Sunday, September 27, 2009

[Electric Boats] Thrust from Trolling Motors

 

Both Minn Kota and Motorguide max out at about 1200 rpm.
Both use 4" pitch props.
1200 x 60 x 4 / 12 /5280 = 4.545 mph with no boat (drag) and no slippage.

Figure about 3 mph realistic max speed. See yachtingmonthly.com for actual test results.

Forget the thrust ratings. They are static tests with the motor churning away while tied to spring scale whose other end is tied to a tree on shore. The rating is good to know if you are pulling tree stumps from the shoreline. Otherwise, useless!

What you really want to know is how fast the boat will go with a given motor. That is dependent on the weight of the boat, currents, winds, but most especially, how efficient you hull is. Buy the heaviest thrust you can afford, not for speed, but durability. These are brush motors. The harder you work one, the faster you will burn up the brushes.

If you have a strong enough motor to move your boat at 3 mph, adding 6 more trolling motors will move you along . . . at 3 mph. You'll just use more current, though each will not have to work as hard.

Now, if you want to spend about $60,000 . . . you can have molds made for heavier pitched props to fit trolling motors . . . and that would give you faster speeds.

And that is just what I am about to do!

Only my props are not props, but actually augers . . . that work equally well in reverse . . . for a shallow water foot controlled watercraft. You can see it in action at www.streamdancer.com

John Zimmerlee
770-565-4420

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