion, and those rubber ducks are no joy to row, so although I could probably row or paddle faster than the outboard could push, I did use it from time to time.


But I've no way of knowing whether the same would apply to the specific make you are referring to.